Fragrance house

Byredo

Founded in Stockholm in 2006 by Ben Gorham, Byredo began with his interest in translating memories and emotions into fragrance. Its first scent, Green, emerged from a childhood memory of his father’s fragrance and joined the brand’s initial 2006 collection. Gorham had no formal perfumery training; after meeting Pierre Wulff, he developed Byredo’s early fragrances with Jérôme Epinette and Olivia Giacobetti. The brand’s early identity drew on personal memories, travel, and storytelling, while its work developed beyond fragrance into makeup, home, and crafted accessories. In May 2013, Manzanita Capital acquired a majority stake to support Byredo’s international development. On 31 May 2022, Puig acquired a majority stake, with Gorham and Manzanita remaining shareholders; Gorham continued as Chief Creative Officer before stepping down in June 2025. Bal d’Afrique, launched in 2009, is one of Byredo’s defining fragrances and was identified as a bestseller in 2018. Drawing on Gorham’s father’s travel diaries and memories associated with Africa, it reflects the brand’s practice of turning personal and cultural memories into fragrance narratives.