Byredo is a Swedish fragrance line that creates predominantly unisex fragrances, with select fragrances created specifically for each gender, male and female.
Founded in 2006, Swedish fragrance house, Byredo, is one of the leading and popular niche fragrance houses established in the 2000s.
The fragrance house has become a popular niche fragrance house despite the fact that their only physical stand-alone outlet is located in Stockholm.
For scent aficionados or fans of Byredo, the biggest selling point of the brand’s ethos is the fact that most of the fragrances are created to be suitable for both males and females.
Most of their best-selling fragrances are unisex. However, the fragrance house does have select fragrances that cater to the specific genders.
Who owns Byredo?
Byredo was created by former basketball player, Ben Gorham, in Stockholm, Sweden in 2006.
After graduating from The School of Arts in Stockholm, Gorham met Pierre Wulff, who he convinced to interpret his love for scents into what has since become Byredo – a fragrance house that offers more than just perfumes and colognes, but also offers scented products such as home fragrances, body care products, and accessories.
The business’ success arguably hinges on the company’s emphasis on minimalism, even in the creation of the brand’s various fragrances.
Gorham is believed to be an advocate of highlighting notes that do not get enough recognition in the fragrance industry.
Is Byredo a male or female fragrance line?
After establishing Byredo, Ben Gorham worked with renowned perfumers, Olivia Giacobetti and Jérôme Epinette, to whom he explained his olfactory desires and the perfumers worked towards making his creative ideas signature Byredo fragrances.
Gorham positions himself as an anomaly within the fragrance industry and, as such, has incorporated this ethos into the culture of his company and the scents he creates.
Most of the Byredo fragrances are unisex fragrances, suitable for both male and female customers. The fragrances produced by the company are inspired by memories of places, scents, and memories from Gorham’s past.
The fragrances are also inspired by his parents’ backgrounds, as his father is French-Canadian, and his mother is Indian. Additionally, he draws from the cities he has lived in including Toronto, New York, and Stockholm.
The fragrance house is primarily unisex and it is a luxury brand.
The company itself emphasises this in that it stipulates, “Byredo is reinventing the world of luxury through a new approach, where creation is led by emotions, expressing a full and limitless brand universe. Byredo conceives objects using the highest quality materials available, and high-end design details to fuel a renewed approach to modern luxury.”
With its extensive offering of fragrance lines, we have compiled a list of three of the best fragrances to purchase when starting to build your Byredo fragrance collection.
1. Gypsy Water
A perfect entry fragrance from Byredo is the Gypsy Water Eau de Parfum.
The scent is considered the most well-known of the Byredo scents, but it is also the bestselling fragrance and reportedly the most “Instagrammed” of the Byredo fragrances.
Its main notes are woody and aromatic, and the top notes include bergamot, lemon, pepper, and juniper berries. The middle notes are pine tree, orris root, and incense, and the base notes include sandalwood, amber, and vanilla.
Gypsy Water is available on online retailer, Amazon, from $212.30.
2. Rose of No Man’s Land
First launched in 2015, Rose of No Man’s Land is the ideal Byredo cool rose fragrance.
The overall scent exudes an oriental spicy fragrance and the top notes include Turkey red rose and pink pepper, the middle notes include Turkey red rose and raspberry bloom, and the base notes include papyrus and amber.
The fragrance is not an everyday fragrance, but rather, one for special occasions, as the scent is considered memorable but has been criticised for not being pungent enough to last throughout the day if used daily.
The scent is available on Amazon from $202.90 depending on the size, and possible add-ons.
3. Bal d’Afrique
Touted as a cult-favourite from Byredo, Bal d’Afrique is the oriental, woody scent from the fragrance house that is infused with a rare incense which can only be found in Africa.
The other notes of the Eau de Parfum include top notes of tagetes, amalfi lemon, black currant, bergamot, and African orange flower, the middle notes include violet, cyclamen, and jasmine, and the base notes are vetiver, musk, amber, and Virginia cedar.
On Amazon, Bal d’Afrique is available from $257.61.