Cover The exclusive event offered a rare opportunity to step inside the world of high perfumery, guided by Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer
The exclusive event offered a rare opportunity to step inside the world of high perfumery, guided by Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer
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Amouage’s creative director Renaud Salmon led Tatler guests through a masterclass exploring the brand’s newest launches, Decision and Existence, and the artistry behind the Odyssey Collection
High above Orchard Road, a select group of Tatler guests gathered at 1-Atico Lounge & Bar in Ion Orchard for an afternoon that was equal parts masterclass, sensory experience and private dining affair.
Held on June 6, the by-invite-only event offered a rare opportunity to step inside the world of high perfumery, guided by none other than Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer. The event opened with a speech by Tatler’s senior digital editor Andrea Saadan, setting the stage for an immersion into the world of Amouage’s celebrated Odyssey Collection.
Later, Salmon took guests through the inspirations behind Decision and Existence—the two newest fragrances completing the house’s ambitious fragrance narrative.
Drawing from his personal ascent of Oman’s Jebel Shams, Salmon recounted how moments of quiet discovery in Oman’s dramatic landscapes had informed each composition.
From the gnarled juniper trees struck by lightning, inspiring the resilient character of Decision, to the sea of clouds at the mountain’s peak, reflected in the gentle, contemplative mood of Existence. Salmon worked with perfumer Quentin Bisch to create both scents. “He’s someone I love working with when it comes to creating fragrances. Because you know, he really understands the stories and and he comes up with a very clear vision,” Salmon said in an interview with Tatler Singapore before the event.
Decision opens with a sharp, almost electric brightness designed to echo the jolt of a lightning strike: citruses, aldehydes and pink pepper deliver that first flash of metallic-white intensity. The distinctive aroma of juniper berries follows—dry, aromatic and gently spicy—bridging into a core of cedarwood, chosen for its dry, vibrant character reminiscent of the ancient, gnarled juniper trees of Jebel Shams.
Speaking about Decision, Salmon highlighted: “What unites all of the fragrance notes together in a beautiful way is an ingredient that we love using at Amouage and it’s called, Frankincense.”
“So this is the quality actually of frankincense that we use at Amouage. It’s a beautiful resin and when you just take one smell it, you will get this kind of beautiful smell of frankincense. It smells so light. That’s the beauty of frankincense from Oman. It's not smoky, you know?”
In contrast to the vertical structure of Decision, Existence is deliberately horizontal — a diffused composition inspired by Salmon’s summit experience. “It’s a very cloudy, fluffy fragrance … that diffuses very, very horizontally like a sea of clouds. And it has this kind of amazing trail and projection,” Salmon added.
Read more: 11 perfumes inspired by nature that will transport your senses to the great outdoors
Above Guests enjoyed a masterclass by Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer
Guests enjoyed a masterclass by Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer
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Above The new Decision and Existence perfumes by Amouage
Above Joyce Ang and Linda Soo-Tan
The new Decision and Existence perfumes by Amouage
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Throughout the event, guests were invited to engage with the collection more intimately. Stations placed around the venue displayed not only a range of Amouage perfumes but also the latest creations’ raw ingredients—offering a chance to appreciate the complexity behind each formula.
On his creative process, Salmon told Tatler: “My creative process is always about: ’Why is that specific inspiration moving me?’. Because I need to understand the pattern behind it. And this is when it becomes interesting because patterns resonate with people around the world.”
As conversation flowed, guests tucked into an elegant three-course meal while discovering more about the brand. After the masterclass, guests enjoyed a private shopping affair and some even received autographed bottles by Salmon.
In true Amouage fashion, it was an afternoon that married craftsmanship, storytelling and the senses—a fitting tribute to the house’s philosophy of high perfumery rooted in heritage, artistry and emotion.
Click through the gallery below for more photos of the event.
Pauline Chan
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Andrea Saadan is the Senior Digital Editor of Tatler Singapore. She oversees all digital content for the website and currently leads the Beauty and Lifestyle verticals. As a child, she had always enjoyed reading and writing but it was only after she joined her college newspaper, The Spectrum, in Buffalo, New York, that she considered a career in journalism. Her love for all things beauty started from the age of two—when she was caught playing with (and damaging) her mother’s YSL lipstick. On top of her day job, she is also an unpaid beauty consultant for friends and family. Besides make-up, her obsessions include the wizarding world of Harry Potter, podcasts, ice-cream, her walking pad and watching endless re-runs of The Office (US).
