Le Labo

I love the branding efforts of Le Labo, a perfume line established in 2006. They have a very simple approach that emphasizes the personal experience of fragrance.

Their shop is more like a lab, opened to the public. You are encouraged to explore, smell the raw materials, and actually learn something. They blend your concoction, pour it into a glass bottle, and seal it at the time of purchase. They proceed to go the extra mile by stamping it with your name and an expiration date.

The scents are simply named. Neroli 46, for example began with Neroli, while 46 notes make up the composition. I find this refusal to be fussy and pretentious very appealing. They have also created signature scents for each city in which they are sold. These are not available by internet or phone. You need to travel to attain them. By taking these small steps, they are speaking against mass production and globalization. I do not see Le Labo being sold in supermarkets, with ads splashed in a celebrity lifestyle. They have really taken the slow approach to design.