The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Goldfield and Banks Australia built its reputation on native Australian materials, particularly Australian sandalwood and native oud, translated through classical French technique. The house had explored austere and bold approaches, but Silky Woods emerged from a different question: what if silky was not a compromise? The brand, founded in Sydney in 2016, wanted to prove that softness could carry depth. Perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani worked with an open brief to create something that felt plush without resorting to excessive sweetness or heavy woods. The result required careful calibration, balancing warm spices with clean suede, and rich oud with creamy florals.
The note philosophy behind Silky Woods treats each element as a deliberate choice in service of the word silky. Saffron and cinnamon were selected not merely for their spice but for their capacity to open the fragrance with controlled warmth. Suede serves as the bridge between bright spice and creamy base, a material choice that creates tactile softness without literal representation. The ylang-ylang and jasmine pair grounds the floral element in cream rather than brightness. Sandalwood and vanilla form the silky promise, while tobacco leaf, musk, and frankincense ensure the fragrance remains complex and layered in its final hours.
The evolution
Silky Woods begins with saffron and cinnamon, a pairing that activates the senses immediately upon application. The saffron introduces its characteristic faint metallic sweetness while cinnamon adds warmth that prickles gently. This opening does not rush. Within the heart phase, suede emerges as the defining structural choice, wrapping the oud in soft texture rather than allowing it to dominate. Ylang-ylang and jasmine provide a creamy floral counterweight that elevates the dark wood. The drydown represents the final promise of silky: a vanilla-warmed base where sandalwood assumes its Australian character, tobacco leaf adds a dry sophistication, and frankincense provides resinous longevity alongside a clean musk presence.
Cultural impact
Silky Woods occupies a particular space within the Goldfield & Banks Australia collection, offering the house's Australian botanical identity in a lighter register. The fragrance has drawn attention for its approachability, bringing native materials like native oud and Australian sandalwood into a composition that feels accessible rather than dense. Where some expressions in the catalog lean into the bolder, more challenging qualities of Australian botanicals, Silky Woods presents these same materials through a softer lens.
The House
Goldfield & Banks AustraliaGoldfield & Banks Australia is a niche fragrance house founded in Sydney in 2016 by Belgian-French perfumer Dimitri Weber. The brand occupies a singular position in the global fragrance landscape as Australia's first luxury perfume house, dedicated to translating the continent's distinctive botanicals into modern fine fragrance. Working at the intersection of native Australian ingredients and classical French perfumery methodology, the house has developed a collection of 19 eau de parfum expressions that draw on rare essences rarely encountered outside their native terrain. Central to the collection are ingredients such as Australian Sandalwood, Buddha Wood, Brown Boronia, Blue Cypress, and Golden Wattle, alongside introduced botanicals like agarwood cultivated in the Queensland tropics. All formulations are cruelty-free, vegan, and compliant with International Fragrance Association standards. The house produces fragrance in both Switzerland at Firmenich and in Melbourne at Australian Botanical Products, and maintains a gender-free approach to fragrance design.
The Creator
Hamid Merati-KashaniFrom the evidence available, Merati-Kashani's style tends toward the opulent and the gourmand, with a clear appreciation for rich, complex accords. There's often a signature use of vanilla, spices, and woods, creating fragrances that are warm and inviting.
