Perfume composer Jean-Michel Duriez has crafted perfume exclusively for S&S group.

Jean-Michel Duriez: Storyteller of scents

Perfume is the story of Jean‐Michel Duriez’s life. Jean‐Michel used to put together mixtures of mint leaves with rose petals, picked up from the family garden already at the age of 10. Slowly years after years, he improved his olfactive sensitivity, an emotional relationship towards perfumes and the sense of smells that has led him naturally to his job, as a perfume composer.

In 1986 Jean‐Michel Duriez becomes officially a perfumer creator. From 1997 till 2011, he became house‐perfumer to Jean Patou perfumery house. In 2008, he also becomes house‐perfumer at Rochas until 2015. Ever since 1997, Jean‐Michel Duriez created numerous fragrances for Jean Patou, Yohji Yamamoto, Lacoste, Escada, Dolce&Gabbana and Rochas.

In 2006, Jean-Michel Duriez created a scent for the Le Bristols hotel in Paris, France (l'Hôtel le Bristols). This is one of the most prestigious architectural, artistic and heritage hotels in the world.

In 2016, to celebrate his 30 years of perfumery, Jean-Michel Duriez pursuit his dream and created “L’Étoile et le Papillon” - his own line of perfume.

Santal Silk - S&S's pure and exclusive fragrance by Jean-Michel Duriez:

The name of the fragrance itself shows that Jean-Michel Duriez is a fascinating and distinctive artist, when the abbreviation for Santal Wood & Silk is S&S – a detail that demonstrates how he use wordplay in his product as well as the process of conceptualizing and crafting this meaningful scent for S&S Group.

In addition, the name Santal Wood & Silk, according to Jean-Michel Duriez, also represents many different meanings. Santal Wood is an iconic scent and the leading material in shaping the style of handcrafted and professional perfume. Silk symbolizes lightness, magic and attraction. And when combining these two elements together, by the ingenious craftsmanship of Jean-Michel Duriez, he "transforms" the perfume into something that honor individual experiences. The scent is completely unique – each person will have their own definition of a fragrance.

From Mr. Jean-Michel Duriez’s perspective, perfume, same as a human-being, has “shape” and ‘shadow’. If Santal Wood is a shape with a recognizable scent, Silk plays the role of a shadow - acting as a layer of scent creating the effect of "every person experiences a different scent" which is also the highlight of Santal Wood. Each of us when interacting with any person, will have different experiences and thoughts, Santal Wood & Silk is no exception. Based on each individual's life experience, the perception for the scent of Santal Wood & Silk will also be different, which makes this perfume truly unique. Despite his reputation as a perfumer, what Jean-Michel Duriez always aims to do is create memorable memories through the scents he brings.

When asked about the unique perfume made for S&S Group - Santal Silk, Jean-Michel Duriez shared:

“I believe that Santal Silk will bring an unforgettable impression to our guests when coming to the boutiques. During the research and development journey of Santal Silk perfume, I had the opportunity to talk with the co-founder of S&S group, to better understand how the group welcomes its guests.

We talk about the typical scents in Vietnam, the smell of flowers and mountains – from nature; The strong smell of paintbrushes from the galleries, the faint smell of leather goods from Berluti or even the very light wood smell emanating from the Baccarat boutique. We also talk about the culture and traditions of Vietnam– to gather ideas and inspirations that are abundant and genuine.

After the conversation, I concluded the core value that S&S wants to bring to not only their clients but also the employees, which is excellence within every detail (Deliver Excellence without Compromise).

Furthermore, my first meeting with the S&S Group came from a passion for contemporary art and through a unique and talented artist: Cyril Kongo, who shares the same values and visions with S&S Group – the artist is also being represented by S&S in Vietnam.

After combining all of the above factors, I want to create a unique, artistic perfume but still respect the tradition of luxury with top materials. The perfume that I want to work towards has a formula inspired by nature, with a faint, misty but unforgettable scent. From my perspective, our first memories come from scent, and I always approach my work with the desire to create memorable feelings. A true perfume is like an F1 car or a functional watch, simple on the outside, complex on the inside. With Santal Silk, I combined different complicated ingredients, first with the freshness of bergamot, lemon and orange leaf. Next are aromatic herbs reminiscent of nature: basil leaves, absinth and lavender. I remember the splendid forests in Ba Vi with their vast trees and distinctive scents, it's an indescribable feeling. The fragrance of Santal Silk comes entirely from woods: Texas cedar and Australian sandalwood. I also want to pay my respects to a material frequently used in automotive, fashion and jewelry: Leather. For Santal Silk, I use a plant-based, warm-feeling leather: Silk from the Ha Tay region. To evoke this soft material, I added musk to give it a light and deep fragrance.”

Don't try to analyze every ingredient in Santal Silk, let the scent guide your sense of smell to unforgettable memories and experiences at S&S Group boutiques.

The value that S&S Group and Mr. Jean-Michel Duriez want to show through Santal Silk is the spirit of dare to be different (Unconventional). Because in a society that is constantly developing, each individual and corporation must always try to renew and improve themselves to be able to meet the requirements of guests with increasing standards. S&S Group believes that the scent from Santal Silk will be the factor that makes the group different from the rest.

About S&S Group

S&S Group is a wholly-owned group of companies, operating in the (ultra) Luxury, Automotive, Arts and Fashion industries. The group is the exclusive importer, distributor and representative of numerous prestigious luxury brands in Vietnam and a pioneer of authentic, unique experiences and lifestyle choices for affluent customers in the luxury and premium segment. Since 2013, S&S has been operating watches and jewellery multi-brand boutiques (S&S Knightsbridge) and mono-brand franchises in Vietnam.