Cuir de Russie has always been one of the cornerstones of perfumery. The genre carries a long legacy: leather tanned with birch tar, the smell of saddles and riding boots, the elegance of early French perfumery, and the craftsmanship of the great houses of the early 20th century. When I decided to create my own, I knew it had to honour this lineage while also reflecting my own approach to materials.
The starting point was the leather itself. Instead of building it solely through birch tar and aromatics, I chose Thai Khon Ken oud macerated with castoreum sacs. This became the heart of the perfume. The oud brings depth, warmth, and natural resinous texture; the castoreum adds nuance and the warmth of skin. Together, they create a leather note that feels alive rather than constructed.
To respect the classical structure, I anchored the perfume with Russian birch tar, cade, and styrax, the foundations of true Russian leather. These give the smoke, the grain, and the character. But I didn’t want the leather to feel sharp or aggressive, so the floral architecture was essential.
I used vintage orris root powder and vintage Italian iris to soften the edges and bring that unmistakable powdery elegance seen in the best historical leathers. Then Rosa Galicia, vintage Egyptian violet, jasmine, and frangipani were layered in to shape the personality of the leather rather than sit on top of it. Violet gives suede softness. Jasmine and frangipani give light. Rose brings a classic anchor without turning the fragrance floral.
Animalic depth was added with civet absolute and a vintage Cuir de Russie accord, echoing the tradition without overwhelming the natural materials. Yugoslavian oakmoss gives the perfume its final structure, grounding it, extending the drydown, and adding the cool forest tone needed to balance the smoke. A touch of honey and vanilla rounds the composition and helps it settle into a smooth, confident finish.
In the end, Cuir de Russie became a conversation between past and present, leather shaped by smoke, florals, moss, and animalics, but interpreted through richer, more natural materials. It has the elegance of the classics but the softness and depth that come from working with oud, iris, and aged ingredients. It is smooth, intimate, and quietly powerful. The kind of leather you wear, not the kind that wears you.
