Byredo: The Fragrance Company with a Cult Following
Ben Gorham, the founder of fragrance brand Byredo.
Byredo is a fragrance company founded by 31-year old Ben Gorham, whose path to success is both interesting and unlikely. A native Swede with an Indian mother and a Canadian father, Gorham attended high school in New York and then went to business school in Toronto, before leaving to play basketball professionally in Europe. Eventually, Gorham ended up at art school in Stockholm dabbling in painting, sculpture and photography.
One of Byredo’s most iconic scents, Gypsy Water. (Photo: Byredo)
In 2006, after a chance meeting with a French fragrance director, he was inspired to try his hand at creating his own collection. The goal was to translate specific memories into scents—trying to be at literal as possible. He found that candles would be the easiest to produce and began making them DIY-style before people really started to take note. Eventually, he added the brand name, Byredo, which stems from the Old English word redolence, meaning sweet smelling perfume. The packaging is minimal and tasteful—a style that stands apart in the crowded fragrance marketplace. It’s intriguing, sophisticated and even a little mysterious.
Byredo 1996, a candle collaboration with photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. (Photo: Byredo)
Today, Byredo is a powerhouse with a cult following, offering a very sought after collection of perfumes, candles, hand and body creams, soap bars, and bath oils. The products are sold at the best stores all over the world from Fred Segal in Los Angeles to Colette in Paris and frequently sell out. The collaboration is something we hear far too much about these days, but Byredo does it a bit differently and very well. They worked with the in demand art directors at M/M Paris to create M/MINK, a unique scent that is meant to smell of ink and paper. More recently Byredo released “1996”, with photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin: a red wax candle inspired by a photo taken by the duo entitled “Kirsten 1996” that combines juniper berries and black pepper with patchouli, black amber, and vanilla for a warm scent.
Byredo Seema Satchel, available exclusively at Barneys New York. (Photo: Barneys)
In February, Byredo launched Nécessaire de Voyage, their first collection of leather accessories and handbags exclusively with Barneys New York, created using natural leathers that are meant to age and improve in appearance over time. The leather goods compliment the brand’s aesthetic perfectly. It’s a step in the right direction for a company that hasn’t missed yet.
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