Nathanaël Koffi, a self-taught visual artist, has collaborated with Maison Caron, reinterpreting Pour Un Homme de Caron, the first men’s fragrance in history, in a limited edition blending heritage and modernity. Inspired by the evocative power of lavender and the bewitching depth of vanilla, Koffi infuses this iconic bottle with a strong graphic identity, a tribute to plural and sensitive masculinity. Under the artistic direction of Olivia de Rothschild, the House of Caron celebrates a bold vision where art and perfumery meet to offer a new reading of the timeless Caron scent.

Armelle Leturcq: Can you talk about this project around Pour Un Homme ?

Olivia de Rothschild: At Caron, we like to work with continuity. We first met Nathanaël to collaborate on the question of modern masculinity. I think it’s a pretty interesting topic to explore, especially with Pour Un Homme , because this fragrance is often seen as very classic. Our aim is to take it in a different direction.

AL Personally, I don’t think it’s classic. It’s very modern.

OdR Yes, but he’s 90.

AL Yes, it’s true, but it doesn’t look like it.

OdR This juice, for me, is so distinct. But it’s important for us to try to draw the link further.

AL A younger clientele, perhaps. A new generation?

OdR Yes, in any case, to be able to talk to them too. When we asked ourselves how we could revamp  Pour Un Homme, it was clear to me that we had to give it meaning, because I don’t like creating just to increase business. For me, creating yet another flanker made no sense. I would find it very sad, even though I have nothing against flankers.

AL Yes, because flankers end up distorting the first fragrance.

OdR I agree.

AL Even if Pour Un Homme is a very fine brand, which could be replicated…

OdR Of course, but I’m not interested in doing it just because we have to. That’s why we thought of Nathanaël, and we said to ourselves that it really made sense. Because, for me, he embodies the modern man. For me, being an artist is the very definition of a man : having the courage to really show your emotions.

AL So it was essential for you to have an artist for this collaboration?

OdR Yes. Nathanaël’s work speaks to me a lot. It made a lot of sense with Pour Un Homme, because there’s this continuous structure, which shows that you can have fun within a certain coherence. With its repetition of patterns, there’s a kind of tempo, a very distinctive style that, for me, echoes Pour Un Homme.

AL Nathanaël, how did the collaboration go? What was the starting point?

Nathanël Koffi: The starting point was to have a “white page”, but at the same time to pay homage as faithfully as possible to the ingredients of Pour Un Homme. I immersed myself in its contents. Lavender being in the majority, I transcribed my vision of Pour Un Homme, my own interpretation of lavender, through my palette of colors: camel, lilac, violets… These are also colors often considered more feminine than masculine, but they speak to me enormously and represent me. I wanted to transcribe them in my own way.

AL Did you work on the bottle and the package?

NK Exactly. I worked in all-over on the packaging and the bottle…

OdR We worked on transparency. For me, it was interesting to have depth and to let Nathanaël express himself completely. I think that’s the whole point of working with an artist: to give him the freedom to express himself creatively.

AL And concretely, what was the manufacturing process?

OdR These are baths.

AL Right. Are the patterns painted inside the glass or integrated directly into the glass?

OdR No, it’s affixed to the glass. But the rendering gives the impression of fusion with the glass.

AL Yes, it also gives the impression that the juice is changing color.

NK The patterns gradually reveal themselves as the bottle empties.

OdR I find it interesting to visually show the nuances of a fragrance through the work applied to the bottle. There’s a real fusion between the juice and the design, and I thought it was beautiful.

AL Did you change the typography too?

OdR No, we stuck with the original. I found this typeface in the company’s archives, and it’s the original. We wanted to remain as faithful as possible.

AL For the creation of the design, did you start a drawing? How did you go about it?

NK On a canva, I first laid down the gradient pattern. Then, we digitized it to obtain an optimal rendering on the bottle and ensure that it shines well under the light.

AL Doesn’t it start from a painting you’ve already created?

NK No, not at all. It all started with lavender, with the perfume itself.

AL It’s good that it looks natural, it’s not just a pattern plastered on the bottle.

NK No, and it’s unprecedented.

AL Is this the first time Caron has collaborated in this way?

OdR Yes, frankly, I found it a very pleasant exercise.

NK Me too. It was a first for me in this universe.

OdR I also felt it was important to work with someone who didn’t necessarily have a track record with Pour Un Homme.

AL Nathanaël, did you know this perfume before this collaboration?

NK I discovered it two years ago, when I met the house.

OdR That’s exactly what was interesting, collaborating with someone who didn’t have that family or emotional connection to this perfume.

NK Yes, otherwise it might have been biased.

AL I know it’s my father’s perfume (Laughs).

NK That’s something I hear a lot (Laughs). My friend also told me that it was his father’s perfume.

AL It’s the first fragrance for men, so it really is a reference. This edition will be sold like the others, isn’t it a limited edition?

OdR It’s a limited edition in time, but not in distribution. We decided to do the launch in this gallery. For me, it was interesting because there are often two approaches to an event. Either you choose it based on the location, which is quite extraordinary, or you take something that’s empty and dress it up. For me, the way we worked on this scenography, you really get into the bottle. There’s this play of light where you get the impression of having reflections as if you were inside the bottle. There is also the interplay of ingredients, plants and so on. I really like the spirit of plants taking over from something quite brutal.

AL Can you tell us a bit about your artistic approach ?

NK I’m a visual artist, so I work with different media, textures and materials. My work is mainly abstract. My work is really based on color compositions that I interweave. Through these colors, I like to express feelings and emotions. In particular, in my latest series, I worked on the theme of love, from the very beginning to the very end. The great thing about abstraction is that I can express myself through my art, always in the form of metaphors, and I give the viewer free rein to interpret the work as they wish.

AL Do you work by series of paintings or by theme?

NK It all depends on the moment. I work on several pieces at the same time. But for my last solo show, I had a very specific theme. I was really anchored in this theme. But otherwise, I can just as easily be on a car door as on a canvas, or on…

OdR On a bottle.

NK A bottle, exactly. During the process of creating Pour Un Homme, I was also working on something else in parallel.

AL Do you paint on the floor or on the wall?

NK On the wall or on a table, it all depends on the format. I’m more comfortable standing up. People can be more comfortable flat, more comfortable standing so they can have free rein and have good expression and mobility.

AL Did you go to art school?

NK No, not at all. It’s true, I didn’t start out that way. I’m totally self-taught. In terms of painting, without precedent. My background is in accounting.

AL Really?

OdR You never told me! I would never have imagined it.

NK Yes. I really went through two completely different worlds. I told myself I wasn’t going to make a career in accounting. Now, I express myself a lot more. It’s really me, my guts and my person speaking…

AL How did it all come about?

NK I started painting just for me, at the same time as my accounting studies, to relax. Then little by little I saw that there was a real interest and painting became like an addiction for me. I really needed it. By persevering, I got to where I am today.

AL You didn’t take any lessons?

NK Not at all.

AL Completely self-taught.

NK 100% self-taught, yes.

AL And do you have any references in abstract art?

NK Before the Cherry Blossoms series, Damien Hirst made patterns of irregular colors with The Veil Paintings. I stumbled across it and thought it was incredible. Just to see a color palette like that, to see a bit of the rendering that could come out of it, was really immediately beautiful.

AL Had you seen Hirst’s paintings in an exhibition?

NK No, it was in a magazine, and it made a big impression on me. Then, being a skateboarder, I had quite a few skateboards at home, and I started appropriating this color palette, but on a more regular basis and to really apply the strokes of my brush, the thickness of the brush on the skateboard. I did one, two, three, I loved the look and then I pushed it a little further. After that, I went looking for my own abstract shapes, which are really free, with no ulterior motive and no preliminary sketches.

OdR I love self-taught artists.

AL Yes, it’s great to have a different background as an artist. It’s true that art students are often very well-behaved.

NK It’s more academic, more formal.

OdR We get so stuck in one box unconsciously. I find that a lot of people take a very long time to unblock themselves. That’s the advantage of being self-taught. There are disadvantages and advantages everywhere, but I’ve always had a lot of connection with fairly abstract, self-taught artists.

NK I didn’t feel legitimate at first. I didn’t go to school…

AL You don’t belong to the art world.

NK Exactly, it feels like we’re leaving with a bit of a thorn in our side. But I think art is also a form of freedom. Freedom is open to all.

AL That’s why, today, we’re rediscovering a lot of artists who didn’t make it big, in their day, they didn’t fit into any of the boxes, and now the market is going crazy for them.

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