Muscat: Under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Fatik bin Fahr Al Said, Special Envoy of His Majesty the Sultan, Amouage inaugurates its newest flagship store at Mall of Oman and launches the reshaped Library Collection. The event also saw the attendance of Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Chairman of Sabco Group. Turning a new page in its compelling legacy, the collection is inspired by the omniscient allure of a library and mankind’s insatiable quest for knowledge. A place where the soul leaves an imprint on the art of living, this collection of opuses proposes inventive perfumery, exclusive accords, and always bold and unexpected scents to treasure.
Staying true to its original ethos, the collection will now orbit around four fragrances: two iconic Opuses, Opus V and Opus VII, along with Rose Incense and Silver Oud, renamed Opus XII and Opus XIII respectively. In the future, they will be joined by new Opuses as Renaud Salmon’s own olfactory explorations unfold and a raw material or accord has been pushed to its expressive paroxysm.
Since 2010, The Library Collection has been a freestanding, specific territory of expression within the Amouage repertoire to freely explore the possibilities of perfumery by pushing certain ingredients and accords beyond their limits. This trailblazing approach has allowed Amouage to author audacious, daring, and artistic olfactory propositions that are the antithesis of conventional perfumery and have since received critical praise.
Uniting these roots with the House’s renewed focus on Omani heritage and excellence, the four Eaux de Parfum are now housed in Amouage’s iconic “Khanjar”-inspired bottle, a unique Omani symbol of the highest class and divine beauty. Their organic ceramic finish, in earthy Truffle and Cashmere colours, is a true reflection of the craft and authenticity of the Sultanate. Original artworks created by Louise Mertens adorn the new packaging and are an integral part of a series of analog art visuals shot by Valentin Abad, and movies shot by Thomas Savary.
Opus V – Woods Symphony
Through a well-balanced “woods symphony”, Opus V evokes how deceptive and transformative knowledge can be. Floral and waxy whiffs of Orris Absolute, buttery, and metallic notes of Orris Concrete pushed by Dry Woods and powerful fumes of Rhum paint a binary world of black and white numbers, glass shards and data humming behind metal desks while the raw animality of Oud and Civet and the faint aroma of wilting Rose and Jasmine evoke the scent of humans, living together with machines. Dry and mineral while carnal and soothing, Opus V is a modern tale of societies fragmented by the way knowledge travels in the cyberspace.
Opus VII – Reckless Leather
Built on a wild swirl of spices and rare resins, Opus VII is a reflection on how seductive knowledge is. Through an intensely green opening of sticky Galbanum and blindingly fresh Cardamom and Nutmeg blooms a “reckless leather”. Nutty Fenugreek, ferociously smoky beams of Cypriol and the animalic call of Costus and Ambergris support the unabashed Leather centrepiece while a lather of fluttery Muscone, Sandalwood and Frankincense create a harmonious and carnal ending. By eliciting a sense of peace after a vigorously green opening, Opus VII becomes a lesson on sapiosexuality and subtly teaches how seduction of the mind is more powerful than that of the eyes.
Opus XII – Rose Incense
A joyous and crimson Damascus Rose set in a Frankincense Hyperabsolute mount, waves of Vanilla clashing against bitter splinters of Myrrh, nocturnal drops of Black Ink colliding with citrusy streaks of Elemi, Opus XII is a study of both Rose and Incense, pushing them each to unexplored territories and pulling out an relentlessly novel take on an otherwise classic accord. Inspired by the mystery behind Orson Welles’ Rosebud, Opus XII is an ambery and pointillist constellation of gleaming moments coming back and forth from the depths of memory, compelling us to believe that despite our knowledge of the present, childhood memories take a firm grasp on our existence.
Opus XIII – Silver Oud
A protruding depth of Patchouli and smoky Cypriol confuses the senses. Instead of a top note, a wide variety of woods appear, foreboding a deep evolution. Exquisitely rich Oud Assam dances in unison with leathery Madagascar Vanilla, while Ambrarome, Birch, Castoreum and Guaiac Wood leave dark sillage imprints on the skin, blending in an endless finale. Inspired by the notions of Confusion, Passion and Destruction expressed in Stendhal’s “The Red and The Black”, Silver Oud is a manifestation of the tension between idealism and realism, the contradiction between thinking and feeling, and the power of mimetic desire. Silver Oud is doubling in size compared to the previous flacon and now being permanently offered in 100ml.
The other historic Opuses will remain available for sale through the Amouage Archive, on Amouage.com and selected Amouage boutiques (while supplies last); a different framework that will leave ample space for The Library Collection to grow anew, attuned to a cohesive curatorial approach.
