Mary Katrantzou’s crossover to the beauty world brings a delicious candle

Although collaborations between designers and beauty brands are not exactly rare these days the latest partnership, between Rodial and Mary Katrantzou, has been turning a few heads.

The result is a candle – whose scent combines citrus with base notes of orange blossom – which is emblazoned with one of Mary’s signature prints.

The iconic Rodial has a no-nonsense approach to skin-care as an alternative to cosmetic procedures that has earned them a massive celebrity fan base. Couple this with the aesthetic talents of the Greek-born Katrantzou – whose designs have been worn on red carpets across the world ever since her London Fashion Week debut five years ago – and you have a harmonious union of two fashion and beauty giants. Maria Hatzistefanis, Rodial’s founder, sums the candle up well: “the perfect representation of two merging luxury brands.”

Katrantzou skyrocketed to fame after graduating from her MA course at Central St. Martin’s. She soon became internationally renowned for her vibrant and surreal digital prints, picking up numerous accolades on her way. Her latest offering, a Resort 2014 collection (below), is full of magical, strangely coloured landscapes referencing influences spanning from China to the Americas.

The candle’s print was taken from her Spring/Summer 2012 collection (below) – inspired by the age-old debate of “nature versus nurture” – which is just as mesmerising.  Even such a tiny section of pattern looks wonderfully three dimensional, an almost unending contrast between notes of gold and dreamy pastels.

No doubt this collaboration with the beauty world – in particular such a well-respected brand – will help solidify Katrantzou’s place at the top of the fashion strata, all the while giving the rest of us something pretty to put on our desks. You could even use it as a chic little pen holder once the candle’s finished!

Kate Williams

The candle is limited edition, available from September 2013 at Harvey Nichols, Space NK, Harrods and Selfridges, retailing at £35.