Omani fine perfumery house Amouage has reopened its flagship store at Muscat International Airport following an extensive three-month redevelopment project.
The 100sq m refreshed store is said to offer a synergy between archaeology and the future, combining elements inspired by ancient architecture and Omani heritage with a futuristic artistic project created by the Polish artist Cosmodernism.
Four new perfumes, Lineage, Search, Guidance and Purpose, which are part of Amouage’s Odyssey Collection, are featured in the store, which also highlights the Library Collection’s Royal Tobacco.
Designed by France-based architecture firm Héroïne in collaboration with Amouage Chief Creative Officer Renaud Salmon, the Amouage boutique’s décor pays homage to Arabian heritage sites that were part of an ancient frankincense trading route.
The store features locally sourced travertine stone, ribbed to reference Oman’s landscape, desert, beaches and coastal areas. Other metals, including copper and gold, echo the Sultanate’s sunsets and sunrises, while wood is linked to the Frankincense tree.
“The overall design of the store has been measured in exacting alignments and features geometrical shapes commonly used in traditional Omani architecture, while it gives a feeling of modern minimalism and opulence at the same time,” Salmon said.
“It is a collage that brings together the extremes of Omani’s architecture and its history of the frankincense trade and takes that into the future. We wanted to use outstanding art to engage our travelling consumers. Artworks have the power to stop people, to have them get to know the brand and, ultimately, take an Omani fragrance home with them.”
Salmon highlighted the ‘Turing Patterns’ curved digital displays which encourage customer interaction and the spotlight on Amouage’s three core ingredients: Frankincense, Rock Rose and Ambergris, which are featured in natural form in the store.
He also underlined the important role of brand ambassadors in the new store. “I am certain no Amouage experience can be complete without a human touch,” Salmon said.
“We take pride in ensuring our brand ambassadors and sales staff are experts, not just on the brand and its history but also on the history of Oman. They are extremely important as they are the ones who interact with our customers.”
Amouage was founded in the Sultanate of Oman in 1983, with a ‘The Gift of Kings’ tagline. The house claims to have redefined the Arabian art of perfumery, fusing East and West in an “avant-garde opulence”.  |
Salmon pointed out that Amouage “is not in the fast fragrance market”. “We know it takes time to understand the brand’s history and, with that in mind, we are on a constant quest for quality and discovering what the brand’s role could be in the future of the fragrance category.
“We are obsessed with the new generation of shoppers going into the world of perfumery. They need to know what lies behind the fragrances they are choosing to wear, and this store tells that story,” he concluded. 
