La Labo & Diptyque Halo Heritage & The Handmade
Published 29 May 2024
Valued at $58.27bn in 2023, the global fragrance market is set to grow by 15.5% to $67.4bn by 2028 (Statista, 2023) with an overwhelming 94% of sales happening in-store (Statista, 2023). Capturing this spend, fragrance brands Diptyque (France) and Le Labo (US) have created sensory-indulgent spaces, enshrining their brand heritage and haloing craftsmanship respectively.
At A Glance
Topics
Regional Focus
Diptyque Taps Origin Story with London & Paris ‘Maisons’
Diptyque’s debuting of flagship Maison boutiques pays homage to the legacy of its artist-perfumer co-founders, who lived above its inaugural store in Paris’ Latin Quarter. The shop, which acted as a natural extension of the founders’ home, existed as an eclectic mix of fragrance boutique and bazaar experience for 1960s Parisians.
Both the London and Paris Maisons mirror an ultra-luxurious home, with the London ‘Bathing Salon’ displaying bath, body and skincare products alongside a copper bathtub and travertine basin. High-end artisanal design features include an Art Deco-style stained glass window (by French stained glass restorers Studio Vitrail Bianconi) and a wooden panoramic mural (by Parisian marquetry experts, Studio Poudre).
Recreating the bazaar-esque experience of its original store, the London Maison is also home to “The Ephemeral Space” – an exhibition area curated by Sarah Andelman (founder of erstwhile Parisian concept store Colette, which was renowned for its curatorial nous).
Maison Diptyque London
Maison Diptyque Paris
Maison Diptyque Paris
 Maison Diptyque London |  Maison Diptyque Paris |  Maison Diptyque Paris |
Le Labo’s Kyoto Store Centres Craftsmanship
Le Labo’s new Kyoto store speaks to the brand’s ethos of allowing consumers to peek behind the curtain of perfume alchemy – their perfumes are mixed in front of them – and its appreciation for the Japanese tradition of ‘wabi-sabi’ (valuing nature’s imperfection and impermanence), which is noted in its brand manifesto.
Situated across two floors of a renovated machiya (a traditional Kyoto townhouse) repaired by local artisans, the building’s raw materials (exposed brick and unfinished wood) emphasise hand-made craftsmanship. A traditional tatami room houses an apothecary-style wooden fragrance laboratory, which is crafted from reclaimed Japanese materials in a departure from the brand’s usual steel.
Le Labo Kyoto
Le Labo Kyoto
Le Labo Kyoto
 Le Labo Kyoto |  Le Labo Kyoto |  Le Labo Kyoto |
Le Labo Kyoto
Le Labo Kyoto
 Le Labo Kyoto |  Le Labo Kyoto |
