As part of its commitment to the protection of biodiversity, and more specifically that of bees, Guerlain has joined forces with the jewelry house Bäumer and the Baccarat crystal factory to reissue the iconic perfume bottle designed by Lorenz Bäumer a decade ago, L’Abeille de Guerlain. This renowned collaboration reflects the unparalleled expertise of these three great houses.
For the record, Bäumer has been reinventing this modern-day jewel for a decade. From clear wings to gold wings, via silver wings, the new bottle, handcrafted by Baccarat – also responsible for the creation of the Shalimar case – is now dressed in a new prestigious black crystal adornment: “This bottle was inspired by the black bee from the island of Ouessant, which I like to dream about for its Art Deco, black and white side…”
The smooth and voluptuous base of the perfume is first shaped using a metal mold, where the material is blown by master glassmakers in the workshops. The transparent, faceted crystal wings – cut by one of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France – combine in subtle softness with the bottle’s pressed black crystal head.
“What is very interesting when working with crystal is to anticipate how the light will play on it,” observes Lorenz Bäumer. A total of 25 craftspeople took turns to create the L’Abeille Noire Éditions Prestige bottle. Once the assembly is complete, the masterpiece is sent back to the Guerlain workshops where “Dames de Table” delicately paint black silk threads on the front of the crystal bee.
For this new olfactory jewel, Guerlain’s master perfumer, Thierry Wasser, created Imagine Guerlain, a fragrance with woody and floral notes, just like L’Abeille Noire Éditions Prestige. Orange blossom, sandalwood, bitter almond… A composition of exhilarating scents nourishes this luxurious case. Available in limited edition – 22 numbered pieces only – the iconic perfume bottle remains a collector’s item in its own right.
Marine Minoumi