Without bees, we’d have no future fragrances to look forward to (or, you know, food or a planet with vital resources we rely on daily), so with this very much in mind, Guerlain is running a major international campaign for bee protection from 20th May (World Bee Day) to 22nd May (International Day for Biological Diversity) ‘to protect and conserve the bee, the sentinel of the house.’
“If bees were no longer to exist,” Guerlain explains, “most fruits, flowers, and seeds would disappear forever, taking with them an infinite number of irreplaceable colours, flavours, and smells.” Across the world, intensive farming, vanishing habitats, climate change, and so forth are drastically impacting the
the health of bees, both wild and domestic.’
So, for the second year running, Guerlain is raising funds for the Guerlain For Bees Conservation Programme, donating 20% of sales to the programme. To celebrate this, Guerlain has collaborated with artist Tomá Liberty to create a never-before-seen creation: the iconic Guerlain Bee Bottle transformed into a work of art – entirely made by bees!
The aim, says Guerlain, is: ‘to gather €1 million within three days to strengthen its “Guerlain for Bees Conservation Programme”. So many natural treasures and resources depend on the skilful handiwork of bees. For the House of Guerlain, making a commitment towards their protection means endeavouring to pass on the wonders of Nature to future generations, while safeguarding their future.’
Guerlain’s Bee-autiful History:
The founder of the House, Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, dedicated a citrus Eau de Cologne to Empress Eugénie to celebrate her marriage to Napoleon III. Naturally, he named it “Eau de Cologne Impériale.” He then entrusted glassmakers Pochet du Courval to create a bottle adorned with his majesty’s coat of arms, the bees, and a festoon pattern, inspired by the Place Vendôme column. The Bee Bottle was born. It would become an icon. The Empress was so impressed with this gift that she named Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain “Supplier to the Empress” (“Fournisseur de l’Impératrice”), which helped to rapidly spread Guerlain’s renown throughout Europe’s great royal courts. A legend was born. Today, the emblematic Bee Bottle is still made in the Pochet du Courval ateliers and now lends itself to colour and personalisation. The perfume bottles can be refilled time and time again in a celebration of how luxury can meet sustainable development as guided by bees. The “Dames de table” continue to seal and hand decorate this historic bottle, creating some exceptional versions that perpetuate traditional craftsmanship, art, and artisanship. ’
In order to preserve a future for bees—and for fragrance—Guerlain reminds us that “It is crucial for us to protect them, but this alone is not enough.” We must also raise awareness about the importance of bee conservation for the world of today and tomorrow. This is why Guerlain is committed to teaching children about the cause of bees, thanks to its Bee School. Its programme Women for Bees, in partnership with UNESCO, also aims to train new female beekeepers at UNESCO’s biosphere reserves.’
