Glassblowing and perfumery might, at first glance, seem like two art forms with very little in common. But for perfumer Lyn Harris and glassblower Michael Ruh, their creative practices could not be more aligned.
Harris first approached Ruh when she was in the development process for Perfumer H, the niche fragrance house she created after the great success – and eventually, sale – of her previous brand, Miller Harris. From the outset, Harris knew that her newest venture would be dedicated to a singular principle – to create products with an uncompromising and sustainable dedication craft (a vision very much in evidence in the recently opened Perfumer H store in London’s Mayfair).
Inside the process of creating a Perfumer H bottle with Michael Ruh
It was a given Harris would realise that vision through perfumery; after all, she is one of the first female master noses, and is widely recognised as one of the most innovative forces within the craft. But for every other aspect of the brand – from the furniture in the stores to the shopping bags – Harris had to find collaborators who were as skilled and exacting in their practices as she was in hers.
When Harris discovered a glass bottle by Michel Ruh in her house, she knew she knew he would make a perfect collaborator for the product packaging, and Ruh returned the sentiment. ‘When we met Lyn, we realised we share an aligned visual language, and our connection was clear,’ Ruh writes over email. ‘Our first encounter did not focus only on tangible objects, rather there was much about Lyn’s journey of becoming a nose, the structure of perfume and the process of making perfume. We understood that there are numerous shared elements within our individual disciplines, for example, the meticulous attention to detail and acknowledging the importance of letting time pass; not rushing things in order for the objects we each make to be completed.’
Thus began the year-and-a-half process of making bottle samples and searching for a colour palette. ‘The shape of the bottle was defined by Lyn’s language from our conversations,’ says Ruh about the early days of the development process. ‘We wanted to represent a sense of something contemporary but not trendy, something well-chosen and intentional, and something that reflected the history and time involved in creating a perfume. Words such as “apothecary”, “contemporary” “historical” and “scent lab” were some of the creative drivers for developing the bottle.’
After creating a few ‘sketch’ bottles, Ruh and his team were able to hit on a design that felt ‘humane; relatable and reflected the directness of Lyn’s aesthetic and our conversations’ but still had a strong enough presence to stand out in a retail environment. Next, the team worked to find the right colours for each of Perfumer H’s five base scent categories (Amber, Citrus, Fern, Floral, Wood); sniffing samples of the base scents from Harris’ workshop and then selecting scents that reflected the aura of each. Finally, a beautiful ground glass stopper was created for the closure.
The final product remains the signature bottle of the brand. ‘After ten years working together, I feel a beautiful wisdom and confidence in how Michael translates my ideas,’ says Harris. ‘Every piece gives so much pleasure which in turn is like perfume. We both give small tokens of pleasure to our clients which rewards us both so much.’
Ruh echos the sentiment. ‘We are driven by a simple, uncomplicated and straightforward acknowledgement of the material of glass,’ he says. ‘We are impassioned by the mesmerising qualities of molten glass, and the sense of tradition whilst making, and we are captivated by the material as a carrier of light and colour. Glassmaking is a visceral undertaking for us and it seems perfect for us to create vessels for Perfumer H.’
To see the craftsmanship that goes into every one of Ruh’s bottles for Perfumer H watch this exclusive video of Ruh at work in his studio in south London, below.
