The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The Mind Vaccine began as a conversation between Salle Privée and RVDK, Ronald van der Kemp's Amsterdam-based ethical couture house. The collaboration brought Isaac Sinclair into the project. Sinclair built around upcycled clove symtrap and sandalwood dreches, then wrapped them in Sichuan pepper oil and tuberose absolute. The result is a fragrance that works in layers, each element supporting the others in a composition that rewards attention. The upcycled clove symtrap brings depth and warmth to the blend, while the sandalwood dreches adds creamy, woody dimension. Sichuan pepper oil introduces a clean, tingly quality that cuts through the richness, and tuberose absolute provides an opulent floral heart that doesn't shy away from presence.
What makes The Mind Vaccine distinctive is not any single note, but how the elements work together. The upcycled clove symtrap anchors the composition with ethical consideration alongside olfactory impact. Sandalwood dreches, the residual material after sandalwood oil extraction, echoes Salle Privée's commitment to sustainable practice while delivering the wood's characteristic creaminess. The Sichuan pepper and bergamot opening establish the fragrance's presence, allowing the tuberose heart to develop without being overshadowed.
The evolution
The opening lands quick. Bergamot and raspberry arrive first, almost fruit-forward, before Sichuan pepper cuts through with its clean, tingly heat. Green notes add lift without softening the blow. Bright, sharp, attention-grabbing describes this phase well. Then the handoff. Clove emerges alongside coffee, both aromatic and slightly bitter, as the tuberose absolute blooms beneath them. The floral redirects rather than overwhelms. The pepper does not disappear, it becomes part of the conversation rather than the whole argument. By the second phase, the drydown settles into cedarwood and sandalwood, amber warmth underneath, labdanum adding resinous depth. Musk keeps it close to skin. A slow negotiation between elements that ends in agreement.
Cultural impact
The Mind Vaccine is a collaboration between RVDK and Salle Privée. The release uses upcycled ingredients, positioning Isaac Sinclair's bold composition alongside sustainable material choices. The 2024 fragrance sits at the intersection of scent and statement, blending olfactory impact with material innovation.
The House
Salle PrivéeSalle Privée is a Dutch fragrance house founded in Amsterdam in 2018 by the designer duo Anna Hegeman and Patrick Munsters. The House of Design, as they position themselves, brings a modernist sensibility to niche perfumery, creating scents that reflect the founders' backgrounds in fashion and design. The collection spans both womenswear and menswear alongside its fragrance line, including notable releases such as Kham-Sin (2017), Concorde (2019), Illegal (2021), The Mind Vaccine (2024, a collaboration with Ronald van der Kemp), and Ai (2025). Salle Privée operates from Amsterdam, presenting its work through platforms including Pitti Fragranze in Florence.
The Creator
Isaac SinclairIsaac’s technique favors clean, linear constructions that reveal each component in turn. He often builds around a luminous citrus or green heart, then anchors the scent with a rare wood or resin that adds depth without heaviness.
