“That packaging was identifiable, but it was really neutral and sort of fit in anywhere. I think the visual identity was what was pioneering. It didn’t look like the older niche brands,” recalled perfume writer and historian Jessica Murphy of the early days of Byredo.

In the two decades since, Byredo has expanded from a perfume specialist to a lifestyle brand selling everything from jewelry to leather goods. Those expansions made it a major acquisition target — Spanish conglomerate Puig snapped up the brand in a billion-dollar deal in 2022 — and caused it to lose some of the artistic credibility that made it successful in the first place.

— Read more in Beauty Briefing: Byredo’s growth ambitions are taking it to Sephora at Glossy.