Diptyque Opens an Interactive Shop in SoHo

The famed French perfumery dedicates a store to personal scents in honor of their 50th anniversary.

by SunHee Grinnell

Diptyque, which may be best known for its iconic candles and artfully designed diffusers, has opened a pop-up shop dedicated to personal fragrances, marking their 50-year anniversary in perfume-making.

For the next three months, one can explore the brand’s D.N.A., starting with their very first scent ever created, L’Eau, which made headlines when it first came out in 1968. With its non-traditional and modern fragrance accords, this niche, genderless perfume was deemed radical at the time—and, of course, a huge hit.

Located at 112 Mercer Street, where the façade displays 60s retro, multicolored stained glass, the vibe is playful and exploratory. One can take an olfactory journey to Greece, Vietnam, and the jungles of the Philippines with their designated scents Philosykos, Do Son, and Tam Dao. Visitors are encouraged to create drawings, one of which will be interpreted into a personalized Diptyque scent. Entries can also be submitted online; use the Instagram hashtag #myolfactorylandscape to follow along.

Also on display at Mercer Street are two new scents: Tempo (a woody patchouli E.D.P. evoking 60s radical freedom) and Fleur de Peau (a sensual floral E.D.P. depicting the love between Psyche and Eros). And there’s more! Send a postcard to anyone from the store (it’s free), and whoever walks in with a postcard will receive a fragrance sample of their choice. How fun is that?

There’s much to explore at Diptyque SoHo. Lovers of fragrance and art shouldn’t miss it.

sunhee grinnell