DUO: A Fragrance Born from Friendship

“Luck favours the bold. Change favours the curious,” begins the campaign video announcing the launch of Duo, the newest fragrance signed by Omar Rudberg and Edvin Ryding. 

Following the conclusion of three successful seasons of the Netflix hit series Young Royals, actors Omar Rudberg and Edvin Ryding have delighted their fan base with a surprising new collaboration. Under the OMR Beauty umbrella, the duo has introduced their fragrance, accompanied by a campaign that underscores themes of community, inclusiveness, vulnerability, and friendship.

Omar and Edvin wished to capture the essence of summer: warm, citrusy, and subtly sexy. Duo achieves this by blending top notes of lemon, bergamot, and juniper berries for a refreshing and empowering start, followed by aromatic herbs in the heart, ending in a grounding base of cedarwood, dry amber, and musk.

In our interview, we delve into their reflections on the conclusion of Young Royals, the inspiration behind Duo, and their future endeavours.

Natalia Muntean: I know this year was a big one for you because you wrapped up Young Royals. How does it feel to have that chapter behind you?
Edvin Ryding: It feels bittersweet but everything has its own time. The most beautiful thing about Young Royals is the people you’ve met and worked with, and that’s not going anywhere. Now, Omar and I have worked together on Duo, so it’s great we stay in each other’s lives.
Omar Rudberg: It’s fun to do other things outside of Young Royals. Edvin gets to shoot movies and be the actor he is, I get to do music. That’s what’s fun about our jobs – we get to do new projects.

NM: What was the most challenging scene for you to film during Young Royals?
OR: Emotionally, one of the last scenes of season three. We knew we were close to wrapping up.
ER: That’s true. We shot these scenes on the last day of filming, and it was just tears all over. Nobody could hold it together.

“The roots and base of this fragrance started with our friendship.”

NM: And on the flip side, what has been the most rewarding part of working on this show?
ER: I think there are many aspects because it’s been so many years. I was 17 when I started and grew up on that show. I learned so much, both professionally and personally, about who I am. And the interaction with people who have a special relationship with the show is one of the most magical things I’ll ever experience.
OR: It was rewarding getting to know people who are now in my life, learning and experiencing things with them, and making new friends forever.

NM: You said that you learnt a lot. Was there anything that you realised about yourselves or maybe learned during this filming of Young Royals that surprised you?
ER: Well, a lot of things. It is a time for both me and Omar, even though he’s five years older than me, we’re both growing up during this time. It’s a period where we’re learning a lot by default. I feel I’ve grown a lot as an actor. In my work, there’s a clear before and after Young Royals, in terms of what I know I’m capable of and the confidence I have when working. That’s thanks to my fellow actors and directors who brought that out of me. It’s a luxury.
OR: This was my first acting experience, so it taught me a lot. I really learned how to take in directions, hear them out, and work in that space. It was the first time I ever shot a movie or series like that, so I learned a lot.

NM: What aspects of Simon’s and Wille’s characters resonate with you? Or are there any similarities between you and your characters?
ER: At this point, it’s sort of an alter ego because there are multiple characteristics I resonate with in Wille, like his reactions to triggers and feelings of entrapment. I can feel entrapped in certain ways, like with social media conversations. Some people on social media don’t know how to behave, and you feel powerless. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but it’s also easy to get out of it when reminded of the love and support. The good thing about doing these three seasons is we can tell a full portrait of these characters as our writer envisioned. So, they’re very human, which makes it much easier to resonate with and relate to.
OR: I haven’t thought about this in a long time! Thinking back, maybe it’s that Simon really knows what he wants and stands his ground, and that’s similar to me.

NM: You mentioned fan interactions, and then that they give you this kind of adrenaline shot. But did it also feel overwhelming when you started to realise that there’s so much attention and buzz around the show and around you too?
ER: Yeah, of course. I think anyone would feel overwhelmed in that situation. We’ve been able to find our balance over the years. When you zoom out, it’s easier to see it for what it is and see the good in people’s hearts. You’re able to find a balance, but of course, it was overwhelming.

NM: What inspired the creation of Duo? How did you decide to come up with a perfume together?
OR: The roots and base of this fragrance started with our friendship.
ER: We quickly found that to be a core value. We started to build from that and what we wanted the campaign and fragrance to represent. Once we had that, it was easier to find the scent. What are confidence, friendship, and curiosity? What does that smell like? We had sessions where we tried different combinations of notes until after two to three months we found the right balance.
OR: After many samples, 20 or 30, we wrote down notes we liked and ordered new ones with new formulas. It was natural from the start to do a fragrance. We both really like fragrances and were in sync from the start because we knew this was going to be a summer thing, so we instinctively talked through the notes in this fragrance and we have similar tastes.

NM: How does the process of working on the fragrance compare to working together on Young Royals?
ER: Um, well it’s quite different I’d say. We’re fewer people and Omar and I are at the heart of the decision-making for this process. It allowed both of us to show our creative skills in a new way with the creation of the fragrance and the campaign. But we’re the same people working on a film set as we are with a fragrance—creative people throwing ideas out there and not being afraid to be wrong.
OR: Yeah, definitely. You can be yourself more when you’re working in a room with fewer people and making something rather than playing someone else. It’s not about another person; it’s just about what you’re making. We were sitting there for hours, just talking and having a good time.

NM: I read your fragrance was described as “refreshing and empowering.” How would you describe it, maybe in three words or more if you want?
OR: Cosy, cosy, cosy.
ER: It’s definitely fresh. But it is also warm, like the dawn of a new day. It’s like envisioning a sunrise when you have that freshness in the air, but also the warmth of the sun coming up and the day starting.

NM: You painted the picture very well! Now that you’ve worked together on the series and the fragrance, how has your professional and personal relationship evolved?
ER: I don’t know if it has evolved. It’s been a strong friendship for quite some time now. This is just another channel for us to work together and help each other creatively. We’re always evolving creatively. I’m very grateful to Omar for giving me this opportunity to challenge myself, say what I’m thinking, and come up with new ideas. That’s been great.
OR: It’s all so special. We’ve been friends for a few years, doing things together, and now we get to see each other do stuff, hear stories, and catch up. It’s very fun to watch each other do what we love, live the dream, and take on new projects. I’m just happy we get to do something together. I don’t think we’ll ever stop. We’ll always have something going on, maybe start a new restaurant when we’re 40.

NM: If you could create a fragrance inspired by a city or a country you love, what would it be?
ER: I think maybe inspired by Gotland or the south of Sweden, with a very floral but yet warm fragrance, like the Swedish summer.
OR: Venezuela is my home country, so it would be cool to do a fragrance inspired by it. Maybe the beach? Fruit, peaches, something like that. When you put it on, you go back to when you were at a beach, that kind of feeling.

NM: What do you hope fans of Young Royals and people who were Duo take away from your work?
OR: That it comes from good hearts. Maybe a fragrance or fragrance campaign can’t change the whole world, but it comes from hearts that want to make some changes. To make the world better.

NM: Can you tell me a bit more about the process behind the campaign and the packaging of the perfume?
ER: Yeah, that work has been going on parallel to the actual development of the fragrance. Early on, when we set our core value words, we started to build a campaign out of that, incorporating the worlds where Omar and I are from, matching it musically and cinematically. I wrote this campaign story early on, like after a week. That’s what people hear in the campaign video, though some of it we had to cut down. We had months of smelling and feeling dizzy because of all the perfume. Eventually, the packaging and fragrance started coming together, and we worked on the design of the bottle, colourways, and packaging ideas, like the white Omar logo instead of the black one and an ombre colourway. It’s been ongoing for like a year and a half.

NM: It must feel nice to finally have it released. But I wonder if there’s also a sense of emptiness. Maybe it’s too big of a word, but maybe there’s a sense of, okay, what’s next now?
ER: Yeah, I mean, we’re very hungry as creative people, always looking towards the next thing. It’s like a blessing and a curse. You have to stay in the moment and enjoy it, but there’s also this element of, okay, what next? What do we do?
OR: It’s satisfying that it’s out now, such a big project. It was nerve-wracking to keep it a secret.

NM: What qualities do you admire most in each other, both as co-stars and as creative partners?
OR: Edvin is easy to work with because he’s so open, not afraid, and just goes hard. Love that.
ER: I think you’re very brave creatively. You bring that out in people around you. You’ve come to me saying, “Just throw it out there.” It’s a luxury in the process because it can be scary—saying weird ideas and going through that to make it good. You have to throw the wack ideas on the wall. I don’t think I could have done that without you.

NM: What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to learn or try but haven’t had the chance yet?
ER: Italian! It’s just a great language. Imagine being able to walk down the streets of Rome and say, “Ciao! Come stai?” I’ll make it happen.
OR: Then I would say learn to cook really good food. I know how to cook, but I want to be excellent at making dishes that impress people. Edvin is good at cooking.
ER: I’m not bad at it. I’m eager to learn more and I enjoy the meditative time in the kitchen.

NM: Do you have a signature dish?
ER: There’s this pasta with asparagus, white wine, and chilli that Benjamin Ingrosso cooked for me and then I learnt how to make. It’s really nice and I serve it to whoever is asking.

NM: Reflecting on your journey from the start of “Young Royals” to the fragrance, and where you are now, what advice would you give to your younger selves as actors and creators?
ER: Yeah, it’s interesting where I’m at now in my career and the experiences I get to have. Imagine if 14-year-old me could see me now. Amidst everything—worries about school, work, balance, and the future—I’d tell him to breathe, and be passionate, but take it easy. Be in the moment and enjoy life instead of constantly thinking about what’s next.
OR: Just be patient, your time comes. Don’t compare yourself to others. Life has its own unique paths. So never compare, just have patience. If this is what you want, it’ll come to you when you’re ready. Maybe you think you’re ready, but perhaps you’re not. Work hard and stay patient. The universe will put it out there when the time is right.

NM: What are your aspirations for your careers? And are there any other creative fields that you’d like to explore?
ER: The source of my passion is telling stories that move people, evoking emotions with an audience. And I feel like that’s what we’ve done with Duo and I feel like that’s what I’ve been doing in my career as an actor and I want to continue down that path. I’m certain I’m going to continue acting, but I have a passion for writing as well. But I have a lot to learn in that field before I’m comfortable sharing anything, but that’s what I want to do, continue down that path.
OR: Right now I want to become the artist I’ve always wanted to be, put out a lot of new music and tour. OMR Beauty is something for the future, not just something to do now and then it’s over. I’ll be able to keep on working on it. I miss acting and would love to do it again in the future. When I see really good movies, for example, Edvin’s new movie “A Part of You,” I feel I want to act again. So there’s definitely going to be more acting in the future. One day I want to do it in another language. It would be so much fun to act in Spanish. 
ER: Great things are coming!