A Legacy of Scent

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, we discover how a concept store born from an insatiable curiosity for beauty, evolved into the iconic French name

-  Sim Wie Boon

Diptyque, a renowned French brand, is often associated primarily with candles and fragrances. Surprisingly, its origin story diverges from the typical pursuit of a fragrance empire. In fact, it can be considered one of the world’s first concept stores. Established in 1961, the inaugural boutique on Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris came to life through the creative minds of Christiane MontadreGautrot, an interior designer, Yves Coueslant, a set designer, and Desmond Knox-Leet, a painter. Initially, as recounted by Elesabeth Boucheron, Diptyque’s archivist, their merchandise comprised fabrics of their own design, but it swiftly expanded to encompass eclectic discoveries from their worldwide journeys, spanning from luxurious textiles and linens to playthings and tableware, in addition to rare incense and colognes from the United Kingdom.

In the words of Boucheron, their journey gradually transformed their business into a concept store where they introduced items they cherished for their intrinsic beauty. “Little by little, they started with a concept store. They brought in things they would buy just because they liked it and because they thought it was beautiful,” she says. Their only limits were an unquenchable curiosity and an acute sense of aesthetics. This unconventional “bazaar” rapidly evolved into a must-visit destination, celebrated for its fabrics and its treasure trove of curiosities.