Byredo was founded in Stockholm in 2006 by Ben Gorham. Gorham grew up in Sweden with an Indian mother and Canadian father. Growing up, the family moved to the United States and lived in Toronto and New York. After some time in the US, the family moves back to Stockholm and Gorham starts studying at art school.

It is during his time at the school that Gorham has the opportunity to meet the well-known perfumer Pierre Wulff, a meeting that results in Gorham deciding to start creating perfumes as an art student. His goal is to evoke memories through scent. Inspired and guided by two other famous perfumers, Olivia Giacobetti and Jerome Epinette, Gorham decides to found Byredo. The brand quickly becomes known for creating exclusive perfumes and scented candles with unique and unexpected fragrance compositions.

Exclusive fragrances that evoke memories

Ben is fascinated by how scents can make us remember specific events and places in life. The first perfume is created as a creative project from Ben's memory of his father leaving the family when Ben was five years old. He calls the scent 'Green' and it contains green beans, orange and musk. Gorham's goal is to create a stripped down and exclusive scent as a contrast to perfumes that usually contain between 50 to 80 different scents. All perfumes from Byredo thus contain only 5 to 15 fragrances and are created to suit both men and women.

The prestigious Colette store in Paris adds Byredo to its range and sales take off. The collection includes everything from Chembur with Indian influences and Blanche which is light and neutral to the heavy, warm and popular Bal D'Afrique.

Ben Gorham is known for being unique in a traditional industry. He is highly acclaimed for his personal style, which many believe has links to a lifestyle where art and fashion work in symbiosis. Articles about Byredo can be found in fashion magazines such as French Vouge, Vanity Fair and Elle. Byredo's range has expanded over the years and now includes, in addition to exclusive perfumes and scented candles, accessories and interior details in the form of a collection of leather bags and sunglasses. Common to all the designs is that they are stripped down and stylish and that the products are manufactured without a visible logo.