The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Nøkken was created by Trung Vu and released in 2025 as part of Grimoire Parfums' Ex Fabularum collection. Its composition combines blackcurrant, blackberry, wild strawberry, violet leaf, shiso, cypress, galbanum, and black pepper in a vivid arrangement of fruit, greenery, and wood. The profile develops with fir, hemlock, seaweed, cypriol, lavender, and boronia before settling into vetiver, oakmoss, guaiac wood, patchouli, frankincense, cedar, and Choya Nakh. The result is layered and distinctive, with bright fruit giving way to aromatic, mineral, woody, resinous, and smoky facets as the fragrance wears on.
Nøkken is defined by the interaction of its listed notes across the composition. Blackcurrant, blackberry, and wild strawberry establish the fruit side, while shiso, galbanum, and violet leaf introduce a leafy, aromatic counterpoint. Cypress adds another green, woody texture, and black pepper contributes a dry, peppery edge. Fir and hemlock extend the woody profile, while lavender and boronia add floral facets. Seaweed and cypriol introduce saline, earthy, and mineral nuances that sit beside the fruit and greenery.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a strong fruit presence, shaped by blackcurrant, blackberry, and wild strawberry. Shiso, galbanum, violet leaf, and cypress add green and aromatic notes, while black pepper gives the blend a dry, peppery accent. As the fruit becomes less prominent, fir and hemlock bring forward a clear woody character. Lavender, boronia, seaweed, and cypriol add floral, saline, earthy, and mineral nuances to the middle. The drydown is built around vetiver, oakmoss, guaiac wood, patchouli, frankincense, cedar, and Choya Nakh, giving the fragrance a progressively deeper, drier character. Over time, the composition settles into overlapping facets of earth, resin, wood, incense, and smoke.
Cultural impact
Nøkken invites closer attention to the way a fragrance can hold several distinct note families within one composition. Its blackcurrant, blackberry, and wild strawberry offer a vivid fruit entry, balanced by the green character of violet leaf, shiso, cypress, and galbanum. Fir and hemlock deepen the structure, while lavender, boronia, seaweed, and cypriol introduce contrasting floral, saline, earthy, and mineral facets. The final accord of vetiver, oakmoss, guaiac wood, patchouli, frankincense, cedar, and Choya Nakh leaves the scent with a rich, textured finish built around woods, resin, incense, and smoke.
The House
Grimoire ParfumsGrimoire Parfums is an independent Australian fragrance house founded by self-taught perfumer Trung Vu, who also goes by the name Troy. The brand takes its name from the French word for a spell book, reflecting its dedication to crafting scents inspired by folklore, mythology, and cultural narratives from around the world. Vu operates the house as both perfumer and creative director, bringing a collector's sensibility to fragrance creation. Each release draws from literary sources, historical figures, and mythological traditions, resulting in perfumes that function as olfactory storytelling. The house launched its initial collection in 2025, introducing five distinct fragrances named after creatures and figures from global folklore. All formulations maintain IFRA compliance, with materials sourced from the French supplier Robertet.
The Creator
Trung VuTrung Vu gravitates toward atmospheric compositions that pull the wearer somewhere unexpected. His work favors depth over accessibility, building scents that reveal themselves slowly and reward attention.
