Once you’re hooked on travel, the quest for new scenery and new experiences can easily tip into addiction. Quell that wanderlust — momentarily — with a fragrance that’ll transport you to the grand deserts and energetic street markets of the Middle East. Here, oud assafi snakes around bright raspberry and rich rose, producing a persistent leather that is rounded and approachable.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
East suits close, animated spaces where its leathery oud and raspberry brightness can move through the air without losing their shape. It feels right when the room is warm, the conversation is quick, and the wearer wants a scent with a smoky, slightly feral edge that still reads polished.
How to wear
Best worn in cooler weather or in air-conditioned interiors, East has enough depth for autumn and winter but can also work in spring if applied lightly. Two sprays are usually enough: it opens with a vivid fruity lift, then settles into a dense leather-oud trail that projects steadily and lasts well on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like oud with contrast: smoky but not austere, animalic but still wearable, and grounded by a touch of fruit. It will appeal to people drawn to leather, dark woods and statement fragrances with a modern, slightly addictive edge.
Release year
2022
The nose
Olivier Cresp is the master perfumer behind East, and his style is evident in its pared-back structure and strong, immediately legible character. Known for modern blockbusters such as Angel, Black Opium and Light Blue, he often works with a few decisive materials to create fragrances that feel vivid, memorable and commercially sharp. With Akro, the house he co-founded with his daughter Anaïs Cresp, he channels that instinct into a more concept-driven space. East reflects his ability to make a small palette feel expansive: raspberry for brightness, oud for depth, leather for texture, and ambrox for a lingering, contemporary finish.
Collaborators
Anaïs Cresp co-founded Akro with Olivier Cresp and helped shape the brand’s addiction-led creative direction, while Jack Miskelly and later Thibaud de Vaulchier were part of the house’s broader development and launch context. For East itself, the documented creative authorship centers on Olivier Cresp’s personal formulation and concept.
Akro’s story
Akro builds fragrances around pleasures, habits and cravings, translating everyday vices and obsessions into concise, high-impact compositions. The house’s identity is deliberately modern and unsentimental: small ingredient lists, clear ideas, and a focus on scent as a direct emotional trigger rather than decorative polish.
East’s concept
East was conceived from Olivier Cresp’s fascination with travel and with the smell of the Middle East, especially oud and the atmosphere of deserts and souks. The fragrance was first released as a Harrods exclusive in 2022 before wider availability followed in 2023, positioning it as one of Akro’s most distinctive travel-led compositions.
Extra info
East is part of Akro’s addiction-themed fragrance universe and is often described as one of the house’s strongest and most distinctive scents. Its formula is notably compact, built around raspberry, oud assafi, leather and ambrox, with the Middle East as its central reference point.
Once you’re hooked on travel, the quest for new scenery and new experiences can easily tip into addiction. Quell that wanderlust — momentarily — with a fragrance that’ll transport you to the grand deserts and energetic street markets of the Middle East. Here, oud assafi snakes around bright raspberry and rich rose, producing a persistent leather that is rounded and approachable.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
East suits close, animated spaces where its leathery oud and raspberry brightness can move through the air without losing their shape. It feels right when the room is warm, the conversation is quick, and the wearer wants a scent with a smoky, slightly feral edge that still reads polished.
How to wear
Best worn in cooler weather or in air-conditioned interiors, East has enough depth for autumn and winter but can also work in spring if applied lightly. Two sprays are usually enough: it opens with a vivid fruity lift, then settles into a dense leather-oud trail that projects steadily and lasts well on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like oud with contrast: smoky but not austere, animalic but still wearable, and grounded by a touch of fruit. It will appeal to people drawn to leather, dark woods and statement fragrances with a modern, slightly addictive edge.
Release year
2022
The nose
Olivier Cresp is the master perfumer behind East, and his style is evident in its pared-back structure and strong, immediately legible character. Known for modern blockbusters such as Angel, Black Opium and Light Blue, he often works with a few decisive materials to create fragrances that feel vivid, memorable and commercially sharp. With Akro, the house he co-founded with his daughter Anaïs Cresp, he channels that instinct into a more concept-driven space. East reflects his ability to make a small palette feel expansive: raspberry for brightness, oud for depth, leather for texture, and ambrox for a lingering, contemporary finish.
Collaborators
Anaïs Cresp co-founded Akro with Olivier Cresp and helped shape the brand’s addiction-led creative direction, while Jack Miskelly and later Thibaud de Vaulchier were part of the house’s broader development and launch context. For East itself, the documented creative authorship centers on Olivier Cresp’s personal formulation and concept.
Akro’s story
Akro builds fragrances around pleasures, habits and cravings, translating everyday vices and obsessions into concise, high-impact compositions. The house’s identity is deliberately modern and unsentimental: small ingredient lists, clear ideas, and a focus on scent as a direct emotional trigger rather than decorative polish.
East’s concept
East was conceived from Olivier Cresp’s fascination with travel and with the smell of the Middle East, especially oud and the atmosphere of deserts and souks. The fragrance was first released as a Harrods exclusive in 2022 before wider availability followed in 2023, positioning it as one of Akro’s most distinctive travel-led compositions.
Extra info
East is part of Akro’s addiction-themed fragrance universe and is often described as one of the house’s strongest and most distinctive scents. Its formula is notably compact, built around raspberry, oud assafi, leather and ambrox, with the Middle East as its central reference point.