Renaud Salmon is the creative genius behind the latest Amouage creations. During his work as a Chief Experience Officer at Amouage, he created the exciting and polarizing Renaissance collection that many call a new era of Amouage. In this interview, we talked about inspirations and creativity behind Boundless and Material.

renaud salmon

IGOR: I adore the use of heavier notes in new Amouage fragrances. Is it something Amouage will pursue in the future?

RENAUD SALMON: There is a perceptible difference between rich and heavy and it’s right on this contrast that we prefer to sit. Heavier notes have always been part of Amouage fragrances but what makes us unique is the nuanced richness that is truly Amouage; not forceful perfumery but something more finely crafted with lighter and subtle notes and it is these contrasts that give our perfumes their distinctive patina.

IGOR: What kind of experience would you like to give Amouage fans with new fragrances?

RENAUD SALMON: With every fragrance, we want people to discover olfactive signatures that feel totally new, that feel innovative, that feel creative. Because Amouage is all about creativity; about setting trends rather than following them. With over 60 fragrances in our fragrance creation portfolio, this is quite a challenge! But we believe in the power of creating something that is both a new signature and that feels familiar, that becomes an integral part of your personality the second you wear it. I personally believe that fragrances are not there just to be just technically flawless, but to be enjoyed and to elicit emotions that make you yearn for that nostalgia again. For the creation of Boundless and Material, we drew on the emotions of going through the pandemic and how we have this heightened awareness of living every moment to its fullest. So, Boundless and Material are like a new-found liberation, giving us the joy and energy that comes with it. At the same time, they also bring us back to a time way before the pandemic (the 80s) and our early personal olfactive memories when the apparent lightness of life brought us simple pleasures that shaped our happiness.

IGOR: For which occasions would you recommend Boundless and Material?

RENAUD SALMON: When I briefed Karine and Cecile to create these vanilla-based fragrances, I didn’t have the notion that they should be restricted to daywear or nightwear. It was all about the emotions they could evoke. They’re all about going out into the world feeling liberated, just the pure joy of existence and living in the now, wherever that may be.

IGOR: What is the main distinctive point of the new fragrances that separates them from the rest?

RENAUD SALMON: Material and Boundless are full of natural ingredients which allows them to reveal their true personalities after the right amount of ageing. They have that traditional woody-spicy-amberiness, that remind us of the simple pleasures in life, but their most distinguishing olfactory feature is vanilla. Not the commonly-used artificial vanillin, with its sickly sweetness, instead the natural one, which offers a much more complex aroma.  In fact, Karine chose to work with a rare Bourbon Vanilla CO2 Extract, which, in comparison to the Vanilla Absolute, sits closer to that of a fresh vanilla pod. For Material, Cécile Zarokian opted for a Madagascar Vanilla Absolute highlighting its darker and boozier facets as a way to show us that Vanilla is everything but “vanilla”. For their wearers, they offer the senses something more visceral and primeval. They continue to take inspiration from the environment, but they bring it out in a totally new and unique way.

IGOR: If you had to describe Boundless and Material in just 3 words (each), what would they be?

RENAUD SALMON: Boundless: Vibrant, contrasted, complex and Material: Lavish, sophisticated, sensual.

Read my review for Boundless HERE.

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