The Best Smelling Skin of Your Life Awaits
January 1 | 3 minute read
Originally published on | October 16
A new limited-edition collaboration between Ben Gorham, the Swedish founder of the cult fragrance brand Byredo and the Austrian natural skincare guru Suzanne Kaufmann promises to transport in such a fashion. This time to the Austrian Alps to the wide valley and deep green forests of the region of Bregenzerwald — for which the collection is named — where Kaufmann set up her eponymous business in Bezau 20 years ago.
“This collaboration encapsulates everything I love about my home in the Bregenzerwald: the vast array of efficacious natural ingredients we have, the crisp, fresh scent of the Alpine forests that fill the air and the creative and innovative imaginations of the people who live here,” Kaufmann says of the limited-edition partnership, which features two minimalist designed products, a body oil and a fragrance oil.
A chance meeting between Gorham and Kaufmann in Paris last year saw them conspiring on this project. The two visionaries naturally fit: both lean into the ritualistic appeal of fragrance and beauty. Gorham, a former pro basketballer, has intuitively built a multi-million dollar business on his considered approach — most recently expanding into make-up with the Italian make-up artist Lucia Pica, who was formally at Chanel.
The joy of returning home after travels became an obvious inspiration for the scent. “Whenever I return from a trip to a big city, the first thing I do is head out into the forest for a walk to clear my mind and reset,” Kaufmann says. “I am always inspired by the scents that fill the air.”
The appeal of the Bregenzerwald line is undeniably more modest. A return to a simplicity that has wide-reaching appeal, perhaps because, despite her international presence, Kaufmann’s offer has always remained connected her roots. She still helps to run the family hotel in Bezau that houses her original spa, and her products are derived mainly from local alpine ingredients. All her manufacturing, too, takes place in a small factory not far from Bezau.
