Welcome to JORUM JOURNAL ISSUE I.

JORUM JOURNAL is a monthly glimpse behind the scenes at Jorum Studio. Find out what’s inspiring us, what’s motivating us, what we’re celebrating – the thoughts and stories behind our fragrances.

 

A MOMENT WITH: ADAM FOY

This month we’re excited to collaborate with Edinburgh-based artist Adam Foy. You may recognise his work – his beautifully off-kilter botanical illustrations accompany our Progressive Botany I collection (and grace our lovely green notecards.) Employing a variety of techniques inspired by everything from traditional printmaking and Japanese calligraphy to the ligne clair stylings of Franco-Belgian bande dessinée, Adam's drawings capture character and form in stunningly fantastical ways.

 

JS: What got you drawing, and what keeps you going?
AF: I consider myself fortunate in that drawing has always felt intuitive and inherently propulsive, providing me with a constant urge to deconstruct my practice through continued experimentation and a process of learning and unlearning; breaking down forms to create images that are both evocative and concise.

 

JS: Is there a connection between illustration and fragrance?
AF: Both are capable of being constructed in a considered manner, providing a significant amount of information while also leaving enough room for happy accidents and the personal interpretations of the viewer/wearer to create an even greater resonance and meaning.

 

JS: What does craftsmanship mean to you?
AF: I consider it an important and unavoidable element of any practice whether it's consciously embraced or ignored. A dilligent acquisition of knowledge through methodical learning or resorting to an approach based entirely on trial and error will ultimately hone the skills of anyone who devotes enough time and passion to their craft.

 

While stocks last we’ll be including one of Adam’s limited-run print publications with every order.

 

READING LIST

January evenings in Scotland are long, dark and chilly – perfect for settling down with a good read…

‘There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness’ – Carlo Rovelli
Science = philosophy = creativity: an ethos that very much informs what we do, expounded persuasively by the Italian theoretical physicist and writer.

 

'Typographic Communications Today' – Edward M. Gottschall
New fragrances (shh…) means new labels, and endless hours trying to find the perfect typographic style to accompany each.

 

'Perfume Engineering: Design, Performance and Classification' – Miguel A. Teixeira, Oscar Rodriguez, Paula Gomes, Vera Mata, Alírio E. Rodriguez
Never stop learning!

 

RAW MATERIAL FOCUS: WHISKY

On 25 January we enjoyed Burns Night – a time to celebrate our national poet Robert Burns as well as indulge in all things Scotland, especially whisky!

This boozy, malted facet is something we love to play with in fragrance. Native to India, Cyperus oil (Cyperus scariosus) is one of a selection of raw materials we use to achieve this.

A key material in a number of our fragrances (Arborist, Medullary-ray, Nectary), Cyperus oil boasts a wonderful dry-spicy character with a soft, resinous profile – Virginian cedarwood, frankincense and cinnamon. A distinct vetiver-like body note is also present, and interestingly, the extraction process and time is very similar to vetiver.

Cyperus oil is deceptively versatile. In Arborist particularly, we have pushed the Cyperus content to the hilt. In doing so, we present this beautiful material as a glowing centrepiece, allowing each of the facets to sparkle as the fragrance develops. When ‘pushed’, Cyperus oil tends to display more of its soft-woody notes, imparting a characteristic whisky aroma. These complementary aromatic profiles produce an alluring contradiction, making a highly original perfume.

 

NOW PLAYING

Here’s what we’ve been listening to at Jorum HQ this month…