“I thought that bringing together two emotional elements, music and perfume, might allow us to offer something of wonderful value. These two ‘arts’ were destined to meet.”
— Tanguy Le Baud, founder of Art Meets Art
Essential Information
Brand name: Art Meets Art, abbreviated A.M.A.
Foundation and full-scale development: Founded in 2017; taken over and led by Tanguy Le Baud in 2022
Founder: Tanguy Le Baud
Headquarters: Paris, France
Official website: artmeetsart.com
The Founder and the Origins of the Brand
A Parisian Raised on the Seine
Tanguy Le Baud is a Parisian through and through, raised on a houseboat on the Seine with views of the Eiffel Tower and the Pont Alexandre III. He discovered the aromas of food as a child and, following an interest in gastronomy, passed through the world of wine before eventually arriving at perfume. In his own words, “Of the five senses, smell is sometimes overlooked, but it is a very important part of living a rich human life.” His love of music also runs deep into childhood. He has continued exploring genres from around the world with curiosity and has also performed as a singer and guitarist.
After graduating from the prestigious business school HEC Paris, Tanguy joined L’Oréal Luxe. Working with brands including Lancôme and Kiehl’s, he gained at least thirteen years of experience in the world of fragrance and learned the ecosystem of the French beauty industry from the inside.
“What If a Great Song Became a Perfume?”: The Birth of an Unconventional Idea
As his career progressed, one question stayed in his mind. “Besides my interest in fragrance, I loved music. Both are emotional worlds. Artists express and communicate emotions through music. The same is true of scent.” This realisation became the starting point for Art Meets Art.
The brand was born in Paris in 2017. Later, after his experience at Lancôme, Tanguy officially took over as CEO in March 2022 and began a new phase of development in earnest.
“J’ai repris l’aventure A.M.A (I have taken over the Art Meets Art adventure). It is a French independent maison that brings together two emotionally rich art forms, perfume and music. We strive to celebrate the beauty of Paris and its way of life.”
— Tanguy Le Baud (LinkedIn, December 2022)
The Challenge of Complex Rights Negotiations
The concept of bringing music and perfume together presents extraordinary difficulties when it comes to commercialisation, because officially using a song title as the name of a perfume requires permission from the copyright holder. Tanguy says that, at the beginning, with no products yet in existence, he simply “kept talking with the passion to create something good.” Those negotiations eventually led to an official collaboration with Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin.”
“These are the world’s first perfumes to officially use the titles of famous songs. It was a difficult step, but there is a sense of achievement.”
— Tanguy Le Baud
Starting with “Like a Virgin,” followed by Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” “Bésame Mucho,” which accompanies a memorable scene in the film Nights of Casablanca, and “Lilac Wine,” known through Jeff Buckley’s voice, the brand officially cleared the rights to each before entrusting the creative work to some of the world’s finest perfumers.
The Criteria for Choosing Songs
Tanguy says he does not choose songs solely according to personal taste. He applies three filters.
- They must be iconic songs with an established cultural standing
- They must have poetic, inspiring titles
- They must be songs that bring a scent to mind
“I wanted perfumes that leave room for inspiration. A good perfume has a beautiful story. And you can project yourself into a good perfume.” This philosophy lies at the heart of the brand.
Exhibiting at Esxence and Expanding Internationally
Art Meets Art exhibits at Esxence, the international artistic perfumery exhibition held in Milan. Tanguy himself travelled to Milan and appeared at the French pavilion during the fourteenth Esxence in 2024. One of the largest niche fragrance events, bringing together more than 360 international brands, the exhibition indicates the position Art Meets Art is seeking in the world of niche perfumery.
What Defines the Brand
Complete Trust in Perfumers
One of Art Meets Art’s most distinctive features is its approach to perfumers. Tanguy maintains that “once I give the perfumer a song along with its world and story, I leave the rest to the professional and allow as much freedom as possible to create the scent.” Both music and fragrance are intangible. He believes that beautiful perfumes emerge when the rich world of a song meets a perfumer’s creativity.
Tanguy explains why the perfumers were drawn to the concept: “They identified with the innovative idea and thought, ‘This is interesting because it is work I have never done before.’ They wanted to try it out of a genuine desire to do so.”
The Concept of “Mojo”
“What is your mojo?” This catchphrase embodies the brand’s philosophy in a few words. “Mojo” is a magical force that lifts you up. The message is to choose perfume as you would a playlist, just as you choose music to suit your mood. The individual mojo assigned to each fragrance, such as “luminous & attractive” for Like a Virgin and “warm & sensual” for Sexual Healing, expresses this philosophy.
A Commitment to Sustainability
As a next-generation niche fragrance brand, Art Meets Art makes sustainability an important pillar. Ninety per cent of the perfume itself consists of naturally derived ingredients, and it prioritises French raw materials to reduce the environmental impact of transport. Plastic is eliminated from packaging and bottles wherever possible. The hotel collection developed with VANITY GROUP in 2024 also uses “OceanBound Material” made from marine plastic waste. All products are vegan and PETA-certified.
The Fragrance Lineup
Art Meets Art’s current perfume range consists of five creations based on officially licensed, internationally famous songs. All products are made in France and are unisex.
Like a Virgin: Perfumer Alberto Morillas
The brand’s signature creation is based on the hit song Madonna released in 1984. Its perfumer, Alberto Morillas, was born in Seville, Spain, in 1950. A master of the perfume world, he has created thousands of fragrances, including CK One for Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Giò and Marc Jacobs’ Daisy.
“For many years I have been fascinated by Madonna’s work and the way she continually reinvents herself. For Like a Virgin, I tried to capture the essence of who she was at that point and the energy surrounding the song and the era.”
— Alberto Morillas
The composition is a clean aquatic floral, with aquatic top notes, a heart of freesia, peony and rose, and a base of musk and amber. Its mojo is “luminous & attractive.”
Like a Virgin Unplugged: Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin
A new interpretation of Like a Virgin, released in 2024. Fabrice Pellegrin of dsm-firmenich approached it through another side of Madonna: her magical ability to captivate hearts and also break them. A gourmand fragrance based on bergamot, Moroccan orange blossom, a milk accord and vanilla, its mojo is “gourmand & addictive.”
Bésame Mucho: Perfumer Christophe Raynaud
An enduring hymn to love, composed in 1941 by the Mexican pianist Consuelo Velázquez at the age of nineteen. This bolero, whose title means “Kiss me much more” in Spanish, is said to be the most-covered Spanish-language song of the twentieth century. Its interpreters include The Beatles, Nat King Cole and Cesária Évora, among countless others. Perfumer Christophe Raynaud is an accomplished creator whose work includes fragrances for Guerlain, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. The perfume was inspired by a provocative scene performed by Sara Montiel in the film Nights of Casablanca (1966).
“My approach to the fragrance was to make a scent that would make its wearer want to embrace and kiss someone.”
— Christophe Raynaud
The notes unfold from a top of blood mandarin, incense and pink pepper to a heart of iris, ambrette and blackcurrant, then a base of black leather, Atlas cedarwood and white sandalwood. Its mojo is “daring & elegant.”
Sexual Healing: Perfumer Christophe Raynaud
Released by Marvin Gaye in 1982, this is one of the most sensual numbers in R&B history. As with Bésame Mucho, Christophe Raynaud created the perfume. It has a warm, lustrous composition, with honey and ginger on top, a heart of tobacco absolute and a base of vanilla and Ambrox. Its mojo is “warm & sensual.”
Lilac Wine: Perfumer Frank Voelkl
Written by composer James Shelton in 1950, the song became known around the world through Jeff Buckley’s cover. Frank Voelkl, the perfumer known for creating Le Labo’s Santal 33, composed the fragrance in sympathy with Buckley’s interpretation.
“Fragrance and music have much in common. We talk about fragrance notes and fragrance accords. We can also talk about themes and melodies within a fragrance.”
— Frank Voelkl
The notes are lavender, violet and plum on top; a cognac accord, clary sage and freesia at the heart; and cedarwood, musk and moss in the base. An aromatic fragrance expressing the elegance of jazz and a pleasant sense of intoxication. Its mojo is “distinguished & mysterious.”
Entering and Expanding in the Japanese Market
The brand first arrived in Japan on November 24, 2023, timed to coincide with the opening of NOSE SHOP Azabudai in Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills. Tanguy has made his hopes for the Japanese market clear, saying, “As in France, Japanese consumers are very sensitive to beautiful things and understand a brand’s philosophy.” The collection is now also available through NOSE SHOP’s online store.
In February 2024, the brand announced a hotel collection in partnership with VANITY GROUP, a worldwide provider of hotel amenities. The first collection, themed around Bésame Mucho, included shower soap and other products in sizes ranging from 380 ml to 30 ml. Art Meets Art is also stocked at the premium Paris perfume boutique Jovoy, steadily increasing its presence within the niche fragrance community.
By the Way…
- To celebrate the release of Art Meets Art’s Like a Virgin Unplugged, a conversation between Jovoy Paris owner François Hénin and Tanguy was published to coincide with France’s Fête de la Musique in 2024, held every year on June 21. It is hard to imagine a more fitting date for a discussion of the two arts of perfume and music.
- The collaboration with VANITY GROUP was announced on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2024. Presenting a hotel collection on Valentine’s Day based on a fragrance named Bésame Mucho (“Kiss me much more”) neatly reflects the brand’s pop-inflected, witty world.
References
- Marie Claire Japon, “That Famous Song Becomes a Perfume: Tanguy on Creating the Much-Talked-About Niche Fragrance Brand Art Meets Art” – https://marieclairejapon.com/beauty/170412/
- Tanguy Le Baud LinkedIn Profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanguylebaud
- The Hotel Magazine, “BESAME MUCHO! FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SCENT OF MUSIC AS ART MEETS ART LAUNCHES HOTEL COLLECTION” – https://thehotelmagazine.co.uk/besame-mucho-fall-in-love-with-the-scent-of-music-as-art-meets-art-launches-hotel-collection/
- NOSE SHOP Blog, “Art Meets Art, Perfumes Collaborating with World-Famous Music, Arrives in Japan for the First Time!” – https://noseshop.jp/blogs/blog/231124-ama-debut
- PR Times, “Art Meets Art, Perfumes Collaborating with World-Famous Music, Makes Its Japanese Debut on Friday, November 24!” – https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000064.000024774.html
- Art Meets Art Official Website, “LIKE A VIRGIN – EDP 50ML” – https://artmeetsart.com/products/like-a-virgin
- Art Meets Art Official Website, “LILAC WINE – EDP 50ML” – https://artmeetsart.com/products/lilac-wine
- Art Meets Art Official Website, “BESAME MUCHO – EDP 50ML” – https://artmeetsart.com/products/besame-mucho
- ÇaFleureBon, “Art Meets Art Like a Virgin Review (Alberto Morillas)” – https://cafleurebon.com/art-meets-art-like-a-virgin-review-alberto-morillas-plus-sprayed-for-the-very-first-time-giveaway/
- ÇaFleureBon, “Art Meets Art Besame Mucho Review (Christophe Raynaud)” – https://cafleurebon.com/art-meets-art-besame-mucho-christophe-raynaud-plus-sexy-leather-giveaway/
- ÇaFleureBon, “Art Meets Art Like a Virgin Unplugged Review (Fabrice Pellegrin)” – https://cafleurebon.com/art-meets-art-like-a-virgin-unplugged-review-fabrice-pellegrin-2024-plus-lucky-star-giveaway/
- Tanguy Le Baud LinkedIn Post (December 2022) – https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tanguylebaud_ama-activity-7005905807670190081-i4lE
- Jovoy Paris Official Website, “Art Meets Art” Page – https://www.jovoyparis.com/en/marques/572-art-meets-art
- be-ecocentric.com, “Sexual Healing – Art Meets Art” – https://www.be-ecocentric.com/s/6141_370332_sexual-healing
- Yahoo! Lifestyle Australia, “Daily Life and Hobbies Infiltrate the World of Artistic Perfumery” – https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/daily-life-hobbies-infiltrate-world-210834720.html
- Jovoy Paris on LinkedIn / YouTube, “ON AIR – Tanguy Le Baud – Art Meets Art” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJJq4SQ0eCk
- Niconico, “Art Meets Art, the Niche Fragrance Brand That Transforms World-Famous Songs into Scent, Exhibits at the French Art de Vivre Exhibition 2025” – https://news.nicovideo.jp/watch/nw17818852
