Against the algorithm: Renaud Salmon on fragrance and the human touch
The Amouage creative director on the philosophy behind Existence and Decision, two new fragrances that could mark the end of the Odyssey Collection
By 
“I DON’T REALLY like the word niche,” says Renaud Salmon. Visiting Australia for the first time, the creative director of Amouage, which some would argue is the most famous niche brand in the world, is only half joking. But very serious. “I think it sounds more the size of something, and distribution.”
When he first joined the company six years ago, Salmon had a vision: to create luxury perfume with a point of view. “And to prove that you don’t have to compromise between art and market,” he explains. “One can be the mirror of the other. And this is why, internally, we prefer to use the term high perfumery rather than niche.”
Never let it be said that the world of perfumery cannot be philosophical. In the space of 30 minutes, the conversation with the 42-year-old Salmon veers from the influence of French perfumery in the Middle East, to concepts of the afterlife, the intersection of art and economics and how Australians seem to be ready to swim at a moment’s notice, even in the dead of winter. An odyssey, not unlike the evolving family of scents that marked Salmon’s arrival at the Oman-based maison six years ago. Now expanded with the arrival of Existence and Decision, two new fragrances that mark the (alleged) end of the Odyssey Collection, the series that launched his tenure.
Created with longtime collaborator Quentin Bisch, Existence and Decision diverge in form but share the same underlying drive: explore tension through structure. Decision, “lightning in a bottle”, is sheer yet striking. Inspired by lightning-struck juniper trees on the sides of Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest peak, it soars on notes of juniper, silvery Omani frankincense and sparkling bergamot. Existence, in contrast, brings us back to earth with the fleshy, green note of lily of the valley.
The traditionally European note, with its corporeal dewiness, is an outlier when it comes to Middle Eastern perfumery. Salmon knew it would be a risk, introducing something totally alien to his core market, but his instinct for blending boundary-pushing accords with emotional clarity proved on the money. “For Europeans, lily of the valley is something very familiar,” he explains. “But for the Middle East, it’s an alien accord. I’ve read in some reviews that they see Existence as some hyper-modern musk. They don’t have these vintage associations, so it’s a fresh and exciting concept. And I think that’s the beauty of perfume, these contrasts and context.”
For Salmon, the pair are both a creative milestone and a philosophical one. “It feels like a liberation. That I’m not restrained by a particular style at Amouage, that the house is more of a philosophy.”
Behind the scenes, Amouage has evolved from cult house to the bar for luxury. Relocating production entirely to Oman from London, the maison has invested in vertical integration, sourcing and crafting more raw materials locally. The long-term goal: turn Oman into a destination for perfumery, a Middle Eastern equivalent of Grasse. “I believe Amouage needs to become a destination,” Salmon says. “Not just where you buy a fragrance, but where you go to understand fragrance. I want perfume lovers to visit Oman at least once in their life.”
This strategy goes beyond provenance, expanding to also include Oman’s people. “There are families now living off what we do,” he says. “And I just want to give more possibilities to more families to grow with Amouage. It’s the right thing to do. It’s just common sense.”
It’s also an answer to the future. In an era where artificial intelligence can churn out formulaic blends, Salmon sees the next evolution of perfumery as one of authenticity. “You need to find ways to be super authentic,” he says. “People will smell the humanity, the soul, the intent.” Amouage has embraced hand-finished imperfection, batch variance, and even visible glue points as part of this human fingerprint. “That glue point? Maybe it’s not perfect. But someone’s hand was there. That’s what people will come to value.”
Related:
