Photography: © by Nick Offord
”We’re in the business of bottling up emotions. I hope that people read the label and identify with that sentiment in its simplest form, and then find something deeper to relate to: the juxtaposition between the familiar and the unfamiliar.”
—Ben Gorham, Founder & Creative Director, Byredo
We sat down with the unusual duo Ben & Fenn, a.ka. Ben Gorham, Founder & Creative Director, Byredo and Fenn O’Meally, Film Director to talk about their film collaboration for Mixed Emotions.
Fenn O’Meally:
SLEEK: An overriding sentiment of hope is felt after watching ‘Tall Are The Roots’, but by the same measure, the film is far from an all-out affair of optimism. Would you say that hope for a better future is strengthened or hindered by difficulties of the past?
FOM: I think it really depends on the individual’s approach. I am a huge believer of growth from past failures, I think it’s what makes us all so unique and powerful, but I know that outlook isn’t so easy for all to embody.
SLEEK: Internal conflict is one of the film’s key themes, and all of the protagonists divulge how, at one point in time, their internal conflict was exacerbated by a lack of understanding from the outside world. Why do you think that some people still struggle to grasp the notion of internal conflict?
FOM: I really can’t talk for a whole population, but I do believe that as humans we seam to have this belief that we are meant to have it all figured out and vulnerability is often seen as a weakness. We are so complex that until we acknowledge those weaknesses and see the strength in them, that struggle of grasping the internal conflict will continue to grow.
SLEEK: In one of the film’s monologues, Kai identifies the nuance within the notion of visibility: “we are a generation who speak so much about being seen, and I wonder how many of us truly feel seen”. What do you think it will take to reach a broader and more genuine state of “feeling seen” as opposed to the more tokenistic variant that can be perpetuated.
FOM: Kai also says something so beautiful about the healing power of conversations in the final third of the film. I think we have become, more than ever, hungry for knowledge and education. This desire to learn and understand the many facets of this evolving world is the catalyst for a broader and more genuine state of “feeling seen”.
From race, to gender roles, culture and so on, we are and have been for years, slowly starting to see the power of opening conversations and sharing knowledge – embracing and blossoming with those who converse openly, authentically and intelligently.
Ben Gorham:
SLEEK: With a project like this, you’re bridging the film which is inherently artistic in its medium, aesthetic and subtext with a product, the Mixed Emotions fragrance, which, of course, is tied to the obligations of commerce. Are there any difficulties that come with operating in the space between art and commerce?
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BG: When I create a Byredo product, its never with the primary function of thinking it has to be commercial but rather, I tap into this idea of ‘collective memory’ or ‘collective emotion’ and its therefore about |
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proposing and inspiring, or igniting an emotional memory. Byredo is very much about just putting ideas out there that you feel people can relate to in a genuine way. The way we approach the visual manifestation of a fragrance or a product is also built on this philosophy too and this is exactly how we worked with Fenn. It was very much about a shared trust and belief in the project and I think this why it felt so easy in terms of collaboration. We both had the same goals. |
SLEEK: One of the film’s most memorable lines is when one of the protagonists states that “there are other spaces that I want to disrupt”. In relation to your work at BYREDO, what does this idea of constructive—disruption mean to you?
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BG: When I founded Byredo, it was during a time when fragrances were very much seen as mens and womens fragrances, this was how the industry had set the conversation, which never really made sense to me. I came into the industry as an outsider so in a way this allowed me the freedom to approach the fragrance world in a new way. Its often about creating something I really connect with, a memory or an emotional trigger. I just hope the customer connects with it in some way. |
SLEEK: Both Mixed Emotions and ‘Tall Are The Roots’, emphasise a search for growth within the flux of the various intersections that life offers. Given that we can never stop learning about ourselves, what would you say are the most pertinent moments of self-discovery you’ve experienced over the past year?
BG: For me, the most enlightening and impactful moments of my like has always come from collaboration. Its very much a part of the Byredo philosophy and I am continuously learning from people I meet, people who can do things much better than I could myself and this is why I get excited and inspired when I meet someone like Fenn. To be able to learn from her creativity is a really big part of my self discovery.
How beauty and realities can be shattered and reassembled, to become even richer and more valuable after, that is the question to which there are many answers. In the meantime, we make a home in a place of mixed emotions.
Photography: © by Nick Offord