What 7 Years at Colette Taught Me About Niche Perfumery

By Marie-Sophie Schaupp — Co-founder of Maison Diaphane

When asked why I created Maison Diaphane, I could talk about perfumes, encounters, or our desire to champion independent brands. However, the answer lies long before the opening of our store in Angers.

It lies in Paris. It lies in the seven years I spent at Colette.

Looking back, I realize that this experience profoundly shaped my vision of niche perfume, luxury, selection, and even what an independent boutique should be. Far more than a job, it was a school. A school of perspective, curiosity, and high standards.

If you wish to understand the foundations of this world, our article "What is niche perfumery?" lays out the essential groundwork for what we champion every day.

Colette: A School of Selection

When I joined Colette after my studies at Atelier Chardon Savard, I didn't yet realize the opportunity this adventure represented. At the time, Colette was already an institution. Visitors from all over the world walked through the doors of this mythical address on Rue Saint-Honoré every day to discover the latest creations in fashion, design, beauty, publishing, and perfumery.

But what struck me most was not the notoriety of the brands present. It was how they were chosen.

At Colette, nothing was left to chance. Every product had its place for a specific reason. Behind every object, there was a story, an intention, a creator, a vision of the world.

Even today, when we meet a new brand for Maison Diaphane, I always ask myself the same question: what does it offer that is different? What emotion does it convey? Why does it deserve its place among the brands we offer? This reflection is directly inherited from those years in Paris.

Discovering Niche Perfume as a Language

It was also at Colette that I discovered another way of understanding perfume. At the time, niche perfumery was still relatively confidential. Some brands now globally recognized were still reserved for a few enthusiasts. I discovered creators who worked on their compositions like works of art. Perfumers who prioritized creative freedom over marketing constraints.

I understood that niche perfume could be much more than a simple beauty accessory. It could become a language. A memory. An emotion. A personal signature.

Some brands I discovered at that time are now part of our selection. Frédéric Malle, who founded the idea of a perfume publishing house in 2000 where the creator signs their composition, perfectly embodies this freedom. Trudon, a candle manufacturer founded in 1643, carries a unique history that few houses can claim. Diptyque and Santa Maria Novella illustrate how the singularity of a house can span decades without ever betraying itself. It is these encounters that forged my conviction that independence and high standards are not mutually exclusive — they reinforce each other.

Maison Diaphane's selection — each bottle chosen for its story

Contrary to some preconceived notions, niche perfume is not just about exclusivity. What truly sets it apart is freedom. The freedom to explore unexpected materials. The freedom to build a strong identity. The freedom not to try to please everyone.

Another Definition of Luxury

Another essential lesson I learned concerns the very notion of luxury. For a long time, luxury was associated with price, rarity, or prestige. However, over the years, I discovered a very different definition.

I saw customers fall in love with a simple notebook because it told them something that resonated with them. I understood that the true value of an object lies not in its price but in the relationship it creates with the person who discovers it.

This vision still influences how I select the products featured at Maison Diaphane. We do not seek to accumulate references. We seek to create a coherent, sincere, and meaningful selection.

Curiosity as a Discipline

My years at Colette also taught me the importance of curiosity. Curiosity was everywhere — in the collections, in the encounters, in the collaborations, in discussions with creators. This permanent openness to novelty taught me never to take things for granted.

In the world of niche perfume, this means continuing to discover, smell, question, and learn. The world of perfumery is constantly evolving. New houses appear. New talents emerge. New sensibilities are expressed. Staying curious has become a necessity.

Listening Above All

But perhaps the most important lesson is that of listening. For seven years, I observed thousands of visitors — enthusiasts, collectors, curious individuals, customers from all over the world. I understood that before offering a product, one had to understand the person in front of them.

In perfume, this reality is even stronger. Some people seek to rediscover a childhood memory. Others want to mark a new chapter in their lives. Some seek comfort. Others wish to assert their personality.

The Maison Diaphane boutique — 11 rue des Lices, Angers

This conviction guides each of our encounters at Maison Diaphane. We do not seek to sell a perfume. We seek to facilitate a discovery. To create an encounter. To enable everyone to find a fragrance that reflects them. This is, moreover, the whole purpose of our Olfactory Diagnosis — a personalized one-hour consultation designed to guide each person toward the perfume that truly suits them.

What Colette Built, What Maison Diaphane Continues

When the Colette adventure ended, I took with me much more than memories. I took a philosophy. A way of looking at brands. A way of understanding objects. A way of approaching niche perfume.

Years later, when Renaud and I imagined Maison Diaphane, these values naturally imposed themselves. We wanted to create a place true to our convictions:

• A boutique where selection would be more important than quantity
• A boutique where independent brands would be chosen for their singularity and not for their notoriety
• A boutique where one would take the time to listen, advise, and share
• A boutique where perfume would regain its emotional dimension

Maison Diaphane — independent niche perfumery, Angers

Maison Diaphane was not born from a marketing plan. It was born from a vision. The vision that the most beautiful discoveries are often the most sincere. The vision that independent brands still have much to tell. The vision that a perfume can sometimes change a day, awaken a memory, or accompany an entire life.

Emotion as a Compass

When I look at the path traveled, I realize how much those seven years at Colette continue to influence each of our decisions. They shaped our high standards. They nourished our curiosity. They reinforced our conviction that niche perfume is above all a matter of emotion.

It is this emotion that we seek to transmit every day through our selection, our advice, and our way of welcoming those who walk through the door of Maison Diaphane.

Because ultimately, the perfumes we never forget are not necessarily the most famous. They are the ones that made us feel something.