Muscat – At first, the sight is perplexing. It appears to be two lengths of fabric, hanging from the ceiling and pulled to the side, like a pair of rich, opulent curtains. Here, in these surroundings of flat, polished surfaces and sharp angles, it’s an unexpected vision – a surprise that is both arresting and compelling. A few steps further and it becomes clear that this is an entrance – an invitation to delve into what looks remarkably like a tent. But the surprises do not end there. Upon closer inspection it can be seen that the curtains are not made of fabric at all, but have been shaped out of metal. They are solid and robust, and yet with their folds and curves and undulations, they seem to be rippling in an invisible wind. Behind them, a smiling face offers a cup of Omani coffee, a bowl of enticing dates… and a welcome that is impossible to resist.

The spirit of Omani hospitality lies at the heart of The Tent, Amouage’s latest petite boutique, unveiled at Harrods’ Salon De Parfums. Over the last few years, the esteemed Omani High Perfumery House has taken its unique retail aesthetic across the world, opening singular boutiques in the USA, China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and, of course, Oman. Now, together with its UK partner Kenneth Green Associates and its architectural collaborator Héroïne, Amouage takes its place amongst the celebrated perfume houses showcased on the top floor of London’s iconic store.

“Opening a petite boutique at Harrods’ Salon De Parfums is a truly momentous occasion for us,” says Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Chairman of Amouage. “It is an opportunity to share all of the values we hold most dear with an incredibly discerning clientele. And it also allows us to celebrate our passion for tireless, unflinching craftsmanship.”

Brian Stanton, Managing Director at Kenneth Green Associates, adds, “Together with Harrods, we are excited to launch the Amouage petite boutique. This is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our clients through a tailored retail experience, reflecting the sophistication and artistry that are at the core of Amouage.”

Bringing the soul of desert hospitality to London

All of Amouage’s boutiques are a testament to the House’s commitment to tradition and innovation, and this new space at the Salon De Parfums is no exception. “For our Harrods petite boutique,” explains Renaud Salmon, Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer, “we wanted our clients to feel that they were genuinely entering into our world. We wanted them to experience not just the beauty of our creations, but also the beauty of the hospitality for which Oman is so deservedly celebrated. So we decided that the most touching and most memorable way to achieve this would be by creating the petite boutique as a Bedouin tent – a place where guests can find refuge.”

Appropriately enough, the first impression that is created as soon as one walks through the entrance is of an embrace – an organic fluidity miraculously achieved by rigid, unbending materials. The walls curve towards the visitor, forming a tranquil, cocoon-like enclosure. There appear to be no straight lines, edges or corners. The seats, covered in elegant, red leather, look as though they are at one with the walls and the floor. The concealed lighting evokes the radiance of a bewitching moon. The aluminium fittings feature indentations and protrusions that echo the metal ‘curtains’ at the entrance, suggesting that they too are billowing in a gentle desert breeze. Finally, the presence of elegant mahogany marquetry contrasts with the more reflective elements and grounds the space in a sense of calming, intimate humanity. The whole projects a powerful air of timelessness – although it comes across as entirely contemporary, it also feels as though it has been there for centuries, and will remain in place forever.

A journey into the future

Alongside its nods to Omani traditions, The Tent mirrors Amouage’s fascination with the future. “At Amouage,” says Salmon, “we are always striving to cast our gaze on the most distant horizons that we can imagine. We treasure and cherish our roots, but we also keep an eye on tomorrow.”

Visually, this future-focused approach is apparent in the remarkable focal point of the new petite boutique: a round table in the middle, placed beneath a sculpture which forms the ‘ceiling’. The latter is composed of concentric circles of meticulously shaped aluminium, creating an effect that is both familiar and otherworldly. “The ceiling feels like it could be a representation of the sky,” says Salmon, “but at the same time, it also looks like a pool of water – not unlike something you’d see at an oasis – suspended above our heads. In addition, the shapes and forms take on a mystical dimension, evoking the feeling of escape and transportation that we wanted to convey, and which all of our perfumes invite our clients to experience. It’s an extraordinary visual motif in a genuinely exceptional setting.”

The ’table’ arguably provides even greater evidence of Amouage’s optimistic embrace of the future. Reminiscent of the large, refreshment-bearing trays that are found in the centre of a Bedouin tent, here in the new Amouage petite boutique, it too will offer tokens of traditional Omani hospitality. However, it will also serve as a base for an utterly unprecedented form of perfume consultation.

When a guest takes their seat at the table, they will see that it holds various semi-transparent objects made out of a frosted resin: some are shaped as pyramids, some as cubes and some as cylinders. They bear labels that refer to the intensity of a perfume (or its ‘aura’), the family to which it belongs and the notes (or ‘facets’) that it might contain.

The guest will be invited to pick up the objects with the labels that appeal to them the most. For instance, they might choose ‘rose’ as the facet, ‘spicy’ as the family and ‘rich’ as the aura. Once they place these objects in a particular section of the table, they will see that along the wall in front of them, the perfumes that correspond to the labels they have chosen will suddenly light up, ready to be explored further.

“The table uses Radio Frequency ID technology,” says Salmon, “to create an effect that feels like something out of both science fiction and fairy tales. And it offers endless possibilities for discovery. If they wish, clients can add several perfume notes to the table and enjoy delving into all sorts of different combinations of olfactory profiles. Our consultation table encapsulates all the ideas of hospitality, modernity and intimacy that we wanted to convey in The Tent.”

A stage for endless exploration

Key to the creation of this spellbinding environment are the contributions of the artist Dimitry Hlinka and the artisans at Héroïne. With their unparalleled ability to select and hone the finest materials – and their unmatched knowledge of both ancient and modern crafting techniques – they have created a space in which all the elements appear as though they have emerged from a desert floor, concealing the countless behind-the-scenes features that have been put together with painstaking precision to convey utter seamlessness. The result is a boutique in which Amouage’s many devotees can reacquaint themselves with the House’s creations and newcomers can take their initial steps into its astonishingly multi-faceted universe.

The Tent, Amouage’s petite boutique at Harrods’ Salon De Parfums, will showcase all of the House’s offerings, from the Eaux de Parfum, to the Attars and the Exceptional Extraits, as well as the Essences, with their unique, double-infusion creation process. The petite boutique will also showcase Harrods-exclusive compositions, housed in bespoke flacons.