The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Xerjoff, the Turin-based Italian house founded in 2007, has built its reputation on treating perfumery as sculptural art. The Oud Stars collection has long served as the house's laboratory, where raw materiality encounters Italian refinement. Alexandria and Alexandria II established what the house could achieve with oud, becoming reference points for serious enthusiasts. In 2024, Xerjoff marks its anniversary with a new chapter that builds on that foundation using an updated palette that includes clary sage and cypriol alongside the established oud and amber framework.
The house selects these materials not for novelty but for structural purpose. Lavender and cardamom establish immediate clarity. Rose and iris provide the floral counterweight to oud's density. Cumin and civet contribute the animalic richness that defines the collection's character. In the drydown, bourbon vanilla and sandalwood soften the material intensity into something wearable and lasting. Each note occupies a specific role in the composition's architecture.
The evolution
The opening moves from sharp lavender and cardamom into a heart where oud meets amber, civet, clary sage, and cypriol. Rose and iris keep the floral dimension present. The drydown smooths into bourbon vanilla, musk, and sandalwood, completing a deliberate arc from aromatic precision to warm, lingering refinement. This evolution reflects a deliberate layering approach, where each phase builds naturally upon the last without jarring transitions, creating a composition that feels classical and intentional in its progression on the skin.
Cultural impact
Part of the Oud Stars collection, Alexandria II Anniversary landed in 2024 as a celebration of the house's most iconic pair. The release honors a decade of defining what oud can mean in a modern context, not just rare, but irreplaceable. Wearers who know the originals watch closely; newcomers discover what the note was always capable of.
