Luxury brand Le Labo Fragrances sees the launch of the CYPRÈS 21 INDIGO Special Edition Classic Candle on January 5, 2026, a new expression that brings together scent, craft, and cultural heritage.
The inspiration lies in aizome, Japan’s centuries-old tradition of indigo dyeing. Le Labo worked closely with a fifth-generation family atelier dedicated to preserving this demanding craft, where cotton is dyed using fermented Japanese indigo, known as ai, and prepared in wooden casks that have been in use for decades. Each immersion produces nuanced gradients of blue, shaped as much by instinct and experience as by chemistry.
This collaboration has been central to the design of the special edition candle. CYPRÈS 21 INDIGO is presented in a deep blue vessel, paired with a custom gradient label that reflects the tactile beauty and organic variation of indigo dyeing. It feels considered rather than ornamental, a visual echo of a process that values restraint and repetition over novelty.
Deborah Royer, Global Brand President & Creative Director of Le Labo Fragrances, says, “It has been profoundly moving to witness the Japanese craft of indigo dyeing through the intimate tradition of a family workshop— flowing through five generations of hands and hearts, and containing centuries of cultural memory. This special edition of CYPRÈS 21 is our tribute to indigo’s expressive, tactile beauty and a reflection of our deepest commitment to artisanship as a living practice, continually renewed by the unwavering devotion to carry it forward.”
The fragrance itself remains unchanged and unmistakable. CYPRÈS 21 is often described as a retreat in scent form, like a secluded cabin deep in the woods, far from screens and urgency. Bright, resinous cypress rises first, layered with juniper, clove, and star anise, before settling into the warmth of incense and patchouli. It is grounding, atmospheric, and enveloping.
