BLOG
Materi
After ten years developing cosmetics and fragrances, Véronique Le Bihan wanted to give herself the time to be freely creative and to reconnect with nature and with people. In Brittany, where she grew up, the word for material is ‘materi’. Véronique wanted to perfect raw ingredients from nature, much as a ceramicist works with clay from the land, and in 2019 she founded Atelier Materi. Each perfume is built around a single raw material, combined with unique compositions that are as powerful as they are refined. The fragrances of Atelier Materi are olfactory works of art that tell the story of nature and human creativity.
Grandmother’s hint of patchouli
“I wear a perfume for myself, not for others. My creations are designed to flourish in a private space,” Véronique explains. Several of her creations are memories of the Pointe du Raz headland in the south of Finistère. Cacao Porcelana is the memory of her grandmother, who left a trace of patchouli in the air as she made a chocolate cake, mingling with the smoky scent of her grandfather that drifted in from the next room. With its subtle accents of patchouli, tobacco and rum, this creation invites you to lose yourself in nostalgia.
Artists and craftspeople
Véronique: “I want to create fragrances that reflect who I am: emotional and distinctive. My creations are conceived around raw materials, which are transformed by those who wear them.” Whether it is ambrette, leather or patchouli, from the harvest of the material to the making of the perfume, the deep-blue glass bottle and the packaging, the atelier works closely with artists and craftspeople. It is their expert hands that etch, polish and shape each material into a refined and luxurious eau de parfum for every occasion.
Portrait of an Artist
Usually a simple sensation is enough to inspire. It might be the sensuality of a white shirt, which embodies the amber facets of Bois d’Ambrette, or a work of art. Poivre Pomelo is an olfactory translation of David Hockney’s painting Portrait of an Artist, which depicts a man standing at the edge of a swimming pool, watching a swimmer against a lush green landscape in the distance. “Poivre Pomelo is an ode to vivid, sparkling joy, carried by the fresh, spicy notes of Timut pepper* from the Himalayas,” says Véronique.
Deep-blue ocean
In early 2024, Atelier Materi launched Cèdre Figalia, perfumer Céline Perdriel’s interpretation of an image of a fig tree in all its facets, from sap to fruit. Beyond the fragrances, the packaging deserves attention too. The bottles reflect the wild landscape of Brittany, with the deep-blue of the ocean after a storm. The hand-cast concrete cap has the look of a stone polished by sea spray, suggesting the mineral nature of the cliffs. The design of the bottles combines pure aesthetics with sustainability, as the brand aims for a minimal environmental footprint through local production and ethically sourced materials.
Come and discover the fragrances in our boutiques in Amsterdam or The Hague. The nine eaux de parfum are available in both 10 and 100 millilitres.
