The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Old School arrived from SJA Perfumes in 2021, composed by Shatha Alzaabi. Its opening lays down blackcurrant, chamomile, coriander, hyacinth, and saffron, a vivid mix of fruit, herb, green floral, and spice. That contrast gives the composition its direction. It starts polished and curious, then moves toward white flowers and cloves before settling into a woody base built around oud, sandalwood, vetiver, musk, amber, and woody notes. Blackcurrant adds a dark, tart pulse at first, while chamomile brings cool herbal calm and coriander introduces a clean green snap. Hyacinth keeps the floral side clear rather than lush, and saffron lends a warm, dry edge. As the heart opens, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, and clove create a fuller floral texture, balanced by clove's dry warmth.
What makes Old School worth exploring is the tension between its florals and its structure. Hyacinth and chamomile bring a cool, green-herbal edge, while blackcurrant adds dark fruit and saffron adds a dry, metallic warmth. The heart turns more assured through clove, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose. Beneath that polished bloom, the base pulls toward oud, vetiver, and sandalwood. It's a familiar wardrobe of notes, but not a predictable arrangement. The white florals gain edge from the sharper opening, while the woody base keeps them from drifting into softness.
The evolution
The opening lands with brisk contrast. Blackcurrant gives a dark, tart pulse, chamomile lays down cool herbal calm, and coriander adds a clean green snap. Hyacinth keeps the mood floral without becoming lush, while saffron introduces a warm, dry edge. Together, these notes move from fruit and herbal brightness into a green floral heart touched by spice. That brightness gives way to jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, and clove. The florals feel fuller here, with rose adding softness, jasmine and lily of the valley bringing light floral texture, and clove keeping the blend from becoming overly sweet. As the fragrance dries down, oud, sandalwood, vetiver, woody notes, amber, and musk draw everything inward. Oud and sandalwood provide depth, vetiver adds an earthy dryness, and amber warms the composition while musk gives it a soft, close-textured finish.
Cultural impact
Old School can be appreciated for the way it brings together a vivid opening, a layered floral heart, and a warm woody base. Blackcurrant, chamomile, coriander, hyacinth, and saffron establish a varied first impression, while jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, and clove add a fuller floral phase. Oud, sandalwood, vetiver, musk, amber, and woody notes complete the composition with depth and texture. The fragrance invites close attention to how its fruit, herbal, floral, spicy, and woody elements change and interact as it wears, making it especially rewarding for those drawn to nuanced, multi-note scents.
The House
SJA PerfumesSJA Perfumes is an Emirati artisanal fragrance house founded by perfumer Shatha Alzaabi and based in Abu Dhabi. Since its establishment in 2015, the brand has carved a niche by drawing on regional olfactory traditions, from bakhoor-style incense compositions to oud-forward and tobacco-leaning blends. Collections such as Tobacco (2015), Suyufi (2015), Danah (2020), 11:11 (2020), Empty Quarter (2021), Yuzu (2021), Vetiver Cigar (2021), and Old School (2021) reflect a range that moves between Gulf heritage references and more unexpected thematic directions, including a citrus-forward Yuzu and a cigar-and-vetiver study.
The Creator
Shatha AlzaabiAlzaabi favors compositions that balance Eastern richness with Western structure. Her white-floral bouquets have drawn particular praise for their precision, suggesting a careful hand with jasmine, tuberose, and similar heady materials that can easily tip into excess.
