Ex Idolo

Ex Idolo is a London based niche perfume house founded in 2013 by perfumer Matthew Zhuk, later joined in the business by his wife Tanya Zhuk. From the outset, the brand has focused on very small scale production and extensive use of rare natural materials, positioning itself around quality rather than a large catalog of releases.

The house first drew attention with Thirty Three, an oud fragrance built around a vintage Chinese oud oil distilled in 1980 and aged until the perfume’s launch in 2013. This focus on unusually mature raw materials and careful sourcing is a recurring theme across the line. Official brand materials emphasize artisanal practices, including hand packaging and small batch quality control, along with what they call “sympathetic compositions” designed to showcase distinctive ingredients rather than hide them in generic accords.

Several Ex Idolo scents take inspiration from specific stories or subcultures. Love & Crime references a 1905 Boston prison escape aided by a wedding cake, translated into a deep gourmand floral built around cocoa, red mandarin, and pink pepper. Ryder is inspired by the private members clubs of London’s St James and Mayfair, mixing sweet tobacco, amber, woods, and incense. Later releases like Lucid Dream explore more abstract themes, pairing pink pepper and davana with smoky florals, incense, and white patchouli.

Across the collection, Ex Idolo is known for concentrated compositions, a relatively compact roster of perfumes, and a deliberate, slow pace of new launches. Distribution is mainly through specialist niche retailers and decant services, reflecting its positioning as a small, artisanal operation rather than a mass market or designer label.