“On a track through an unforgiving desert, starting point and destination are indistinguishable from one another. Terra-cotta hued dunes twist and writhe, their shapes ever shifting. Only the merciless sun and aloof constellations can be trusted to point the way. Weighed down by treasures; some tempting the eyes with their glittering sheen, others enticing with exotic aromas, the camel plods towards a far off marketplace. Water is but a dream now, the taste of sweet dates a distant memory. There is nothing but an endless ocean of sand.” - Zoologist.
Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close, deliberate company rather than bright public display: the kind of scent that settles into a wool coat, a scarf, and the still air around you. It suits a composed, introspective mood, with a dry warmth that feels most convincing when the room is quiet and the pace slows.
How to wear
Best worn in cool weather, where its resins, woods and oud can unfold without feeling dense. Apply sparingly at first; as an extrait, it has enough concentration to project a warm, smoky aura with a sweet, lingering drydown. On skin it becomes smoother and more rounded, while in air it reads drier and more resinous.
Who it’s for
For wearers who enjoy resinous orientals, incense, oud and a touch of fruit sweetness, especially when they want depth and texture over freshness. It will appeal to those who like atmospheric, story-driven perfumes with a dry, smoky, slightly animalic edge.
Release year
2017
The nose
Christian Carbonnel is a Spanish perfumer known for opulent oriental compositions with a polished, modern structure. His work often balances dense resins, woods and spice with a luminous, wearable finish, as seen in fragrances such as Masque Milano Mandala, Sospiro Accento and Erba Pura. For Camel, Carbonnel leans into his strength with incense, myrrh and oud, shaping a desert narrative that feels rich rather than heavy. The result reflects his taste for rare materials and layered warmth, with a composition that moves between sweetness, smoke and dry woods.
Collaborators
Victor Wong, Zoologist’s founder, shaped the brand’s animal-inspired creative brief and the desert caravan concept that frames Camel, while Christian Carbonnel translated that vision into the finished formula.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances around the animal kingdom, using scent as a way to tell vivid, often unexpected stories. The house favors artistic freedom, playful imagination and ethical materials, turning each release into a character study rather than a conventional luxury perfume.
Camel’s concept
Camel was developed as a desert journey in scent, with the image of a caravan crossing an unforgiving landscape where sweet memories of dates and water fade into heat, resin and dust. The fragrance was created through a collaboration that began after Victor Wong met Christian Carbonnel at the 2016 Art and Olfaction Awards, and it was launched in December 2017 as an extrait de parfum.
Extra info
Camel was released as an extrait de parfum at 20% concentration in a 60 ml bottle. The name and imagery draw on a long desert caravan narrative, and the composition is often noted for blending vintage oriental richness with Zoologist’s more playful, imaginative house style.
“On a track through an unforgiving desert, starting point and destination are indistinguishable from one another. Terra-cotta hued dunes twist and writhe, their shapes ever shifting. Only the merciless sun and aloof constellations can be trusted to point the way. Weighed down by treasures; some tempting the eyes with their glittering sheen, others enticing with exotic aromas, the camel plods towards a far off marketplace. Water is but a dream now, the taste of sweet dates a distant memory. There is nothing but an endless ocean of sand.” - Zoologist.
Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close, deliberate company rather than bright public display: the kind of scent that settles into a wool coat, a scarf, and the still air around you. It suits a composed, introspective mood, with a dry warmth that feels most convincing when the room is quiet and the pace slows.
How to wear
Best worn in cool weather, where its resins, woods and oud can unfold without feeling dense. Apply sparingly at first; as an extrait, it has enough concentration to project a warm, smoky aura with a sweet, lingering drydown. On skin it becomes smoother and more rounded, while in air it reads drier and more resinous.
Who it’s for
For wearers who enjoy resinous orientals, incense, oud and a touch of fruit sweetness, especially when they want depth and texture over freshness. It will appeal to those who like atmospheric, story-driven perfumes with a dry, smoky, slightly animalic edge.
Release year
2017
The nose
Christian Carbonnel is a Spanish perfumer known for opulent oriental compositions with a polished, modern structure. His work often balances dense resins, woods and spice with a luminous, wearable finish, as seen in fragrances such as Masque Milano Mandala, Sospiro Accento and Erba Pura. For Camel, Carbonnel leans into his strength with incense, myrrh and oud, shaping a desert narrative that feels rich rather than heavy. The result reflects his taste for rare materials and layered warmth, with a composition that moves between sweetness, smoke and dry woods.
Collaborators
Victor Wong, Zoologist’s founder, shaped the brand’s animal-inspired creative brief and the desert caravan concept that frames Camel, while Christian Carbonnel translated that vision into the finished formula.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances around the animal kingdom, using scent as a way to tell vivid, often unexpected stories. The house favors artistic freedom, playful imagination and ethical materials, turning each release into a character study rather than a conventional luxury perfume.
Camel’s concept
Camel was developed as a desert journey in scent, with the image of a caravan crossing an unforgiving landscape where sweet memories of dates and water fade into heat, resin and dust. The fragrance was created through a collaboration that began after Victor Wong met Christian Carbonnel at the 2016 Art and Olfaction Awards, and it was launched in December 2017 as an extrait de parfum.
Extra info
Camel was released as an extrait de parfum at 20% concentration in a 60 ml bottle. The name and imagery draw on a long desert caravan narrative, and the composition is often noted for blending vintage oriental richness with Zoologist’s more playful, imaginative house style.