Jeroen Oude Sogtoen

A black and white portrait of a man

The Zenology founder and Soho House Amsterdam member tells us about fostering care and consideration in his fragrance brands

‘After my studies in fashion design at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (now AMFI), I worked as a fashion designer for 10 years. Later on, I changed my focus from fashion to interior design. And alongside field specialists, I came up with the concept for a boutique hotel in Amsterdam. While creating an amenity line for the hotel, I started Zenology and the niche perfume house Maison Mona Di Orio in 2004. As well as the business side of the brands, I’m very much involved in every creative aspect – from scent development to packaging and visual brand standards. 

‘During my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to go around the world and experience luxury travel first-hand. What caught my attention was the lack of caring yet sustainable beauty products in hotels. So, I decided to create Zenology – a lifestyle brand that adheres to one guiding principle: to care and consider. To me, this goes beyond delivering the highest quality product. At Zenology, to care and consider is as much about the relationship with each of our clients as it is about continuing to push the envelope on being a sustainable company. So, in a way, it originated in the travel industry, but later branched out into retail as well.

‘Our collaboration between Zenology and fashion brand Daily Paper is one of those beautiful synchronicities. After meeting the cofounder, Abderrahmane Trabsini, we quickly bonded over the idea of heritage and origin. We decided to join forces to create a unique fragrance that’s true to Daily Paper’s DNA. It tells the story of the brand’s nomadic nature, and together we produced a scent that explores its African roots. The Modern Nomad Ambience Trigger contains core ingredients such as Ghanaian cacao, Moroccan mint tea, and the aroma of Somali frankincense. 

‘My favourite part of travelling has always been coming back to Amsterdam: a metropolis, wrapped in the feeling of a small city. Soho House Amsterdam feels like home, but most importantly there’s the possibility to meet and connect with other creative minds.’

@zenology_official; @monadiorio