Heritage
A house, in its own words
Fragrance Du Bois emerged in 2013 when Jonnie Swarbrick gathered a small team of perfumers and botanists who shared a concern for the rapid depletion of wild oud trees. The founders travelled to Indonesia and Malaysia, meeting harvesters who still used age‑old techniques to extract oil from mature Aquilaria trees. By 2015 the house had secured a partnership with a cooperative that practices re‑planting and selective tapping, a model that later appeared in industry case studies on sustainable fragrance sourcing. In October 2016 the brand opened its first Asian retail presence at Parfumerie Trésor in Hong Kong, a boutique known for curating niche scents. The following years saw a rapid expansion of the oud line: 2017 introduced Oud Intense, a pure expression of the wood; 2013‑2020 the house released a series of “Intense Hair Mist” fragrances – Oud Rose, Oud Orange, Oud Jaune and Borneo Oud – each designed for a lighter application while preserving the depth of the base oil. 2024 brought Lucius, a composition that blends oud with citrus and marine notes, and 2026 added Cayman Bleu, a fresh, aquatic take on the traditional oud structure. Throughout its growth, the house has kept its production in small batches, using French blending facilities that allow precise control over ingredient ratios. The brand’s story has been covered by The Perfume Society, which highlighted its role as a protector of oud habitats, and by independent trade publications that note its early adoption of sustainable sourcing practices within the niche perfume sector. The house frames its creative vision around two ideas: respect for the source material and openness to new formats. In a 2021 interview, Brand Director Nicola Parker explained that the initial inspiration came from a desire to secure a reliable supply of ethical oud oil, a commodity that was then subject to over‑harvesting. The brand therefore invests in traceable supply chains, insisting that every drop of oil can be linked back to a specific plantation and harvest season. At the same time, Fragrance Du Bois seeks to democratise the experience of oud, offering hair‑mist versions that deliver the scent in a lighter, more everyday medium. The company’s values emphasize transparency, environmental stewardship and a reverence for traditional French perfumery techniques. Each launch is preceded by a brief research phase in which the team studies the botanical profile of the chosen oud, then translates that character into a narrative that may reference a place, a memory or a colour. This disciplined approach keeps the brand’s output focused and avoids the vague promises of “redefining” fragrance that appear in many marketing decks.