Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Decants

A collector’s notebook turned into scent, one place at a time.

Memoirs of a Perfume Collector builds each release around a remembered place and the materials that belong to it, and keeps production small enough that the naturals stay generous. The compositions are warm and narrative, closer to a travel journal than a launch.

Known for Tales from Zanzibar, place led compositions
Here 1 fragrance

Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Tales from Zanzibar

$352.00

· Full bottle · 75 ml

Founders: Akbar Hayat Khan and Ahmed Abdul Kadir Ahmed
Concept: Perfumes named for places the founders have travelled
Made in: United Kingdom, assembled and packed in-house

01

Two Londoners and a shared passport

Memoirs of a Perfume Collector was started in London by two young British entrepreneurs who share a love of travel and perfume. Akbar Hayat Khan registered the company in September 2019 under the name The Perfume Ritual. It took its present name in April 2020, and Ahmed Abdul Kadir Ahmed joined him as director that June. The company is still registered on Great Portland Street in central London, and the house signs its bottles and site M.O.A.P.C.

02

Perfume kept like a travel diary

Each release is named for a place the founders have seen or plan to see, and part of each formula comes from that place. Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Tales from Zanzibar starts from a diary entry about a white beach, warm sea and long sunsets on the island: lemon, mandarin, mint and pink pepper, then guava, blackcurrant and coconut, over musk, ambergris, moss, oud and candied fruit. The Midnight City Series moves the idea to London, New York, Tokyo, Riyadh, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.

03

Named noses and in-house packing

Tales from Zanzibar was composed by Harry Sherwood, founder of the scent design studio Artifiscent. Shadi Samra composed Cherry Lane, which sets black cherry and red wine over coconut, Australian sandalwood and oud. Every bottle holds 75 ml, the Cambodian oud in the range comes with GC-MS reports from its supplier, and all assembly and packing is done by the house itself rather than sent out to a contractor.