Olfactive Melbourne

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with David Clarke, the self-taught founder and perfumer behind Rivendare, an independent Australian house where history, rare materials, and creative freedom converge.

Rivendare is based in Kununurra, on Miriwoong Country in the far East Kimberley of Western Australia, close to the Northern Territory border. It is one of the most remote corners of the country, a landscape of sandstone ranges, boab trees, and the vast waters of the Ord River and Lake Argyle. From there, David has built a house known for rare, hard to find raw materials and authentic animalics, composing each fragrance in small batches from deep historical research and guided by a belief in creating without the pull of financial incentive.

In this masterclass, we explore Death by Vanity, winner of the Artisan Award at the 2026 Art and Olfaction Awards, a fragrance inspired by the Tudor period and the price its beauty rituals exacted.

David is one of the most fascinating voices we have had on the show, and this is a conversation we let breathe. Curious, candid, and full of stories, he takes us from the history that sparks his work to the materials, decisions, and convictions that shape every bottle, in an unhurried, wide-ranging discussion that rewards settling in.

Watch or listen now as we journey into the world of Rivendare.

https://rivendareperfume.com/

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with Samuel Gravan, the self-taught artisan perfumer behind Samuel Gravan Perfumes, an independent Australian house where botanical craft, patience, and small-batch making converge.

Founded in Sydney, where Samuel now runs his own boutique in Paddington, the house began in 2016 as a soft launch blended in a small inner-city apartment, his oils stored under the bed, before being formally established in 2021. Self-taught and refined through specialist tutoring, Samuel chose to specialise in botanical perfumery, composing with a high proportion of natural materials, many of which he extracts himself. Every blend is macerated before release and made by hand in small numbered batches, so each fragrance arrives only when it is ready.

In this note by note masterclass, we explore Woody Fig 37 Vanilla, a 37-ingredient extension of the house’s signature Woody Fig, created in answer to customers asking for vanilla. It opens with basil, yuzu, mandarin, and fig before moving into a heart of Siberian fir, bergamot, black pepper, and cardamom. As the fragrance settles, it reveals a decadent base of sandalwood, tonka bean, cocoa absolute, and an aged Madagascan vanilla tincture, designed to carry the fig into something deeper and warmer.

Listen now as we journey into the botanical world of Samuel Gravan, exploring how naturals become composition, how patience shapes a house, and how one self-taught perfumer turned a fig into a signature.

https://www.samuelgravan.com/

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with Justin James, the founder, designer, and self-taught nose behind House of James, an independent Australian house where visual design meets conceptual perfumery.

Shaped by a background in graphic design and a lifelong fascination with scent, House of James is the work of a single maker who describes himself as an artist who makes perfume rather than a perfumer. Every fragrance is conceived, composed, and bottled by Justin himself, and every one begins with a concept rather than a brief: a New Year's Eve in Berlin, the court of the Sun King, a moonlit street in a city that never quite sleeps. From the travel-led Euroflections series to the alcohol-free L'eau Parfum format and collaborations with artists in other disciplines, the house is built on idea and craft in equal measure, honouring the story as much as the materials, with a signature of pushing boundaries.

In this note by note masterclass, we explore Audacity, winner of the Wild Card Award at the 2024 Asia Perfume Foundation Awards, a fragrance that moves from cool green dew into shadow, moss, and moonlit depth. It opens with violet, cucumber, and champaca dew before moving into a heart of vetiver wrapped in a cool floral accord. As the fragrance settles, it reveals a grounding base of oakmoss, cedar, and a dry wood accord, the dark heart of the world Justin calls Nocturna.

Watch or listen now for a note-by-note masterclass with one of Australia's most inventive independent fragrance makers, and a conversation about design, memory, method, and the unmistakable identity of House of James.

https://www.houseofjames.com.au/

Born from a shared love of scent and travel, Olfactive Traveller captures the stories, textures, and moods of destinations around the world through its debut Italy Collection. Since their first visit to the show, Kevin and Marcelo have continued to lead their sell-out KM Fragrance Tours through Italy and beyond, and now return with the newest chapter of the collection.

In this note-by-note masterclass, we explore La Bellezza, a unique dual release pairing two fragrances in a single creation: Solare, radiant with Italian bergamot, grapefruit, litchi, jasmine, and a sparkling prosecco accord over vetiver, vanilla, and amberwoods; and Mare, a Mediterranean breeze of petitgrain, bergamot, black pepper, and lemon leaves resting on cedarwood, patchouly, and ambery woods. In this show we follow two fragrances side by side through every stage of the pyramid.

Between the notes, we journey through the story behind the pairing: why two fragrances share one box, the couple's craft of master perfumer Luca Maffei, the relationship that brought him to the house, and where in the world Olfactive Traveller is headed next.

https://www.olfactivetraveller.com/

https://www.kmfragrancetours.com/

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we welcome back Trung Vu, the founder and perfumer behind Grimoire Parfums, the independent Melbourne house building a body of work one Volume at a time. Trung first joined us in Season 1 to take us through Nephilim, Volume I of the Ex Fabularum collection. He returns with two new releases, Wú Gāng and Batonebi, and a conversation about what has changed in his practice since the debut five.

Grimoire is a house built on story. Wú Gāng takes its name from the mortal exiled to the moon, condemned to cut down an osmanthus tree that heals itself with every stroke. Batonebi turns to the Caucasus and to the folk spirits that Georgian tradition holds must be soothed rather than driven out.

Wú Gāng, Volume VI, is set in Huáxià and revisited from one of Trung's earliest formulas. It opens on raspberry leaf, apricot, tea and mandarin, lifted by Sichuan pepper, cardamom and davana. The heart turns to osmanthus at its centre, threaded with magnolia, maté, aglaia, jasmine sambac, cinnamon and carnation. The drydown takes a sharper turn into tobacco, cedar, birch tar and patchouli, grounded by wool, castoreum and asparagus in a base that is dry, mineralic and deliberately unresolved.

Batonebi, Volume VII, is the newest release and the softer of the two. Aldehydes, pear leaf, yeast, barberry and chamomile open it, before a heart of milk, rose raduga, honey, tuberose, wild flowers and silk vine settles in. Musk, sandalwood, sweet clover, dark chocolate, butter, benzoin and vanilla carry it through to the base.

We explore how the Volumes work, how Trung's approach has shifted since Ex Fabularum, and the craft behind two very different compositions. Watch or listen now for a note by note masterclass with one of Australia's most distinctive independent perfumers.

https://www.grimoireparfums.com.au/

In this returning episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we welcome back Rhiannon Mapstone, the artisan behind Cosmic Witch Society, to guide us through her latest spellwork, Viriditas Magica - a Woody Floral musk that studies the magic of nature and all that is living green,

 Since her first appearance with the shadowy, forest-bound Midnight Grove, Cosmic Witch Society has continued weaving celestial mysticism, botanical alchemy, and personal ritual into every creation. This latest work draws its name and spirit from the medieval mystic, poet, composer, philosopher, healer and nun Hildegard von Bingen — a cosmic baddie for the ages, and the source of viriditas, her word for the “greening power” that moves through all living things.

In this note-by-note masterclass, we explore Viriditas Magica. It opens with white musk, oak tree, and orange blossom, before revealing a heart of tuberose, jasmine, and fresh picked wildflowers. It settles into a base of cardamom, cloves, and flowery musk — a composition that stays rooted, green, and quietly alive from first spray to dry down.

Beyond the bottle, we catch up on what’s evolved for Cosmic Witch Society since we last spoke, and how Hildegard’s vision of nature as a living, sacred force continues to shape Rhiannon’s practice.

https://www.cosmicwitchsociety.com

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with Alina Tadevosyan, the founder and perfumer behind ARAKYÁL, an Australian fragrance house where Armenian heritage, memory, and identity converge.

Founded in 2025 and handcrafted in Sydney, ARAKYÁL takes its name from the Armenian word for apostle, with each fragrance composed as a messenger carrying story, culture, and belonging. Alina's creative path moved through classical singing, fashion, and art direction before arriving at perfumery, and that multidisciplinary instinct shapes a house built slowly and intentionally, with Armenia at the heart of every creation. From the sacred traditions of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the pomegranate as a symbol of life and rebirth, each composition draws on the history, poetry, and spirit of her homeland.

In this note by note masterclass, we explore Elixir, a fragrance inspired by Armenian brandy. It opens with a heady pour of brandy and dried fruits before moving into a rich heart of dark chocolate, cocoa, and vanilla. As the fragrance settles, it reveals a grounding base of woody oak, patchouli, Peru balsam, and labdanum, designed to capture the warmth and depth of its namesake.

https://www.arakyal.co/

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with Gillian Wall, the founder behind Mudie Cow, an independent Australian house built on a simple idea: a scent that shifts your mood rather than simply matching it.

A marketing professional turned self-described wannabe nose, Gillian spent years helping lifestyle brands find their voice before deciding to build one of her own. What drew her in was the science of scent, the connection between fragrance and the limbic system, and the way different olfactive families wake up different parts of the brain. Mudie Cow is the result, a tight edit of carefully curated fine fragrance mists designed to be functional, taking you from flat to flirty, passive to passionate, and chaos to calm. The name is a nod to "moody cow", the phrase every difficult teenager has heard, reclaimed here as something to embrace rather than apologise for. Every fragrance is cruelty free, vegan friendly, and paraben free.

In this note by note masterclass, we explore Chaos to Calm, a woody, floral and spicy composition made for the moments when life gets loud. It opens with pear sparkle, cardamom and violet leaves, before moving into a green, cooling heart of orris, cypress and amyris. The base settles into sandalwood, blonde cedar and vetiver Madagascar, a grounding, creamy finish that lingers quietly on the skin. Alongside the fragrance itself, we dive into mood enhancing perfumery with Gillian, and how scent can be used deliberately to bring you back to the present.

Watch or listen now for a note by note masterclass with one of Australia's most distinctive independent perfume houses, and a conversation about scent, mood, and the science of feeling better.

https://mudiecow.com.au/

In this returning episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we welcome back Callum Mitchell, founder and perfumer behind Perdrisât Perfume, to explore the next chapter in one of Australia’s most distinctive independent fragrance houses.

Since his first appearance, Perdrisât has continued to evolve with the release of two highly anticipated fragrances, Hush Money and Crocodile Tears. We discuss the stories behind these new creations, the unconventional materials that bring them to life, and Callum’s unique approach to revealing just enough of a fragrance while leaving room for discovery.

Join us for another note-by-note masterclass as Callum guides us through Hush Money, unpacking its unexpected composition, the creative decisions behind its many iterations, and the emotions woven throughout its development. We also catch up on Callum’s creative journey beyond perfumery, including his upcoming film project and how filmmaking and fragrance continue to influence one another.

https://www.perdrisatperfume.com/

https://www.olfactiveperfumery.com/

In this special mid-season episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we pause to reflect on the journey so far, celebrating the perfumers, founders, and creative directors who have shared their artistry, passion, and stories with us across the first half of Season 2.

From intimate note by note masterclasses to explorations of brand identity, craftsmanship, and the power of scent to connect us to memory, culture, and place, every conversation this season has offered something unique and unforgettable. We revisit standout moments, key technical insights, and the fragrances that have left the deepest impressions on our olfactory journey, from the coastlines and cities of the mainland to the rainforests of Tasmania.

Watch or listen now as we look back on the first half of the season, celebrating the creativity and vision shaping Australia's perfume landscape, and setting the stage for the inspiring conversations still to come.