Renaud Salmon: It will be seven years in October. They say seven years marks the end of a creative cycle. I’m curious to see what comes next.

RS: So let’s see where this marriage goes. So far, I’d say it’s been a happy one.

RS:

That’s a big question, because every time a new creative director joins a house, there are expectations – and fears. People wonder whether you’re going to erase everything that came before, or simply imitate your predecessor. But ultimately, the role of a creative director is to invent the future.

For me, the starting point is always to protect the heritage of a house. You have to understand precisely why it exists, what its core message is, but even more importantly, what its emotional resonance is. Why do people feel so deeply connected to it?

With Amouage, the answer was clear. At its heart, the brand stands for generosity and a certain sense of exoticism that naturally comes from being rooted in Oman. Oman itself already sparks the imagination because it remains somewhat off the beaten path. At the same time, it carries an image of abundance, hospitality and richness that is deeply connected to the region.

What it doesn’t automatically define, however, is a specific style of perfumery. That’s why, as a creative director, you have to distinguish between aesthetics and values. Aesthetics are personal – they reflect your own sensibility. Values belong to the house. They create continuity.

Visually, I introduced changes because I wanted the brand to feel more open and approachable. I wanted to invite people into the world of Amouage rather than simply present it from a distance.

RS:

Yes. When I arrived, the idea of richness was expressed very directly – through ornamentation, gold, polished surfaces, opulence and almost baroque references. Those codes certainly communicated luxury, but they didn’t fully reflect what I experienced in Oman itself.

What fascinated me there was something much more authentic: raw textures, fragility, subtle nuances, craftsmanship. I wanted to preserve the promise of richness while expressing it in a more contemporary way. The question became: how do you create a feeling of abundance without relying on excessive ornamentation?

That’s where the evolution happened. The brand became quieter, more tactile, more textured. Perhaps more understated. And I think that’s simply part of the role of a creative director – to make sure a house remains in dialogue with its own time.

RS:

The biggest difference is that I’m not indigenous to the culture, so it required a great deal of listening and learning. That’s also why I introduced changes very gradually. I never wanted to reboot the brand or impose my own personality onto it.

What truly distinguishes the Middle East is the place fragrance occupies in everyday life. Perfume isn’t an accessory there. It’s part of your identity.

When you visit someone’s home, they present you with their fragrance tray. Mothers create their own blends from favourite ingredients. Even desserts are often composed with the same complexity and layering as a perfume.

People have an extraordinary understanding of fragrance. They know the difference between scenting the body with oils, with smoke or with alcohol-based perfumes. They layer fragrances instinctively because what they’re ultimately creating is an olfactory identity. It’s something deeply personal and deeply cultural.

RS:

Absolutely. Creatively, it’s an incredible privilege. I don’t have committees making fragrance decisions or layers of approval that dilute ideas. That gives me an enormous amount of freedom.

And then there’s Oman itself. Creating there feels like working inside a bubble. You’re removed from the constant noise and distractions that come with being based in one of the major fashion capitals. That distance has allowed me to stay incredibly productive and focused.

RS:

I like to think of it as the blooming phase.

The roots were planted in 1983 with Gold Woman, the house’s very first fragrance. Over the years, as niche perfumery grew, those roots developed into a strong trunk. Today, I feel the brand is finally in full bloom – reaching more people while remaining deeply connected to what made it special in the first place.

Every single Amouage fragrance is still handmade, and that remains at the heart of what we do. The idea is to stay deeply human while becoming globally relevant. By training new artisans, securing access to exceptional ingredients, and continuing to craft every fragrance with the same level of care, we can offer something that is genuinely artisanal while making it available to people all over the world.

RS:

The Secret Garden Collection was originally created to reflect different personalities – different facets of the contemporary woman. Someone romantic, someone classic, someone adventurous.

When I created the two latest fragrances in the collection, which my predecessor had originally started, I tried to imagine the woman who would wear them. It’s actually not something I usually do, but in this case I let the fragrances suggest their own personalities.

Love Delight, for example, immediately evokes someone hedonistic to me – a woman who truly enjoys life. The fragrance is inspired by the sweets of the Middle East, but it’s also radiant and full of light. It has this joyful, sunlit energy.

Love Hibiscus is completely different. It’s vibrant, bold and luminous. Whenever I smell it, I picture a woman dancing flamenco in a flowing red dress. There’s mystery, confidence and a quiet fire within her. My mind naturally makes these associations. They all seem to belong together.

RS: Apparently. But I think everything in the world is connected. Colours, sounds, shapes – they all carry their own energies. I don’t know whether it’s a gift, but I naturally perceive those connections. Even letters have a smell for me.

RS:

A is sharp and vertical. It smells fresh, citrusy, vibrant, almost acidic. It has something very clear about it.

O, on the other hand, is completely different. It’s round, warm and amber-like. Vanilla, labdanum, all these enveloping materials. Even the way we pronounce the letters – or the shapes themselves – influence those associations for me.

I genuinely believe there is a reason behind everything. Nothing happens by chance.

RS:

No, quite the opposite. The name always comes last – and it’s actually the most painful part of the entire process.

RS: Because Amouage has a very specific naming language. The names are usually short and iconic – Guidance, Decision, Honour. Finding a single word that captures an entire creative process is incredibly difficult.

RS:

Exactly. Take Decision. The fragrance is really about resilience. But resilience itself felt too literal. Decision is the action that comes from resilience – the moment you decide to stay, to leave, to continue. That single word expresses everything without explaining too much.

The same happened with Guidance. I wanted to create what I called a “loud whisper“ – a fragrance with a strong personality that never shouts.

I first thought about calling it Whisper, but that only captured half of the idea. Guidance carries both qualities for me. It feels gentle, almost fragile, yet at the same time deeply present.

RS:

You never truly know.

The creative process always moves in circles. You create an initial version, then you improve it, refine it, push it further. At some point, however, you realise that your next “improvement” is actually taking you backwards.

That’s usually the moment when you return to the beginning of the loop, because somewhere along the way you had already arrived at the strongest version.

You never know whether it will become a success. But you know that, at least for yourself, you have created the best possible version of the idea you believed in.

RS: Thank you.