Maison Matine: More Freedom in Fragrance

メゾン マティンの世界観と香水「Avant l’Orage 50ml」を表現したブランドイメージ

“Maison Matine occupies a unique position as a brand. It stands apart from conventional perfume brands whose themes are seduction, power and success. Put simply, Maison Matine is about creativity, commitment and generosity. We draw inspiration from everyday experiences and emotions.”

— Marie Kellou, co-founder / creative director

Basic Information

The Founders and the Origins of the Brand

How They Met: A Creative Agency in Paris

Any account of Maison Matine must begin with the backgrounds of its two founders, Marie Kellou and Arthur Ponroy.

Marie Kellou comes from Grasse in southern France. Known worldwide as the “capital of perfume,” this hill town, where roses, jasmine and tuberose flourish, remains home to long-established perfumeries such as Galimard and Fragonard and has nurtured many perfumers, or “noses” (nez). Kellou is said to have grown up in this fragrant environment from childhood, so perhaps her connection with scent can be described as deep-rooted from birth.

For Arthur Ponroy, too, perfume is deeply woven into his personal history. His father, Thibault Ponroy, served as CEO of the great house Guerlain from 1997 to 2002, then as director general of Marionnaud International, before becoming managing partner of the Paris creative agency Centdegrés in 2009. With a father who worked at the top of the perfume industry, the business and branding of luxury fragrance must have been familiar topics to Arthur from childhood.

Arthur himself worked as a strategic planner at the Paris creative agency centdegres for three years, from 2015 to 2018. It was during this period that he and Marie met as colleagues at the same agency.

A Realization at the Creative Agency

As they worked together at the Paris creative agency, the pair began to notice something.

Looking across the marketing campaigns for the luxury fragrance brands they worked with, almost all revolved around the same themes: “seduction,” “power” and “success.” Lavish visuals, sensual imagery and messaging sometimes rooted in rigid gender norms were simply the accepted way of doing things in luxury perfume.

To them, however, that convention seemed outdated. At a time when respect for diversity and individuality was coming to the fore, they felt uneasy about continuing to sell old-fashioned opulence and stereotypes. If they were to launch a perfume brand, they would have to tell an entirely different story. That conviction began to take shape.

The Origin Story of a Forced “Change of Direction”

The brand’s history on its official website includes an unusual self-introduction. The entry for 2019 reads:

“GOODBYE PRESIDENT! Marie and Arthur, working as a duo in a creative agency, were two people with HPF (High Potential for Laziness) who spoke a little too freely and found themselves ‘redirected’ toward a new professional activity. Maison Matine was born: toward a freer, more relaxed and more creative world of perfume!”

The precise meaning behind this humorous account cannot be established in detail from public information. What is certain, however, is that the pair left their agency and launched Maison Matine in 2019, investing around $100,000 of their own money at the time. In capital terms, it was an entirely self-funded start.

Through the Pandemic: A Test and a Leap Forward

In 2020, not long after the company’s founding, the world was struck by the pandemic. At a time when many businesses were forced into silence, Maison Matine centered its approach on a D2C (direct-to-consumer) model and maintained contact with consumers by partnering with the monthly subscription beauty box Blissim to provide samples.

“Maison Matine found immediate success during this gloomy period. By offering positive, playful products, we were able to win our first customers.”

— Marie Kellou

During the pandemic, the brand also made another statement of intent. An initiative was reported in which all its April 2020 profits would be donated to the French aid organization Secours Populaire. The organization itself also referred to its partnership with Maison Matine in April 2020. It was a moment when a brand that championed “creativity” and “commitment” expressed those principles through action.

The Course of Its Growth

Maison Matine’s subsequent development was remarkable. In 2020, it formally launched the Origine collection at Sens Unique in Paris. In 2022, an approach from the major American retail chain Anthropologie brought it into the US market and into 150 stores. In 2023, a partnership with the brand-management company About-Beauty also helped it expand into independent US lifestyle stores and four Urban Outfitters locations.

In a 2024 interview with Beauty Independent, the brand reported having surpassed $6 million in retail sales (approximately ¥900 million) around five years after launch, and was aiming to reach $10 million in 2024. It now has at least 1,000 points of sale in 27 countries, with stockists including Galeries Lafayette, Merci, Printemps, Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Japan’s Nose Shop.

What Defines the Brand

Philosophy: Free-Spirited Perfume without Opulence

Maison Matine’s philosophy is distilled into the phrase “FINIS L’OPULENCE ET LE SEXISME, PLACE À LA SIMPLICITÉ ET LA DIVERSITÉ!” (“No more opulence and sexism. Make way for simplicity and diversity!”).

Rejecting the language of “seduction,” “power” and “success” that long dominated luxury perfume, it instead puts “creativity, commitment and generosity” at the center. It makes unisex fragrances for people regardless of gender, age or nationality, with an approach so welcoming that its intended age range is “15 to 70.”

It also emphasizes accessibility in pricing. At the time of the US reporting in 2024, prices of $85 for 50 ml and $35 for 15 ml placed it at a relatively approachable level for niche fragrance.

Perfumery: Collaborating with a New Generation of Perfumers

Maison Matine’s scents are not the work of a single “superstar perfumer.” Kellou and Ponroy deliberately chose to work with “rising stars.” Their main collaborators are young perfumers at Firmenich, one of the world’s largest fragrance companies.

The following are listed among the main perfumers currently involved with Maison Matine:

  • Bérénice Watteau: Inspired by Surrealism, she gives fragrance shape and three-dimensionality
  • Elise Benat: Creates authentic, surprising scents from travel, museums and conversation
  • Fabrice Pellegrin: A veteran whose motto is “carpe diem”
  • Adilson Rato: An adventure lover from Brazil
  • Ane Ayo: Draws inspiration from travel, especially Japan, combining design and perfume
  • Laurent Marrone: Carries the smell of roasting coffee as a childhood memory
  • Philippine Courtière: An independent, curious person who loves sport, gastronomy, reading and art

Having different perfumers take responsibility for different fragrances embodies the brand’s collective approach to creativity.

Bottles and Packaging: Collaborations with Women Artists

Maison Matine’s bottles are distinguished by vivid illustrations on clear glass. These are created by a team of international women artists:

  • Perrine Honoré: Responsible for Lost in Translation, among other designs
  • Mathilde Purseigle: Responsible for Nature Insolente, among other designs
  • Nakamura Kyoko: Responsible for Arashi No Umi, among other designs
  • Charline Dajean and Caroline Gibaut also participate

Each bottle visually expresses the scene or concept evoked by its fragrance. For example, Lost in Translation depicts a fantastical scene in which a figure with flaming hair gazes into the distance amid a jumble of palm trees, comets and dinosaurs. Nature Insolente features a beetle as a symbol of eternity and adaptation.

The same care extends to packaging materials. Outer boxes are made from recycled cardboard, and cellophane wrapping has been eliminated. Bottle caps use recycled material made from cork and synthetic rubber, with zero plastic set as a goal. Attention to materials is evident throughout: the perfumes use a wheat-alcohol base derived from organic farming, while the soaps contain olive and coconut oils.

This awareness of sustainability extends to shipping packaging for e-commerce. Kellou says:

“We chose Wool Envelopes to strengthen the brand’s sustainability image and improve the customer experience. Packaging used in e-commerce is the customer’s first point of contact with Maison Matine.”

— Marie Kellou

Charitable Activities: A Donation for Every Bottle Sold

Maison Matine has also been described as operating a scheme that donates €1 for every product sold to a charity matched to the theme of that perfume. However, this amount and the conditions for its continuation cannot be confirmed on the current official pages. The recipient organization is linked to the perfume’s source of inspiration, an attempt to give concrete expression to the brand’s spirit of “commitment” and “generosity.”

The Fragrance Lineup

Here we introduce four collections Maison Matine has released to date: Origine, Refresh, Voyager and Night Fever.

Origine Collection: Six Fragrances Capturing the World Today

The first collection, formally launched at Sens Unique in Paris in 2020. With the idea of “bottling moments from everyday life,” its six perfumes capture different facets of an open world, including travel, contradiction and curiosity.

  • Avant l’Orage: The moment of stillness before a storm. Pink pepper, jasmine, vanilla and sandalwood
  • Esprit de Contradiction: Spicy citrus. Mandarin, black pepper, coriander, ginger, ylang-ylang and sage. Perfumer: Christian Vermorel
  • Into the Wild: Perfumer: Adilson Rato
  • Warni Warni: Meaning “come, come along” in the Arabic-speaking world. Evokes creamy tea. Perfumer: Elise Benat
  • Hasard Bazar: “A bazaar of chance”
  • Bain de Midi: Bathing in the warmth of the midday sun

Refresh Collection: Three Fragrances for the Emotions of the Pandemic

A collection of three fragrances expressing the emotional experience of pandemic restrictions, recovery and the return to everyday life.

  • Nature Insolente: The strength and resilience of nature. Citrus-green. Perfumer: Philippine Courtière. Illustration: Mathilde Purseigle
  • Poom Poom: The joy of living. Fruity floral. Perfumer: Rémi Barbier
  • Lost in Translation: The feeling of being lost, and new beginnings. Woody, spicy and aquatic. Perfumer: Laurent Marrone

Voyager Collection: Three Fragrances of Curiosity and Travel

A collection with a global outlook, embodying the co-founders’ adventurous spirit.

  • Tu te Calmes: Meaning “calm down.” Perfumer: Bérénice Watteau
  • Arashi No Umi: Japanese for “stormy sea.” Green apple, freesia, peach, jasmine and Damask rose. Perfumer: Bérénice Watteau. Illustration: Nakamura Kyoko
  • Ukhu Pacha: “The inner world” in the language of the ancient Incas. Bergamot, salty notes, sea spray, Venezuelan tonka bean, jasmine, tuberose and driftwood. Perfumer: Marine Mercé

Night Fever Collection: Five Fragrances Portraying the World of Night

A night-themed collection introduced in late 2025. Whereas Origine, Refresh and Voyager were all “daytime” scents, this was the first collection to take “night” as its theme. All five eaux de parfum are offered in 100 ml sizes.

  • Shifumi: Grapefruit, orange blossom and white musk. Perfumer: Marine Mercé
  • Faire le Mur: Pear, jasmine and patchouli. Perfumers: Ilias Ermenidis and Hamid Merati Kashani
  • Bain de Minuit: Cherry, monoi and vanilla. Evokes a midnight swim. Perfumer: Bérénice Watteau
  • Disco Inferno: Rose, frangipani and oud. Perfumer: Marine Mercé
  • Un Jour sans Fin: Meaning “a day without end.” Pistachio, orange blossom and vanilla. Perfumer: Marine Mercé

Incidentally…

  • The brand’s official “History” page has a tradition of presenting each year’s milestones with playful copy. Entries such as “HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM” for 2022 and “PRODUCTIVE HOLIDAYS” for 2024 maintain a humorous approach to serious business developments.
  • Alongside describing himself as “Brand Manager & CoFounder” on his LinkedIn profile, Arthur Ponroy also adds the unusual title “Mascotte du projet” (“project mascot”). Marie Kellou, meanwhile, is described as “Coach de l’équipe” (“team coach”).
  • The official website offers two explanations for the origin of the name “Matine.” Its FAQ and other pages explain that it “derives from the Latin mutare, to change or transform, and embodies a desire for change,” while another explanation describes it as a coined word combining “mutine” (“rebellion”) and “matin” (“morning”). These somewhat contradictory interpretations might themselves be said to embody the brand’s free spirit.
References