Modern European luxury fragrance brand Byredo has opened its newly redesigned counter in Liberty, London. The Byredo counter can be found in the Liberty Beauty Hall and coinciding with the new counter, the brand also have launched their latest eau de parfum – Rose of No Man’s Land.
The Stockholm-based brand, founded in 2006 by art school graduate and former professional basketball-player Ben Gorham who also a lifelong perfume obsessive. Gorham, who grew up in Sweden, raised by his Indian mother and Canadian father, was inspired to set up his own fragrance line as he had the ambition to “translate specific memories into scents. I was trying to kind of see how literal I could be with the translations.”
The new Byredo counter at Liberty, London
He came up with the name Byredo – from the Old English word “redolence” which has the connotation of sweet- smelling perfume as well as alluding to the more frequent usage of the term.
To begin his career in scent-creation, Gorham made scented candles for his friends which were received so enthusiastically that he decided to advance to perfumes which he now makes with world-renowned perfumers Olivia Giacobetti and Jerôme Epinette – who along with Gorham create fragrance using only the best quality ingredients and – following the simplicity of Swedish design ethos – limiting these to five or ten raw materials rather than “working with 50, 70 or 80”, to make a range that is “unique as it is logical”.
Some of Byredo’s scents, such as Gypsy Water, Flowerhead and Bal d’Afrique, already are regarded as modern classics and are all presented in stylishly minimal white-labelled cylindrical glass bottles with a black dome-shaped tops in chic luxurious white boxes.
The new counter at Liberty, which incidentally was the first UK stockists of the brand in 2009, was designed by Gorham with Swedish architect and designer Christian Halleröd and stocks the complete Byredo range of perfume, body care, home fragrances and accessories. The London counter echoes Byredo’s recently opened New York flagship, with shared design elements including custom-made Italian terrazzo, polished aluminum, traditional woodwork and European walnut – all made to Gorham’s exacting standards.
To coincide with this new counter, the brand’s latest scent Rose of No Man’s Land has also been launched. The eau de parfum was created as a tribute to the nurses of WWI who saved countless lives on the frontlines of that war, and were referred to as “Rose of No-Man’s Land”.
Byredo’s latest scent – Rose of No Man’s Land
The perfume has been created to be “a soothing balm” of “sophisticated elegance” . The floral scent has top notes of Turkish rose petals and pink peppercorn, with at its centre raspberry and Turkish rose absolute. It is balanced by a base of papyrus wood and white amber. This is a heady and seductive slightly woozy scent – complex, pungent and compelling – more suited for evening wear that day-to-day. It is a welcome addition to this fascinating young brand.
by Caroline Simpson
Rose of No Man’s Land is available from Byredo and Liberty, Harrods and Selfridges
EDP £88 (50ml) Rose of No Man’s Land EDP £130 (100ml)