Byredo’s Newest Scent Is Ikea

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Since it launched in 2006, indie fragrance brand Byredo has walked the line between exclusivity and ubiquity. It floods fashion and beauty publications, but at $150 for fragrances and $80 for candles, it isn’t widely affordable; its vibe is mysterious and sophisticated. So to the extent that any brand collaboration can shock us at this point, it’s actually kind of surprising that Byredo has just teamed up with Ikea, purveyor of $0.50 soft serve and $69.99 bed frames.

According to a release from Ikea, they are “curious to explore the scent of Ikea, if there is one.” (Love a healthy sense of doubt.) They’re investigating the role of fragrance in the home, the method by which it’s dispersed, as well as “innovation in scent.” The results of this project, the description of which reads a little like a vague undergraduate thesis proposal, will drop in 2019.

Yesterday, Byredo founder Ben Gorham uploaded a post to Instagram announcing the collaboration with the very simple caption: “SCALE.” Ikea, which brought in revenue of €35.1 billion (roughly $39 billion) last year and has a fleet of 340 sprawling stores in 28 countries, definitely offers that to a small brand.

It also seems to be part of a push on Ikea’s part to elevate its offerings and appeal to our love of lifestyle everything by working with cool, high-end brands. Last week, it also announced that it’s working with Off-White designer Virgil Abloh on a furniture line aimed at millennials.