Beauty and the Bees

For the recent festive season, Guerlain invited Turkish fine jeweller Begüm Khan to put its jewelled touch on a series of exceptional fragrance and beauty creations 

- Annabel Tan

What does the nearly 200‑year‑old French beauty brand Guerlain have in common with the 11‑year‑old Istanbul‑based jewellery label Begüm Khan? As it turns out, a strong passion for craftsmanship and an affinity for flora and fauna in their creations.

Artist collaborations have long been a part of Guerlain’s heritage and the maison first worked with Begüm Khan, founded in 2012 by Turkish jewellery designer Begüm Kiroğlu, who was born into a family of art collectors and grew up with an eye for beauty, in 2021 on a limited‑edition jewelled perfume bottle as part of its Exceptional Pieces collection.

“After our first collaboration [with Guerlain], we became a family and really good friends [that] were always in touch. Our friendly dinners naturally turned into brainstorming sessions where new ideas are brought to life,” says Kiroğlu. Their second partnership, which took two years from conception to production, was thus born.

Distinctly broader in scope than their first collaboration, this sophomore outing yielded two Exceptional Pieces (the Bee Bottle by Begüm Khan and the Imagine Guerlain 2023 Millésime by Begüm Khan), five jewelled plates that top Guerlain perfume bottle caps for next‑level personalisation, and an exquisite case to dress up Guerlain’s Rouge G lipstick. Available in limited quantities, all are presented as part of Guerlain’s 2023 holiday offerings.