An interview with Jan Ewoud Vos, by Issam Al_Daoo of Aromatic Glance. Read the full interview below or view the article on Aromatic Glance.
In a world where meaning is drained in favor of numbers, and emotions are replaced by slogans, Puredistance emerges as an inner calling—for those who still believe that beauty does not need to shout, and that true luxury is never loud. From the heart of Europe, and from a quiet soul in search of purity not as a trend but as a principle, Jan Ewoud Vos chose to create perfumes that embody noble silence, fragrances hat aren’t sold everywhere, that never flatter, yet speak directly to the heart—as if they were made for it alone.
In this exclusive interview, we dive deep with the founder of Puredistance into the origins of his vision, the philosophy of “noble understatement”, and his sincere desire to create something timeless—unspoiled by fashion, untouched by marketing noise. Have you always been passionate about perfumes, or did the passion grow over time?
My passion has grown over time. My first big ‘perfume love’ was Antheus from Chanel when I was 18 years old. But it was only in 2002, when I got the idea for Puredistance, that I really started to learn about the world of perfumery.
How would you describe your personal relationship with each fragrance? Do you see it as an independent being, or as a reflection of yourself?
I see it as a reflection and olfactory projection of a concept that – at the time of the creation of the perfume – is important for me. And more often than not my concepts contain a message.
What is your personal definition of “true luxury” in the world of perfumery?
True luxury is the feeling of using or experiencing something special. Something that stands out from the crowd and is not for everyone. It can be anything. For some people spending quality time with their children is true luxury.How was the idea of Puredistance born?
What was the moment you felt it was time to create a perfume house that carries your own vision?
In 2002 I got the idea of building a perfume house based around the concept of creating distance through purity. Keeping the ‘bad world’ at a distance through genuine, personal care, honesty and purity. And feel free to fill in yourself what is the ‘bad world’. I think, more than ever, people needs such a philosophy.
Do you consider perfume a language? And if so, what language does Puredistance speak?
Yes it is a language. Puredistance speaks the language of Quiet Luxury.
What is the meaning of the “quiet luxury” concept that your brand embraces? How is this translated inside each bottle?
We don’t shout. We don’t push. We don’t advertise. We don’t pretend. You don’t see us everywhere. We are truly exclusive. Not everybody knows us. But our perfume collection and packaging is very beautiful and luxurious. That is what I call Quiet Luxury.
Each Puredistance fragrance has a story, yet the house avoids massive advertising campaigns — do you consider silence a part of your brand identity?
Yes it is. We never really advertised. I believe in word-of-mouth publicity and natural, organic growth. Then we are happy with our existing sales and don’t want to grow much further. We are sold in more than 40 countries, but by less than 100 perfume stores worldwide. Our Puredistance team is happy, our suppliers are happy and our customers are happy. Our brand is well known by many perfume connaisseurs and has an excellent reputation. So I am happy this way and like to keep it this way. Selling much more would mean I will have to sacrifice some ethics and values. So I say: ‘enough is enough and quality over quantity’.
You’ve worked with remarkable perfumers like Antoine Lie, Nathalie Feisthauer, and Cécile Zarokian — what do you look for when choosing a perfumer to collaborate with?
I look for perfumers who have shown they are the best and then – equally important – I look for good personal chemistry and mutual respect.
Do you get directly involved in the composition of the formulas, or do you prefer to give the perfumer full creative freedom?
The perfumer always gets carte blanche. I never talk about ingredients or compositions. I am an ‘olfactory virgin’ and I like to stay that way. However, I know much about feelings and emotions and how to express them visually and with words; so being the art director and coming up with a concept that has a soul is what I do, what I am good at and what I love to do.
Have you ever felt that preserving the identity of Puredistance is more challenging than creating a new perfume?
Both are equally challenging and important. But the challenge never feels like a struggle, since what we do, we do with our hearts. So most of the time these processes feel natural and relaxed and give energy.
Which Puredistance fragrance is closest to your heart — and why?
Puredistance I. Since without this gift of Annie Buzantian to me Puredistance would not exist. When I was in my first years of building Puredistance Annie Buzantian, a master perfumer in New York, gifted me her most precious personal perfume. To someone she did not know at all. But she trusted me and my idea and what’s more our special relations was already written in the stars (you can read all about it at the end of this interview).
How does Puredistance maintain its distinctiveness in a market saturated with repetition and trends?
We never follow trends and I don’t know and want to know what happens in the perfume industry. I create a concept I believe in and fully go for it with a perfumer who also loves the concept. That guarantees something authentic and original. And, good for us, so far it always turned out to be successful!
Could we ever see Puredistance exploring “digital” or “AI-generated” perfumery? Or do you see that as contradictory to the brand’s essence?
No AI-generated Perfumery for us! Puredistance is all about enjoying human relations and human processes. On top of that I love the miracles that happen on our (human) voyage. I will never sacrifice the joy of all that by working with soulless pieces of metal and plastic.
Are there any future projects or upcoming fragrances currently in development?
Always! Because that is our main drive. Making people happy by creating beauty! So for October this year we have planned to launch Puredistance YSAYO. And for next year we are working on something so special that it will feel like the warmest and most beautiful embrace you ever got in your life.
Mr. Antoine Lie is one of our dear friends. I previously asked him about the composition of Black No. 05, and he told me that keeping the ingredients undisclosed was aligned with your vision — that the fragrance should be experienced and discovered personally. Now, after all these 12 years, would you be willing to finally reveal the notes of this perfume? Why is it the only fragrance from the house whose formula was kept secret? And could we possibly see a new version of it in the future — again signed by Antoine Lie — with its formula disclosed to the public?
We will never disclose the ingredients. Black has to stay a mystery. The message of Puredistance Black is: ‘close your eyes and feel! Stop analyzing.’ Today too many people lose themselves in numbers and analyses and only use the rational part of the brain and this way forget how to feel things. So Puredistance BLACK should be emotionally felt and not ‘understood’ through a list of ingredients.
Who is the perfumer you collaborated with on the upcoming fragrance YSAYO, set to launch in October?
YSAYO is created by Antoine Lie. For now that is all I can tell you. We are still celebrating and enjoying the success of the newly launched Divanché, so for now I keep quiet about YSAYO.
What are the perfumes you wear most often?
I wear Puredistance Aenotus, Chanel Antheus and recently a secret version of the original Eau Sauvage using the original ingredients and then something extra.This version was gifted to me and is not for sale and custom made. It evoked some good old memories, since this was one the few perfumes I used to wear in my twenties.Then I really like YSAYO; I think I will be using it in the future.
Is it possible that we’ll see an oriental fragrance from Puredistance in the future? What captures your attention and interest when it comes to oriental perfumes?
For the creation of Sheiduna I asked Cecile Zarokian to bridge the elegance of Paris with the sensuality of the Orient. And so she did in a brilliant way. Many oriental perfumes I find too heavy with too much projection. Puredistance is more about understated elegance andquiet luxury. We don’t like to shout. So if I ever want to do anotherperfume with oriental facets it must emphasize the more tender and delicate elementsthat are part of the oriental world.
Full amazing story about the conception of Puredistance I:
After I had visualized the concept of Puredistance, I made a brief for it. Text, photography and music, communicating what Puredistance meant to me. Then the search for a perfumer started. After I had visited various companies that did not really get it, I met Mick van Vlijmen at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Mick was about to move to Firmenich in New York, one of the world’s leading producers of fine fragrances. Mick really liked the idea of Puredistance and promised to show it to some of the best perfumers at Firmenich. And now the amazing part of the story starts. When he showed the brief to Annie Buzantian, a Master Perfumer at Firmenich, she turned pale and looked in disbelief at the front picture of the portfolio – a fashion advertisement from a magazine in which a woman, simply dressed in a grey silk dress, a woman with a beautiful warm skintone, is photographed standing in the snow.
She says: “Mick, I don’t need to create this fragrance…” She opens a drawer in her office, pulls out the same advertisement and tells him: “Two years ago I used the same advertisement as inspiration for creating my personal fragrance, my own masterpiece… trying to combine coolness and warmth in the same fragrance”. It was clearly meant to happen that way. Jung would call it synchronicity: two people having the same idea without knowing each other
As the reader reaches the end of this conversation, they are not simply leaving the words of a perfume house founder—but stepping out of a reflective, emotional experience that reshapes the questions we ask about luxury, beauty, and the role of fragrance in our lives. With Jan Ewoud Vos, we come to realise that perfume is not a product, but a promise of honesty. A promise that there are still those who create with belief—and who choose silence when others speak in noise. Puredistance is not just a perfume house; it is an existential project against vulgarity, an elegant rebellion against the times, and a message to those who possess a sense of smell deeper than the nose—the scent of the soul.
In an age of clutter, Jan Vos chose distance. And in a time of repetition, he decided to be rare.
About Issam Al_Daoo: ‘I am the founder of Aromatic Glance Website. I was born in Gaza, Palestine. I spent my childhood in Saudi Arabia, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and General Surgery in Egypt, and currently work as a Specialist in Anesthesia and Intensive Care. Additionally, I hold certifications and have experience in digital marketing, SEO, and WordPress. As an Arabic content writer, I personally oversee the editing and revision of all articles on website. My goal is to develop Arabic fragrance content through highly accurate articles that serve as a reference for everyone worldwide.’