Who founded Diptyque?

The Diptyque Maison was founded by three friends with the same creative passion. Christiane Gautrot, Desmond Knox-Leet and Yves Coueslant were all interdisciplinary artists with backgrounds in architecture, theatre and painting.

They opened their first boutique together in 1961, at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris, an altogether unique location where they exhibited and sold their creations, the things they loved, pieces they had brought to light and bargain-hunted. And so Diptyque was born. Yves would be the administrator and advisor, Desmond and Christiane the artistic heart and soul of the firm. Gradually, and with a very keen sense of taste, the trio transformed the space into a unique venue, a sort of chic bazaar where you’d find a whole host of unusual pieces, all unique to Paris and found on their travels. The boutique at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain is still there, with the company’s precious archives now housed on the upper floor, which continue to provide sources of inspiration for our creative teams.

If you'd like to know more, you can take a peak behind the scenes at Diptyque.