The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Vellum was launched in 2021 by Ricardo Ramos as part of the Book of Hours suite. Its inspiration is the calfskin parchment used by medieval monks to create illuminated manuscripts, a subject linked to Ramos's paleography studies with Stanford University. Rather than reaching for incense or overtly liturgical imagery, the scent turns toward the human material side of the scriptorium: leather, suede, garden air, and the tactile impression of skin and parchment. Ricardo Ramos composed it as a unisex fragrance, with green woods and citrus meeting suede's soft grain and the closer, more intimate textures of leather. The result reads as a study in surfaces, cool and aromatic at first, gradually warming toward worn hide and polished wood as it develops on skin over the course of the wear.
The composition's tension comes from its pairs. Juniper and cypress bring the clipped, aromatic clarity of a monastery garden, while yuzu and lemon verbena add a bright, modern lift. Ginger and hyacinth keep the heart botanical without making it conventionally floral. Down below, leather and suede bring the tactile pull of old parchment, while sandalwood, cedar, saffron, and musk give the composition a composed, quietly scholarly finish. The listed notes span stone, paper, spice, and skin, and they move against one another rather than sitting apart.
The evolution
The opening feels cool and precise. Juniper gives it a green, resinous snap, cypress adds a pencil-sharp woody edge, and yuzu lays a brief flash of citrus over suede's soft grain. The heart loosens the arrangement: ginger introduces clean heat, lemon verbena brightens the greenery, and hyacinth adds a powdery floral hush. As the fragrance settles, leather comes forward as a supple, close texture rather than an overtly animalic one, while saffron lends a dry, golden spice. Cedar and sandalwood steady the composition with polished wood, and musk softens everything into a close, intimate finish. The drydown clings close to the wearer, carrying the impression of worn leather, a faint thread of citrus, and the dry warmth of spice as the sharper opening notes recede.
Cultural impact
Vellum belongs to the Book of Hours suite, a series built around the medieval manuscript world and the materials that defined it. Its inspiration lies in calfskin parchment as handled by medieval monks, and that reference reaches the fragrance through texture rather than ornament: leather, suede, garden greenery, spice, and polished woods. Set within a modern unisex composition, the result connects the tactile intimacy of parchment and skin with juniper, cypress, citrus, ginger, hyacinth, sandalwood, cedar, saffron, and musk.
The House
Ricardo Ramos Perfumes de AutorRicardo Ramos Perfumes de Autor creates artistic fragrances from Granada, Spain. Each scent references Andalusian history, colonial trade routes, and the cultural mix of South American expatriates who live in Granada and Istanbul. The line balances vintage ingredients such as oud, ambergris, and citrus with modern laboratory techniques, offering collectors a narrative that feels both scholarly and sensual. Recent releases like HooDoo Blues (2023) and Manigua (2025) illustrate the brand’s ongoing dialogue between past and present, while older classics such as AGUA DE BARCELONA (2004) remain reference points for the house’s evolving language.
The Creator
Ricardo RamosRamos gravitates toward opulent, characterful compositions that refuse to disappear into the background. Oriental structures appear frequently in his work, as seen in Cristina la Veneno, an assertive unisex fragrance that takes its name from Spanish cultural iconography and wr…
