Réserve en Afrique 1934: Fragrances Nurtured by African Forests

“Africa has held a key place in the perfume industry for centuries. But there are not many people like us, perfumers and founders. We are trying to create something truly special that resonates with consumers both within and beyond the continent.”

— Etienne Haddad, co-founder

Essential Information
The Founders and the Origins of the Brand
What Matters to the Brand
The Fragrance Lineup
1. Afrique Extraordinaire Collection
By the Way…

Essential Information

Year founded: 2024 (Dakar, Senegal)
Founders: Etienne Haddad and Valeria Kozhevnikov
Official website: https://reserve1934.com

The Founders and the Origins of the Brand

The Family’s Starting Point: To Senegal in 1934

The story of Réserve en Afrique begins in 1934, the year written into the brand’s name.

That year, Etienne Haddad’s grandfather moved from the Levant, the name for the eastern Mediterranean region around present-day Lebanon and Syria, to the Sine-Saloum region of western Senegal. It is said to have been a journey in search of a new home. Coincidentally, in that same year, 1934, a forest near the land where the family settled was designated a protected reserve. The Sine-Saloum Delta, later inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural property, was a land of rich ecosystems where mangroves, dunes and savanna intermingled, home to more than 400 bird species and a variety of mammals.

The family put down roots in Dakar and would remain involved in conserving this forest for three generations. The nature they sought to protect was arguably more than a landscape: it was their family identity itself.

Etienne’s “Awakening”

The brand’s co-founder Etienne Haddad grew up in this family, which had been involved in conservation for three generations.

Raised in Dakar and surrounded by natural scents from childhood, he reached a turning point while walking through the jungle one morning. As the sun rose, he experienced the moment when the trees’ fresh green aromas slowly began to rise, and was reportedly deeply moved by the sensation of “scent awakening with the sunrise.” That experience gave him a conviction: “I want to capture the scents this land creates inside a bottle.”

Creating the Brand Together with His Partner

Etienne shared this feeling with his partner, Valeria Kozhevnikov. Detailed information about Valeria’s background is not currently found in public sources, but the two shared the same ambition and launched the brand from Dakar in 2024.

The French name “Réserve en Afrique” means “a reserve in Africa,” or a nature reserve. It is a tribute to the forest the family had protected for so long and to the vastness of African nature itself. Adding “1934” to the name permanently inscribes the grandfather’s journey, where everything began, into the foundations of the brand.

Reaching the Global Fragrance Industry

The brand was quick to begin reaching beyond its home. In February 2025 it exhibited at Esxence 2025 in Milan, Italy, one of the world’s largest perfume fairs, unveiling two new fragrances. It has also emerged that fragrance consultant Isabelle van Ingen, who also works with dsm-firmenich, was involved in supporting fragrance development from an early stage, suggesting that the newly founded brand was already connected to a world-class network of perfumers. In October 2025 it made an advance appearance at Salon de Parfum 2025 at Isetan Men’s in Tokyo, followed by its full Japanese launch on December 5 that year through NOSE SHOP’s Takanawa and Azabudai stores and online shop.

What Matters to the Brand

A Philosophy of Fragrance: Telling the Continent’s Stories Through African Materials

Réserve en Afrique’s strongest commitment is to “make as much use as possible of African ingredients throughout the top, body or middle, and base.” Carefully choosing materials nurtured by the continent’s diverse ecosystems, including Madagascan vanilla, Somali opoponax, a resinous perfumery material, Nigerian ginger, Moroccan rose, South African tangerine and Comorian ylang-ylang, each fragrance recreates an African scene in vivid dimensions: savanna at dawn, a midnight campfire or a desert oasis.

The brand also clearly expresses its respect for the communities behind these materials in their places of origin. Its sourcing policy is to work only with partners committed to transparency, measuring social impact and making a positive contribution. This demonstrates a desire not simply to use the materials, but to stand alongside the lives and work of the people who live there.

A Sincere Commitment to Sustainability

Its approach to sustainability is inseparable from its philosophy of fragrance.

Alcohol base: Uses natural alcohol derived from beetroot.
Vegan and cruelty-free: Included on PETA’s vegan and cruelty-free list. All products are free of animal-derived ingredients and animal testing.
Genderless: Every fragrance is designed to be worn regardless of gender.
Ingredient management: No parabens, phthalates, silicones, mineral oils, petroleum-derived ingredients, paraffin, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), or sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate (SLS/SLES).
Regulatory compliance: States that it complies with European Union cosmetics regulations and International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards.
Conservation: According to the brand’s official website, 5% of profits are donated to nonprofit organizations across Africa, including biodiversity conservation organizations and forest conservation projects.

Expanding the Product World: From Perfume to Handcrafted Objects

Réserve en Afrique goes beyond fragrance. It also offers hand-poured candles made with soy and coconut wax, and artisan soap gift sets decorated with hand-painted African scenes, bringing the brand’s world into every part of daily life. The hand-painted element of the soap packaging also pays respect to African craft traditions.

Detailed explanations of the bottle design’s concept and materials, however, could not currently be confirmed on the official website or similar sources.

The Fragrance Lineup

Afrique Extraordinaire Collection

The Afrique Extraordinaire Collection is the brand’s point of origin. Inspired by “unique natural experiences encountered among the African continent’s diverse landscapes and ecosystems,” the series presents each fragrance as an independent story centered on a single African scene.

The brand began with four fragrances, but two more were added when it exhibited at Esxence in 2025, bringing the collection to six.

Aube Lumineuse: “Radiant Dawn”

South African tangerine and blood orange form the top notes, while Moroccan orange blossom and Nigerian ginger evoke a scent like clear, bright light. A fresh citrus fragrance, it imagines the instant of awakening at dawn on the savanna, as animals gather in the shade of acacia trees. One review describes it as having “a cleanliness like an immaculately fresh shirt” and praises the cedarwood in the later stages for providing a firm natural foundation.

Afrique en Fleurs: “Africa’s Flowers”

Seven African materials overlap: orange from South Africa, ginger from Nigeria, rose from Morocco, iris from Côte d’Ivoire, chamomile from Egypt, vanilla from Madagascar and sandalwood from Somalia. A floral woody creation, it depicts in scent the contrast between hot winds and sand and flowers blooming vigorously in barren land.

Eau Légendaire: “Legendary Water”

Moroccan lentiscus, the resin of the mastic tree, and Somali olibanum, or frankincense, create a mist-like opening, with Moroccan neroli and rose forming the floral heart. True to its concept of “a spring worthy of legend, welling up through the mist of a dense forest,” this aromatic fragrance combines crystalline freshness with a slightly mysterious depth.

Feu Sacré: “Sacred Fire”

From an opening in which Madagascan clove and South African pink pepper burst like sparks, it moves into a warm heart of Madagascan vanilla and Ethiopian myrrh before settling into a deep base of Somali opoponax and sandalwood. A spicy woody fragrance themed around “a campfire burning in pitch darkness,” it could be called the most sensual and meditative of the original four creations.

Vanille Mafonja: A 2025 Creation

Bearing the name “Mafonja,” it evokes a hidden cove in Madagascar that appears only when the high tide recedes. Beginning with fleur de sel, or “flower of salt,” it builds warmth with cinnamon, Mauritian pink pepper and nutmeg before the creamy flowers of Comorian ylang-ylang bloom. Somali myrrh and olibanum, along with dark amber, give depth to this vanilla-led oriental fragrance.

Rouge Karkade: A 2025 Creation

“Karkade” means hibiscus tea. The fragrance is inspired by the ruby-colored drink served in a palm-ringed oasis as the sun sets over the Sahara. North African karkade, pomegranate jam and buchu, a South African herb, create a tart opening, leading to a sweet floral heart of hibiscus, ylang-ylang and vanilla. Moroccan Atlas cedarwood and oud smoke close with the mystery of a desert night.

By the Way…

The number “1934” is part of Réserve en Afrique’s official name. Rather than simply creating a vintage impression, it refers to a specific piece of history: “the year the grandfather traveled to Senegal and encountered the forest reserve.” That connection underpins the brand’s authenticity.

The Sine-Saloum Delta, where the brand is based, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2011. Combining mangroves, dunes, marine environments and dry forest, it has been called “one of the most beautiful deltas in the world.” In the brand’s story, the forest near the land where the grandfather lived became a protected reserve in 1934, a history that lends further weight to the name.

The reference material for this article also included the name “Bois d’Olivier” alongside “Reserve en Afrique Vanille Mafonja” in a list of fragrances exhibited at Esxence 2025. However, no official information could be found confirming that the former belongs to this brand, so it cannot be treated as a creation in this collection.

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