Interview with Véronique Le Bihan

Heartfelt interview with Véronique Le Bihan, founder of ATELIER MATERI, who shares her invaluable insights and inspirations to celebrate the brand’s 4th anniversary this month.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words and tell us who’s behind Atelier Materi?

My name is Véronique Le Bihan. I am 41 years old, the mother of two little boys, and the founder and artistic director of Atelier Materi.

I grew up in Brittany France, where I was surrounded by nature and lived close to the ocean. During my childhood, when I wasn’t climbing trees, I would escape into the world of books and drawing. Being raised in a quiet place encouraged me to seek out alternatives to boredom. One of my favourite pastimes was sketching house plans and nurturing dreams of becoming an architect.

But I ended up going to business school, specializing in finance, with the idea of one day setting up my own company. After graduating, I worked for ten years in Paris in marketing and development for cosmetics and perfumes, a field I’ve always been passionate about, before launching my own brand and moving to Bordeaux with my family.

What inspired you to launch your own brand?

After spending over a decade developing and launching cosmetics and perfumes for various brands in France and abroad, I realized that many products were being rushed into production and manufactured on a large scale, using packaging from distant locations. The emphasis was solely on following marketing trends and achieving commercial success, resulting in fragrances that lacked creativity and uniqueness. 

Feeling the need to slow down and bring purpose back into my work, I wanted to create something more sincere, authentic, and ethical, aligning with my personal values.

In creating ATELIER MATERI, I wanted to offer a new vision of perfumery, more human and responsible, by placing nature, craftsmanship and local production back at the heart of the project, with a genuine creative commitment.

Why the name Atelier Materi?

Atelier Materi literally means “workshop of matter”, Materi meaning “matter” in Breton. 

The essence of our creations lies in the transformation of raw materials through human gestures. Just as a cabinetmaker sculpts wood or a ceramist models clay, our perfumer combines, shapes, and tames the raw materials, revealing their inherent beauty. 

Our approach is reminiscent of a craftsman’s art, combining the mastery of gestures and techniques with an artistic sensibility that conveys emotion.

What makes your brand unique?

ATELIER MATERI represents a new form of slow and discreet luxury that embraces the concept of taking time to craft exceptional fragrances. Our approach combines contemporary vision with artisanal expertise, respecting the essence of creation, know-how, and nature. This notion of valuing time, accompanied by our creative dedication and responsible mindset, encapsulates our perception of “new luxury.” 

The House’s aesthetic is characterized by a relentless pursuit of uniqueness, embodied through a contemporary and minimalist elegance. Our fragrances are meticulously crafted using exquisite raw materials, boasting a structured and uncluttered olfactory style with a profound attention to detail. It’s the idea of quiet luxury, as opposed to ostentatious luxury.

We are striving to create timeless fragrances that do not conform to fleeting trends but rather reflect our own distinctive creative choices. Each of our creations revisits a raw material through textured, elegant and singular compositions.

What values did you want to instil in Atelier Materi?

Creating my own company has allowed me to align my actions with my vision and values, fostering the beauty we create in a responsible, ethical, and fair manner. At the core of our partnerships lies the importance of human relationships : characterized by a shared passion, knowledge exchange, transparency, and respect for others.

We are dedicated to supporting and preserving exceptional craftsmanship, prioritizing the artisan’s handcrafted approach over impersonal industrial processes. When selecting ingredients, we prioritize sustainability and ethical supply chains, sourcing the finest natural materials from all around the world. 

While we acknowledge there is room for improvement, our aspiration is to create fragrances that hold meaning, driven by passion, conviction, and humility.

The Object

As I’m passionate about design and architecture, I conceived the creation of my brand as a multi-sensory project, appealing not only to the sense of smell, but also to sight and touch. I wanted a beautiful case to contain the fragrances, something that could be taken out of the bathroom and engender a desire to touch it, much like a collector’s item. 

The design of our product is both contemporary and understated, drawing inspiration from the raw and wild nature of Brittany, where I grew up. The dark blue of the bottle echoes the colour of the ocean after a storm, while the concrete cap recalls the minerality of the cliffs and is shaped like a pebble polished by the waves.

I firmly believe that the work of the hand adds soul to creations and gives them a unique, emotional aspect. Entirely handcrafted, polished and patinated, each of our caps bears the imprint of the craftsman’s gesture. It’s the beauty of imperfection, as it exists in nature, that reinforces this authenticity.

Paying meticulous attention to detail, every bottle bears the ATELIER MATERI hallmark, serving as a tribute to craftsmanship. This hallmark is engraved on the glass and stamped on the label and box, signifying our commitment to quality.

Our products embody the philosophy of our Maison: discreet, authentic luxury that takes time to create, blending a contemporary vision with the highest standards of craftsmanship.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I am deeply passionate about beauty in all its forms. I find inspiration in art, design and architecture, as well as the mundane moments of everyday life. 

When working with a raw material, I fully submerge myself in its world, delving into its history. As a result, specific images and memories naturally become a source of nourishment for my creative process.

Do you have a favorite artist?

I love the artistic creations of Simone Bodmer-Turner, a ceramist based in New York. Her work beautifully combines art and craft, with highly sculptural pieces that feature organic curves and a range of white shades, inspired by nature. 

What I find intriguing about her contemporary creations is the way they embrace imperfections and irregular lines, showcasing the raw beauty of the materials and the craftsmanship involved in shaping them.

ATELIER MATERI, shares a similar approach to creation, focusing on slow and artisanal methods centered around the material. It resonates strongly with Simone Bodmer-Turner’s work.

Do you have an anecdote to share about the creation of one of the fragrances in the collection?

The creation of our Rose Ardoise fragrance posed the greatest challenge among all the fragrances. I’m not a fan of rose and the challenge was to make this material, which I find too feminine and often outdated, androgynous and contemporary. 

Inspired by the idea of a flower growing in the middle of concrete in the heart of a bustling town, I wanted to reinterpret this material by revealing its urban, mineral facets. 

Perfumer Céline Perdriel skilfully played with the juxtaposition of femininity and masculinity, transparency and texture to capture this concept. To complement the rose, she blended the fresh and spicy notes of schinus molle and nutmeg with the animalic and amber undertones of ambroxan. The addition of leather provided a sensuous and androgynous edge to the fragrance.

It took us more than two years to strike the perfect balance, resulting in Rose Ardoise becoming one of my most frequently worn fragrances today.

Do you have a favourite fragrance among the collection?

I consider my fragrance collection as an olfactory wardrobe, making it difficult to choose just one. Each fragrance corresponds to a piece I wear based on my mood. 

One such scent is Iris Ebène, which acts as an “olfactory doudou” for me. When we started working on this fragrance, I provided perfumer Marie Hugentobler with the vision of a cashmere sweater that one can wrap themselves in, a soft and enveloping fabric. Whenever I seek comfort, this is the fragrance I opt for.

Cuir Nilam is the representation of patchouli dressed in a leather perfecto of typically Parisian elegance. It’s a Haute Couture composition that exudes both uniqueness and sensuality. For me, it is the ideal fragrance choice for a romantic dinner.

What are you most proud of?

Four years after launching ATELIER MATERI, my proudest achievement is staying committed to my values and principles. Like all brands, we’re under pressure to cut costs and launch new products. But, we at ATELIER MATERI, refuse to compromise on the origin or quality of our products, even if it means higher costs due to 100% European production.

We reject the frantic pursuit of constant novelty and instead choose to create fragrances without the constraint of strict deadlines or marketing calendars. Our fragrances come to life based on the completion of their artistic process, not on commercial timelines. We also refuse to follow trends; rather, we consistently push the boundaries of creativity. 

To me, these commitments reflect our philosophy, which allows us to preserve not only our unique identity but also our authenticity and sincerity.