Perfume Odyssey Initiated by La Pyae Apothecary Beginns with a Transformative Voyage
Reborn from a Lifetime of Inspiration: La Pyae Apothecary and Catch Me If I Fall
Kathleen Baird-Murray, the founder of La Pyae Apothecary, has distilled three precious decades of beauty-editing experience into a captivating fragrance line. After nearly a decade of development, La Pyae Apothecary debuted its first scent, Catch Me If I Fall, in late 2024. Collaborating with acclaimed perfumer Frank Voelkl, the mastermind behind cult scents like Santal 33 and You, this perfume is just as exceptional as one might expect.
A Tribute to Burmese Roots
Catch Me If I Fall is the culmination of Baird-Murray's lifelong journey to reconnect with her Burmese heritage. Her initial encounter with Myanmar in 1994, after a 50-year separation, allowed her to reconnect with family members and immerse herself in the country where her Burmese-Irish mother was born.
'I have countless memories of being there,' she remembers. 'The mixture of neon signs, neon-decorated temples next to classical, gold-leaf covered temples, and flower petals threaded together for offerings to the Buddha—these visual references really resonated with me.'
To capture these feelings and experiences, Baird-Murray sent Voelkl a small treasure box filled with personal memorabilia. Inside were sandalwood prayer beads, old family photographs, a childhood memoir, and a book of more recent pictures from one of her trips. This close collaboration resulted in a fresh, evocative perfume that delicately balances floral and musky notes.
La Pyae, the nickname of one of Baird-Murray's relatives, meaning 'full moon' in Burmese, references the name of the fragrance itself. 'It's a love story,' she reveals, "a love story for Burma and a love story for my mum, who's not around anymore. It's for all those people I love, whether they're near or far away."
Timeless Elegance in a Modern Bottle
For La Pyae Apothecary's visual identity, imagery is provided by Maison Racine, with the perfume bottle designed by London-based agency Farrow. The bottle boasts a pleasing weight and tactile ridges, and the cap, made from 100% compostable material, adds a sustainable touch to the luxury product. "I've had a lot of generous assistance from people in the beauty industry in realizing this," Baird-Murray shares.
The front of Catch Me If I Fall features Times New Roman-esque typography in a deep shade of betel red, a flowering plant native to Myanmar. "It's reminiscent of slightly faded paper that has been sitting in a shop window with the sun hitting it," Baird-Murray explains. "I wanted it to evoke a sense of the timeless and classic, as if it had been around for ages."
An Ode to Patience and Persistence
The creation of Catch Me If I Fall may have been a long process. However, for Baird-Murray, every moment was worth the wait. "I used to feel so frustrated that I couldn't bring La Pyae to life," she confesses. "But in the end, it's more than I could have imagined—exactly because I've had to wait."
La Pyae Apothecary and Kathleen Baird-Murray frequently collaborate with key Myanmar charities, such as Medical Action Myanmar, Burma Skincare Initiative, Prospect Burma, The Disaster Emergency Committee, and Community Partners Initiative, to help those affected by the March 2025 Earthquake disaster.
If you're moved by their story and want to learn more or make a donation, please visit the links provided.
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- Drawing inspiration from her Burmese roots, Kathleen Baird-Murray's vision for La Pyae Apothecary's lifestyle brand extends beyond fashion-and-beauty products to encompass home-and-garden and travel experiences, seeking to share the timeless elegance of Myanmar with the world.
- In the process of creating her debut fragrance, Catch Me If I Fall, Kathleen Baird-Murray collaborated with various talented individuals, demonstrating the importance of patience and persistence, as she sought to encapsulate the essence of Myanmar in a modern bottle.
