The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Talbot Runhof built their name on occasion wear and evening gowns crafted from exceptional fabrics. The fashion house extended this material obsession into fragrance with the Purple collection, six scents named after textiles, each one translating a fabric's character into scent. Purple Leather arrived as the boldest statement in the lineup, designed for the woman who wants evening wear to make an entrance without saying a word.
Licorice and cherry form an unexpected opening that sets this apart from conventional fruity florals. The combination is darkly sweet, almost medicinal in its intensity, not a safe choice, but a deliberate one. Beneath the heliotrope and rose heart, the base of vanilla, tonka bean, and patchouli keeps everything grounded. It's feminine without being delicate, warm without being heavy.
The evolution
The first spray hits bright and dark at once. Cherry and licorice arrive together, the licorice lending a faintly medicinal edge that cuts through the sweetness. Then the heliotrope settles in, powdery, close to the skin, like velvet dusted with face powder. The rose doesn't announce itself. It waits. By the third hour, the vanilla and patchouli take over. Warm, resinous, a little dirty. On fabric, it lingers overnight, cherry-vanilla, sweet and intimate, the ghost of an evening you don't want to forget.
Cultural impact
Purple Leather occupies a specific corner of the fruity-floral Oriental category, powdery, warm, and decidedly feminine. Its licorice note separates it from softer cherry-vanilla compositions, adding an edge that rewards those who appreciate unusual openings. It's the kind of fragrance that attracts strong opinions, which is rarer than it should be.
The House
Talbot RunhofTalbot Runhof is a German fashion house that expanded into fragrance in 2022, releasing a collection of six scents (Purple Tweed, Purple Cotton, Purple Sequins, Purple Velvet, Purple Satin, and Purple Leather) that reflect the house's expertise in textiles and fabric design. The brand was founded by the creative partnership of Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof, who met while working in the fashion industry and discovered a shared philosophy centered on exceptional craftsmanship and luxurious materials. Their fragrance line translates this fashion sensibility into olfactory form, with each scent named after a distinctive fabric type that carries particular meaning within the Talbot Runhof universe. The perfumes were composed by Sylvie Fischer and Jérôme di Marino from the international fragrance house Takasago, bringing Japanese perfumery expertise to the German fashion house's debut into scent.
The Creator
Sylvie Fischer & Jérôme di MarinoSylvie’s signatures include layered heart structures that evolve with skin chemistry. She often anchors compositions with warm woods—sandalwood, cedar—and enriches them with subtle spices such as pink pepper or cardamom.
