In 1961, three friends—painter Desmond Knox-Leet, interior designer Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, and theatre set designer Yves Coueslant—opened a boutique at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain on Paris’s Left Bank. It wasn’t meant to be a retail store in the usual sense. Their shop was more like a salon, filled with sketches, fabrics, travel mementos, and unusual finds, with fragrance as just one part of the mix. They called it Diptyque, after the two-panel paintings they admired, setting the tone for a Maison where creativity would always come before convention.

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That creative spirit remains at the heart of Diptyque. To experience the brand today is to step into a space where scents tell stories—each one a sketch, a memory, or a fragment of imagination. Which is why the second chapter of its immersive exhibition, “Un Air de Paris”—following the Tokyo pop-up in 2023—felt so fitting when it opened last month in Shanghai’s Zhangyuan district. It was a meeting point of art and fragrance, East and West, past and present, visiting it before its doors opened to the public on 17 October.

Zhangyuan itself, with its Shikumen architecture of brick walls, archways, and narrow lanes from the 1800s, made the perfect backdrop. Diptyque transformed Building W4 at No. 258 Maoming North Road, once a residence, into a multi-sensory journey. This wasn’t a replica of Paris but a playful reimagining: Parisian rooftops sketched under Shanghai skies, indoor gardens, and ateliers alive with light, scent, and sound.

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The journey begins at the Heritage Gallery, anchored by a clock set to Paris time, where Diptyque’s origin story plays across photographs, articles, and a retrospective film. In the Craftsmanship Atelier, glass, ceramic, and wax take centre stage—materials at the heart of the Maison’s iconic candles.

The Wonders of Nature room surrounds visitors with watercolour projections of coral and desert roses, introducing the Les Essences collection (Corail Oscuro, Lunamaris, Bois Corsé, Lilyphéa, and Rose Roche). Guests are invited to collect blotters to store in their activity booklets (free for all), as well as pick up postcards and other keepsakes along the way.

The Sensory Garden is a highlight: A romantic secret garden lined with 49 signature candles, each wick releasing its own olfactory identity—floral, woody, spicy, or green. Tip: Do wear comfortable flats for this tour as there are several steps within the space and areas with gravel.

For selfie enthusiasts, the room of mirrors is irresistible. Depending on where you stand, it might appear that you are on the boardwalk of Diptyque’s original store on Boulevard Saint-Germain. But perhaps the most enchanting stop is the Perfumer-Artist’s Atelier, where sketches hover above ceramic pots of fragrance. From Philosykos to Do Son, Fleur de Peau to L’Ombre dans l’Eau, the room reveals how Diptyque fragrances often begin not as formulas but as drawings.

If you’re keen to explore the full range of Diptyque offerings, there’s a beautifully curated retail corner showcasing all its fragrances and homeware. It’s located beside a quaint coffee bar serving refreshments.

Fully air-conditioned, the pop-up provides welcome relief from the sweltering 34-degree heat outside. But the real magic happens outdoors, in the courtyard behind, which has been transformed into À la Française Garden—a whimsical echo of Parisian parks. Complete with park benches and street lamps, the space is anchored by a pond of swan figurines flanked by Diptyque’s scented candles.

At sunset, invited guests congregated here to celebrate the launch of the exhibition, sipping champagne, engaging in animated conversations, or lounging on chairs while a local indie band performed. It was festive, intimate, and impossibly romantic—like a small slice of Paris transplanted into the heart of Shanghai.

Walking back into Zhangyuan’s lanes, it was clear that “Un Air de Paris” is less an exhibition than a suspension of time. For a few hours, it blurred the lines between Shanghai and Paris, between history and imagination. It showed how fragrance can be more than something you wear—it can be a way of remembering, of feeling, of carrying a story with you long after you leave.

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While you’re in Shanghai, don’t forget to stop by the West Bund Museum to catch the David Hockney digital exhibition. Created and narrated by Hockney, the hour-long immersive show spans six chapters and over 60 years of artistic exploration. Here, Diptyque extends its artistry, providing a sensorial 4D element by infusing the space with its signature “34” scent. This chosen fragrance marks the arrival of autumn in Shanghai, layering the paintings with a fragrant reminder of the season. I was told the scent will shift again in a couple of months, evolving into something more wintry.

“Un Air de Paris” is now on till 8 October 2025 at Building W4 at No. 258 Maoming North Road, Shanghai.

This article was first seen on ELLE SG

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