Heritage
A house, in its own words
Grimoire Parfums emerged in the independent fragrance scene in 2025, introduced to the market through Australian fragrance retailer Et Al. The brand represents a personal project for its founder, Trung Vu, who brought two decades of industry experience before launching his own house. Describing himself as a long-time industry insider, Vu approached perfumery as both a collector and a creator, eventually transitioning from appreciation to hands-on formulation. The name Grimoire reflects the brand's literary and mythological foundation, with each fragrance carrying a narrative weight inspired by cultural traditions. Vu's introduction to the Australian fragrance community came through social platforms, where he presented the house as a new independent creative venture. The 2025 launch included five debut fragrances: Nøkken, a Norwegian water spirit; Penanggal, a Malaysian folklore figure; Nephilim, the biblical giant race; Catoblepas, a creature from Pliny the Elder's Natural History; and Todorac, derived from Balkan and Slavic dragon mythology. This thematic approach positions Grimoire Parfums within a lineage of niche houses that treat fragrance as a medium for cultural exploration rather than mere scent creation. The Australian origin distinguishes the house within the independent perfume landscape, which has historically been dominated by French, American, and Middle Eastern creators.
Trung Vu operates Grimoire Parfums with a philosophy rooted in classical perfumery techniques applied to unconventional thematic source material. Rather than following trend-driven fragrance development, the house begins with cultural and literary concepts, building olfactory compositions around specific narratives. This approach treats each fragrance as a chapter in an ongoing collection of olfactory stories, where the name and inspiration inform every aspect of the creative process. Vu's background as both a collector and industry insider shaped his approach to composition, prioritizing complexity and intentionality over accessible mass-market appeal. The brand's thematic range spans Norwegian folklore, Malaysian mythology, biblical tradition, and Slavic dragon lore, demonstrating a deliberate international scope that rejects geographical limitation. Grimoire Parfums positions itself for audiences who engage with fragrance as a form of cultural expression and intellectual pursuit. The house does not appear to pursue seasonal or trend-based releases, instead developing new compositions as thematic inspiration dictates.