The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Velvet Splendour is Goldfield & Banks' love letter to the Australian mimosa, a bloom that has been celebrated in the native landscape for generations. Perfumer Wessel-Jan Kos conceived this as an impressionist painting: the sensation of holding a large bunch of wild mimosa against your chest, face pressed into the blooms while driving through open, breezy countryside. Released in 2019 as part of The Native Collection, the fragrance translates that golden, sunlit character into something wearable, rich and complex, with a honeyed sweetness that feels both natural and sophisticated. The scent opens with bright citrus notes that sparkle against the mimosa's natural sweetness, creating an immediate sense of warmth and radiance.
What makes Velvet Splendour distinctive is the way it handles mimosa. This composition draws on mimosa absolute, a material with a greener, more resinous quality than conventional floral materials. The perfumer layers it against heliotropin, which adds an almost almond-like softness, while opoponax brings a warm, balsamic resinousness that rounds the edges without sweetening them. The result is a mimosa that feels botanical rather than artificial, like pressing your nose into an actual bloom rather than sniffing an abstract concept of one.
The evolution
The opening arrives bright and golden, mandarin citrus sparkles against the mimosa's honeyed top notes, giving the first minutes a lift that feels like sunlight through a window. Jasmine sambac begins to weave through the mimosa, adding a nighttime sweetness that tempers the flower's daytime demeanor. The leather and patchouli arrive, not heavy, but present, like the smell of warm suede in an old car. The drydown is where Australian sandalwood earns its place: creamy, slightly balsamic, it wraps around the tonka bean and creates a warmth that stays close to the skin for hours. The fragrance evolves beautifully from its radiant opening through a floral heart that balances brightness with depth, eventually settling into a warm, intimate base that feels sophisticated and enduring.
Cultural impact
Velvet Splendour showcases mimosa absolute as a starring note, allowing the native ingredient to lead the fragrance rather than serve as a background element. The scent demonstrates how Australian native materials can achieve luxury status, with the mimosa's radiant, golden quality taking center stage alongside creamy woods and warm suede at the base. The fragrance has become known for its distinctive take on mimosa, one that feels botanical and textured rather than abstract and powdered.
