Mad et Len: Scentual Recall

Berlin-based photographer Anne Lass road trips through the mountainous Verdon region of southeast France to visit the ateliers of reclusive perfume makers Mad et Len, tucked away in the picturesque village of Saint Julien du Verdon. Named in homage to the famous madeleine scene in Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, Mad et Len adopt an intimate approach to scent with founders Sandra Fuzier and Alexandre Piffaut naming each product after a memorable aromatic encounter from their global travels, like Russian Leather or Amsterdam Tobacco. Over the past five years the husband and wife team have been reviving contemporary French perfumery by revisiting the practices of traditional apothecaries, experimenting with natural aromas that have been matured for years and hand-blended from the essential oils of spices, woods and flowers until they uncover a scent that they feel reflects real luxury. “It’s quality and rarity we aim for,” explains Aurélie Pineau, Sales Director at Mad et Len. “The calm and serenity of Verdon allows for total freedom in creativity.” On meeting the media-shy founders at their workshop, Lass recalls: “We drove around a lot to explore the landscape, adventurous drives on small paths in the mountains. I wanted to make viewers smell what it smelled like over there: lavender and pine trees.”