Design That Lasts

In 1958, the perfume Madame Rochas was released, the packaging of which was made by the now famous designer Pierre Dinand. At that time, Pierre Dinand incorporated new technologies and materials into that precious little bottle, innovative and unique for those times. But the simple design, inspired by a classic bottle, was what made Madame Rochas the most long-lived and best-selling perfume of all time. It hasn’t changed since 1958.

I am filled with emotion as I remember how, in 1994, as a young student, I entered Pierre Dinand’s studio in Levalois Perret, near Paris. I had been recommended to him by my teacher in Nantes, with whom I studied and developed my portfolio on perfume packaging projects. It was a one-hour meeting where I learned things for half a lifetime. Plus, that’s when I first saw a real design studio. I can say that Monsieur Dinand was the one who instilled in me the desire to do something for myself, to search for my own way. What resulted was that a month after I returned from France, I resigned from the advertising agency where I had been working full-time for two years and started working hard on what is now called Branzas.

Even though I’ve never put a pencil on paper to draw perfumes ever since then – maybe it was just a whim or a desire of my youth, although I was very passionate about the field and I drew a lot – what I heard and seen from Pierre Dinand in that hour marked and shaped my professional existence and, in some respects, my personal one.

At that time, in 1992, Pierre Dinand had completed the project for the XS perfume from Paco Rabbane. The perfume was not yet in stores, but I had the privilege to see it “live” in Pierre Dinand’s personal closet and to receive one of the prototypes as a gift! For a 23-year-old dreamy student, it was the ultimate gift and a push to want to do great things.

Even though I have not seen Pierre Dinand since – it’s been 19 years since then – I know that almost all of my days were largely influenced by the passion, dedication and ingenuity of the great master, by his permanent creative search and his vision, by how he was always looking for solutions that would last, like perennial constructions that never go out of style, the passing of time increasing their value even more.