Beatrix Thurman goes on a journey with pioneering and award winning jewellery creator Julien Riad Sahyoun to discover what inspired his newest creation.
- What’s the story behind your fragrance, considering it is your first?
I’ve never been able to find the perfect fragrance. I used to change my cologne as often as I’d update my wardrobe; I found that every perfume I tried was a trend and every trend reaches an end.
I wanted to create a fragrance that isn’t transient: a fragrance you can wear for years and always feel (and smell!) great. That’s why 032 is a personal scent with a sensual touch that becomes part of your body – like a second skin.
- How has your background with jewellery influenced your fragrance?
Perfume and jewellery both belong to the world of beauty, but there’s much more to it. Being a jeweller is not only about creating beautiful pieces but, for me, it’s about meaningful pieces, too.
Each piece in my jewellery collection tells a story. Sharing my values through my creations is really important to me; it’s how I express myself to the world.
I wanted to create the same impact/effect with O32. A genuinely pleasing scent that awakens the senses and develops a sensual connection between the wearer and the world.
- How would you describe the character traits of your fragrance? / What kind of personality does it embody?
It’s like spending an idyllic, hot summer day in Madagascar with a lover, before watching the sun going down and feeling the gentle evening breeze calling you towards a sensual night. Who wouldn’t want to recreate that feeling everyday? It’s for a wearer who loves to dream and wants to be fresh, free and seductive.
- The whole idea of ‘skin’ and ‘unisex’ that your jewellery collection and fragrance embodies, does this play a role in how you identify unisex? What’s your opinion on the way our skin plays a role in regards to gender?
My fragrance belongs to everyone, regardless of their skin type, gender, background or culture: it’s a universal experience.
- Just like the way we choose what we wear every day. How would you describe the trends that the man or woman wearing a JRS fragrance follows?
My fragrance doesn’t follow any trend. As I said earlier, every trend has its end.
O32 is for everyone – and it’s timeless.
- It is said that fragrances are designed to attract the opposite sex. How would you justify that for a unisex fragrance?
Sensuality is not only about a feeling between two people of opposite genders: that idea feels old-fashioned in today’s social and cultural climate. My fragrance has no boundaries, just like love in the real world today.
- How does the packaging reflect the message you are aiming to communicate?
To reflect a universal fragrance that won’t date, I’ve chosen neutral and pure packaging.
- Does the personality of your jewellery line/s personify your fragrance? Is there a grounding element that consistently runs throughout? (Other than ‘skin’)
My first jewellery lines were Skin, Star and Sun.
The Skin collection is about unity, the Star collection reflects individuality and the Sun collection is a tribute to nature.
These are my essential values, shared in my jewellery creations and now part of the O32 experience: I think of it as a sacred journey for others to share.
- There’s a constant battle between the equality of men and woman. Would you say your fragrance stands for anything behind the common traits of both men and women?
I love hearing that my friends – men and women – love the perfume, and all say they would wear it. I see people as people, so the fragrance is the embodiment of equality.
- What is the journey you want to take people on when they wear this fragrance?
The journey is engraved on the bottle, it’s a surprise…
- If your fragrance were to be worn by a celebrity, who would it be?
Ellen Degeneres, she is a icon, someone I absolutely respect – and, of course, she’d make sure all her celebrity friends would get to know about it 🙂
- If you could describe the fragrance in one word, what would it be? (soft/permeating/vibrant/dark?)
Talisman
- Why O32?
O is the World. 32 is my lucky number and the age I was when I created it.
- What ingredients make the fragrance stand out? / Where does your scent inspiration come from?
Bergamot, Blue ginger and Benzoin. My passion to travel the world and connect with people.
- What does fragrance mean to you?
Inconspicuous seduction
