Serge Lutens

Serge Lutens is a French photographer, fashion designer, perfumer and filmmaker. He is most recognised for his art direction and photography for the Japanese make-up brand Shiseido throughout the 1980's where he also designed the make-up and packaging, as well as strengthening and developing the brand image by shooting adverstising campaigns and creating short films. (He had previously directed films that were shown at Cannes Film Festival).

His progression into perfume began when Shiseido commissioned him to create a fragrance for them. He persued his career in perfume, by designing and launching the Parisien perfume house Les Salons du Palais Royale. The salons, founded by Lutens in 1992 hold his fragrance and make-up collections, of which many items are only exclusively available in the salons, the perfume house was designed to capture Lutens imagination, and a dream like atmosphere that felt away from the world outside.  In 2000, he launched his own perfume brand Parfum Serge Lutens Beaute which is sold worldwide and in the salons.

To focus more on his make-up range, Necessaire De Beaute, it is a collection of delicate, beautiful and carefully crafted high-end items. The range is utterly luxurious, yet minimalist in style and presentation. Each product is unique and are an 'expression of beauty' created by Lutens.  Considering the size of the products which are delicate and small, the products are not an every day purchase. They are undeniably expensive, but you cannot doubt their special and qualities and the sheer genius and talent of their creator. It is not every day you come across a product like this.

The range is sold exclusively at Harvey Nichols, London.

It is cleat to see that Lutens talents are utterly vast - I haven't even touched upon his photography for Vogue and work with Dior - this small blog post does not do him justice, if you are interested in his works then there is an abundance of material and many books about his career and his art.