Welcome to JORUM JOURNAL ISSUE V.
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.
MAY at Jorum Studio brought a brand new batch of our sold-out Scottish Odyssey collection. To say we’re thrilled with the response so far would be an understatement!
We also celebrated the one year anniversary of our Edinburgh store. Opening mid-pandemic was never part of the plan… and yet here we are, a year on and busier than ever! We are immensely grateful for your continued support, and always enjoy chatting to perfume lovers from near and far who take the time to visit us.
A MOMENT WITH: CRAIG MCINTOSH AND ADAM FOY
Photographers Craig McIntosh and Adam Foy have been best friends for years – naturally, they work together brilliantly and despite differing styles and formats the images they capture complement each other perfectly. To celebrate the launch of Scottish Odyssey, we commissioned the duo to take a day trip through the Scottish Highlands and create a photo series that reflected on the themes of the collection. Here’s how their trip went…
C – I picked Adam up in the car around 7am, and shortly thereafter slid in a well-worn Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) CD which looped for more or less the entire day.
A – Surely the most obvious aural accompaniment to a trip through the Highlands.
C – First stop was a quick visit to Callander for a coffee and breakfast.
A – This led to me unintentionally taunting a dieting Craig with baked goods from Mhor Bread. Eternally partial to a Macaroni pie, he resisted admirably, opting instead for a protein bar and a single, glove-compartment-temperature Babybel Light.
C – When we received the brief from Jorum Studio to create work based around the concept of a Scottish Odyssey, the area around Glencoe instantly came to mind. I suggested we drive to Glen Etive and spend the day exploring the long valley leading to Gualachulain and Loch Etive. All while trying to conserve the battery on my phone using by Google Maps as little as possible...
(See image 1)
A – I'll interject here with a fun fact; both of us were woefully ill prepared with regards to charging our phones prior to departure. We also should have just downloaded the area map for Glencoe and not had to repeatedly worry about 4G signal and data consumption. Sigh. Anyway, back to Craig...
C – ...this led to us taking a wrong turn, and entering Glencoe from the Fort William side – which added an extra hour on to the journey. Not an ideal start to the day.
A – We also briefly ended up in Oban. Nice wee place, just not the right place.
C – We parked the car near the Buachaille Etive Mòr viewpoint and began exploring the area. There was a cheerful fellow photographer who helpfully pointed us in the direction of the Etive Mòr Waterfall where we spent a good while weaving in and out of the various pools and rock formations.
(See image 2)
A – This was a great starting point where we captured what were perhaps some of our best shots of the day. We focused on not only the beauty of the landscape but also the myriad of textures underfoot. We really lucked out with the weather – sun, snow, shifting clouds casting dramatic shadows – and best of all, no wind or rain.
(See image 3)
C – The whole time we were there I could see the determination of the aforementioned photographer trying to access the bottom of the waterfall for the perfect shot. As we left I said to him, "If I hear a scream I'll come back and fish you out!" He laughed, and then we were on our way.
A – A hollow promise, as Craig also turned to me moments later and said: "Seriously though, nae danger am I going in after him if he falls in."
(See image 4)
C – Around the halfway point along the valley we stopped off at an area overlooking a large lake / mini loch.
A – (This was apparently Lochan Urr.)
(See image 5)
A – The weather in this area was incredible, blistering heat one moment followed by dense flurries of snow that would enshroud the distant peaks for mere minutes at a time before bursts of sunlight would pierce through the hazy veil, illuminating the forms beneath.
(See images 6+7)
C – It was now midday and the sun was beating down. The decision to wear a fleece became more regrettable with each passing second. Halfway down the hill Adam went back to the car to change into his hillwalking boots.
A – A decision hastily made after seeing Craig's ill-equipped feet repeatedly plunge deep into the boggy ground.
A – I, on the other hand, opted for the lightweight, pocketable combo of my trusty Ricoh GR (for colour) and Fujifilm XT20 (for black and white), but I still had to stop halfway up the hill to catch my breath, and a few persistent midges along with it.
A – The next stop we made was definitely against Glen Etive etiquette. The valley is dotted with passing places (not to be used for parking) but we happened upon one directly across from a beautiful lone white horse surrounded by a backdrop of rolling hills that we couldn’t pass up. To the right of us, there was a field full of grazing deer. Craig convinced me that the deer should be left in peace, though I reckon he was still pining after his elusive deer pal from a few months previous and just couldn't take the pain of being spurned once more.
(See images 8+9)
C – The final stop we made was Gualachulain on the banks of Loch Etive, where the road ends.
(See image 10)
A – The swoop of the hills on either side of the loch and Ben Cruachan's snowy peaks in the distance made for a dramatic composition. This was slightly hampered, however, by the low, late afternoon sun which almost guaranteed a selection of over-exposed images. Thankfully there was an abundance of gorse beginning to bloom in the shade nearby.
(See images 11+12)
C – Around 4pm we decided it was probably a good time to hop back in the car, put on 36 Chambers for its umpteenth spin of the day and begin the long drive back home.
(See image 13)
A – Aside from our obvious disinterest in the virtues of a well charged mobile phone battery, Craig and I both approach these trips with a similar attitude. We have a rough destination or outcome in mind but we often let ideas come to us when we're actually in the environment – working with what's in front of us, including all the things that both help and hinder. Planning is helpful but expectations can be stifling. Perhaps these wise words from the RZA say it best...
"I’ve realized that in life you can’t always walk straight through something. Sometimes you got to walk around it, you know what I mean? Faced with a situation, you got to be able to apply any principle... Sometimes you have to go in a circle to figure things out."
MATERIAL FOCUS: ALPHA-IRONE
When it comes to orris extracts, alpha-irone is a key constituent alongside beta and gamma isomers. A beautifully soft-smelling material with extremely high diffusion, its aroma is characteristic of orris/violet with accompanying red fruits/berry notes.
Alpha-irone is a key material in Trimerous, as it provides a pushed orris character and added exaltation without fully colouring the olfactory profile. As with the orris butter found in the Eau de Parfum, alpha-irone is very expensive.
The quality of orris we use in Trimerous and multiple other Jorum Studio perfumes contains no less than 15% irone. In certain formulations we then decide if we want to push the irone facet further using one or several of the irone isomers.
Ketones (like alpha-irone) really like working alongside other ketones and as such, if we want to produce a ketonic effect, we layer ketones throughout the entire formula. The effect can be felt throughout the wearing of the perfume.
You can experience alpha-irone prominently in Trimerous and Healing Berry, however it is hidden throughout several of our other perfumes… Can you tell which?
READING LIST
‘A Dictionary of Colour Combinations Vol. 2’ – Seigensha Art Publishing
Based on the work of Sanzo Wada, who was an artist, teacher and kimono designer and an extremely influential figure in contemporary colour research. A beautiful and useful book.
The Skirt Chronicles Vol. IX
Features an enlightening interview with Edmund de Waal.
The Gentlewoman No. 25
We loved photographer Robbie Lawrence’s refreshing feature showcasing Scottish cities and the people who call them home.
