The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
N°1 launched in 2022 as part of DONBABLIC's Memorial Collection, a line built around distinct emotional moments rendered through scent. As the first release in the collection, N°1 carries the implied weight of primacy, the numerical title marking it as a beginning within the house's catalog. The composition reads as an act of confidence: fruit positioned against some of perfumery's heaviest materials, leather, oud, frankincense, amberwood, all present from the very first spritz. There is no light or hesitant opening here. The fragrance presents itself fully formed from the start, offering little softening between its contrasting elements. Fruit notes meet dense woods and resins at the top layer, setting up an immediate tension that defines the entire wear.
What makes the structure interesting is the contrast it sets up from the very first moment. Fruit in fragrance often reads as sweetness, brightness, an opening designed to charm before the heavier base notes take over. N°1 refuses that gentle handoff. The fruit here sits embedded within dense materials, never allowed to escape into anything light or approachable. Behind it, a layered heart of ebony, amberwood, leather, frankincense, sandalwood, patchouli, oakmoss, and vetiver forms a dense woody architecture that contains the fruit at every turn.
The evolution
The fruit opens loud and immediate, a forward sweetness that takes hold before the first minute passes. Within ten minutes, the frankincense and amberwood push forward, and the leather arrives with a dry texture that competes with the sweetness for dominance. The heart phase is dense and woody, with patchouli and vetiver adding an earthy quality that keeps the composition grounded in heavier territory. Bulgarian rose surfaces from within the resinous wood, adding a softer facet that complicates the leather's austerity without softening the overall effect. Indian oud deepens in the base, rich and resinous, blending with tonka bean's warmth to create a drydown that holds well into the evening. The longevity reads as above average, with the heavier base materials persisting close to the skin long after the opening fruit has faded.
Cultural impact
N°1 occupies the heavier end of the leather-oud category, offering a composition that prioritizes density and presence over accessibility. The fruit-leather-oud combination stands out as uncommon within the broader market, where sweetness and freshness tend to dominate mainstream launches. Within the niche space, where unconventional pairings carry more weight, N°1 finds its audience among wearers who want a fragrance that projects without resorting to familiar structures. It holds its own against bolder compositions while maintaining a tightly edited profile, every note earning its place in the final blend.
