Maison Francis Kurkdjian has launched a limited-edition version of Baccarat Rouge 540, priced at US$28,000, and it has got people talking.
Baccarat Rouge Édition Millésime, is housed in a red crystal bottle with a 24-carat gold cap, and only 54 items of it will be created each year.
The creation of the bottle is said to have taken two years to develop, requiring 500 hours of work by 19 craftspeople specialised in glass-blowing, carving, sculpting and engraving.
Buyers of the limited-edition fragrance will also be granted access to an exclusive members club, which comes with perks such as in-person meet-ups and other services.
“In acquiring one of these exceptional numbered bottles, the holder of this certificate is welcomed into the ‘Friends of the Maison’ circle, an exclusive group that enjoys privileged access to custom services and confidential events,” Maison Francis Kurkdjian said in a statement.
The LVMH-owned fragrance house added that it aimed to push the fragrance to its “utmost limits”, without altering the “original inspiration”.
This new edition of the brand’s hero scent Baccarat Rouge 540 contains ambergris – a rare natural material produced in the digestive system of whales – which has been included to elevate the perfume’s floral, amber and woody scent.
The bottle is housed in a chest inspired by the ones used by crystal company Baccarat in the 1950s, which commissioned perfumer Francis Kurkdjian to create the original Baccarat Rouge 540 in 2014.
“Its distinction means that Baccarat Rouge 540 Édition Millésime is protected with the care reserved for invaluable works of art,” Maison Francis Kurkdjian added in the company statement.
“This elegantly-designed case intertwines raw materials with delicate touches: spruce wood contrasts with white taurillon leather; the shine of bevelled mirrors reveals the subtle glow of a rechargeable pedestal.
“The chest also harbours the care accessories needed to preserve this collector’s item.
“It was handcrafted by eight artisans and required more than eight hours of meticulous work to ensure that it stands the test of time.”
The launch follows Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s opening of a new UK boutique in luxury department store Harrods in London in July.
Opinion: A jaded take on Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s obscenely priced perfume
Words: Alessandro Carrara
Maison Francis Kurkdjian is pitching the package as an 'art' piece
The longer I write about the beauty industry, the stronger my view grows that we might have enough products now.
‘Saturated’ no longer correctly describes the current situation of new launches and beauty brands joining the fray, and the image of a tin of the world’s most compactly packaged sardines feels far more accurate now.
But, nothing exemplifies this desire for less consumerism more than Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s distressingly priced $28,000 limited-edition bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540.
What could possibly be going into this to justify that kind of price?
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