Diptyque is bringing an aromatic je ne sais quois to Los Angeles’ most popular shopping destination. To f?te its latest fragrance, the luxury French fragrance brand is popping up at The Grove now through May 31. The move is part of a worldwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Diptyque personal fragrance, L’Eau (way ahead of its time as a genderless scent), that recently brought immersive pop-ups to New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Seoul.
Diptyque also famously scented the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, providing floral-scented candles and room sprays in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and in the rooms where the Duke and Duchess prepared for their special day.
Amal Clooney, Beyoncé, Gigi Hadid, John Mayer (who recently shared his obsession for the Feu De Bois candle on his Instagram Stories), Kris Jenner and Kate Hudson are among fans of Diptyque’s home and personal fragrances and luxe candles, which will be shoppable alongside the brand’s new $175 Eau de Minthé scent featuring notes of mint, patchouli and geranium that debuts today at the monthlong pop-up.
For the Paris-based maison synonymous with the status candle, “L.A. is an important city, as important as New York. We have many, many very loyal longtime customers in this region,” president of Diptyque Americas Julien Gommichon tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We know that The Grove is also a place where you have great traffic; you have the right outreach and the high visibility that we need when it comes to communicating about our fragrance.”
While best-sellers like the Baies candle (a blend of black currant and Bulgarian rose) will be on offer, the focus is on fragrance. “It’s really a pop-up about education. First and foremost, it’s a place where you come to discover and learn about our fragrance heritage,” says Gommichon.
The company was founded in 1961 by interior decorator Christiane Gautrot, painter Desmond Knox-Leet and theatre set designer Yves Coueslant. The trio’s first boutique opened at 34 Boulevard St-Germain, bringing their signature perfume candles to Parisians just south of the Seine river. Their first eau de toilette, the unisex and exotic L’Eau, arrived a few years later.
In addition to all 28 eau de toilettes and perfumes, the shop stocks Diptyque’s Beverly Hills and New York candles (typically only available at their namesake locations), car diffusers (an L.A. favorite), bath and body products and exclusives such as the woodsy Eau Mage and floral-infused Ôponé perfumes (both $250).
Guests can get a deeper whiff at an ingredient bar that features small black remote control-like clickers that release the scent of fig leaves, juniper berries, ginger and other raw materials with the press of a button. The shop also houses a wall that tells the story behind the brand’s iconic illustrated labels and a discovery bar that showcases each perfume via marble-lidded cylinder boxes that immediately unleash each aroma when the container is picked up (no spritzing required!).
Shoppers can treat their favorite Diptyque aficionado to a special gift by way of one of 128 exclusive postcards — each inspired by a specific perfume’s olfactory landscape — at the store. (Just drop it into the purple lucite mailbox and the brand will mail it on your behalf). A complimentary deluxe sample awaits recipients who show the card at a Diptyque store.
When designing the pop-up’s ombré purple and pink exterior, “the creative team in Paris was very much inspired by the West Coast and the colors of the sunset,” Gommichon says. Another photo-ready touch is a charming blue bicycle with a cargo cart filled with fresh mint and live ivy. Every weekend there will be a lineup of interactive happenings, including a flower bar for Mother’s Day gifting.
Though tight-lipped on exact locations (at least until leases are finalized), Gommichon confirms that there are more Diptyque stores in the works for the City of Angels.
“We see [L.A.] as a city where you really take time to appreciate your home and your personal needs,” Gommichon says. Angelenos and Parisians are similar in that sense, he says, and Diptyque “really connects with L.A. customers who are more [focused on] taking time [to increase] their quality of life, whether it’s for themselves or for their home.”
Diptyque pop-up shop at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., Los Angeles
