A Perfume for 40,000 Francs: Brioni and Lalique Join Forces
To celebrate Brioni's 80th anniversary, the fashion house is launching a limited edition perfume sculpture together with French crystal manufacturer Lalique - designed to collect, not to wear.
The Dualité, Crystal Edition marks the first cooperation between the French crystal house Lalique and the Italian fashion house Brioni. On the occasion of Brioni's 80th anniversary, the two brands are celebrating the fusion of craftsmanship, fragrance and design with a limited edition of 18 pieces.
The vision of the Dualité, Crystal Edition was not created overnight. Norbert Stumpfl, Design Director of Brioni, and Marc Larminaux, Artistic Director of Lalique, developed the concept for the limited edition over a period of four years.
Norbert Stumpfl from Brioni (l), Marc Larminaux from Lalique (r). (Image: zVg)
Limited to 18 Pieces
The name Dualité stands for the tension between contrasts. Soft and hard, smooth and structured. The flacon is designed as a sculptural object and is reminiscent of Brioni's well-known menswear, with its smooth, clear shape reminiscent of the shoulders of a Brioni suit. The interior reveals an organic crystal structure that creates a spectacular contrast. The facets of the crystal refract the light and create captivating reflections.
Each flacon is produced using the cire-perdue technique, a complex process that was used by company founder René Lalique (1860-1945). The production of each individual flacon takes several weeks. Each flacon is handmade and personally signed by the designers – each piece is unique. Only five examples have been completed so far, with the remaining flacons to be produced in the summer.
Fragrance for Display
The Crystal Edition is designed to be displayed, not used. With a capacity of 340 milliliters, the flacon is functional but deliberately remains sealed and unused. For use, each edition comes with a small 80 ml flacon so that customers can enjoy the fragrance without having to open the crystal bottle.
Sculptural Craftsmanship. (Image: Séquences Studio, zVg)
The edition is presented in a solid alabaster case, which is suitable both as packaging and as a base for presenting the Crystal Edition.
The extrait de parfum was composed by Michel Almairac, who used iris butter, an ingredient that is extracted in a seven-year process and whose market value is higher than that of gold. The fragrance composition combines clear, ozonic top notes with floral heart notes and a woody, warm finish - an interpretation of contrast and harmony.
A Unique Piece on a World Tour
A single unit of the Crystal Edition is currently traveling around the globe to be presented in person to selected customers and interested parties. The edition is not available in stores but is explicitly aimed at a collector's audience with an affinity for art, exclusivity and craftsmanship. The price for one copy is around 40,000 Swiss francs ($49,000) – an investment in a synthesis of classic elegance and avant-garde creativity.
Special Collector's Item: Dualité, Crystal Edition. (Image: zVg)
With the Dualité, Crystal Edition, Lalique and Brioni have created an exceptional collector's item, an expression of perfume, design and art.
