Designing Penhaligon’s Bayolea Grooming Line
The vision behind the heritage brand’s comprehensive luxury range
With Penhaligon‘s introduction of Bayolea, their most comprehensive men’s luxury grooming line to date, the brand has succeeded twofold. Having tested the entire product range for over a month now, it stands as an effective, enjoyable collection built upon a distinct new scent that’s equal parts masculine, classic and gentle—with mandarin, cardamom, sandalwood and musk all playing prominently. Equally important, however, is the fact that Penhaligon’s took this opportunity to invigorate their branding for the line as well—no small feat considering it holds true to their London origins in 1870.
In speaking with Matthew Huband (Penhaligon’s deeply involved Head of Global Marketing) we were able to gain insight on what it means to introduce something stylish and fresh into a heritage brand. “I work on fragrance and new line concepts, from briefing the perfumer with an idea or an inspiration, through packaging design all the way to how we speak to our customers,” Huband shares with CH. “The package design is often a customer’s first interaction with a product—a visual stimulus which starts a journey. In the case of the Bayolea range, we wanted to reflect our barbershop heritage which can be seen in the typeface and label layout without seeming irrelevant or an out of date anachronism.”
He continues, “The fragrance and the choice of products in the line are classic but modern, the flash of citrus lime green is an unexpected surprise which cuts through the balanced monochrome of the rest of the packaging. If you look closely at the labels, we’ve hidden combs, scissors and razors—a twist of humor which also reflects Penhaligon’s.” Many of the brand’s bestsellers are fragrances carefully constructed over 140 years ago. With every introduction a legacy is at stake. And while maintaining the integrity of the brand can be a challenge, Huband notes, “We’re proud of our British roots and proud of the individuality of our founder, a man who took inspiration from unexpected places and interpreted it into elegant products.” With that, he concludes the perfect balance happens to be keeping one eye on heritage and another on their environment: “This colors everything we produce.”
Check out the entire Penhaligon’s Bayolea range—which includes shave oil, hair and body wash, facial scrub, deodorant, eau de toilette and more—online.
Lead image by Cool Hunting, other images courtesy of Penhaligon’s
