Anyone who grew up in Pakistan has a memory of mosquito coils. The thin, spiral discs burned every night, filling rooms with a weird smell. They cost next to nothing, worked just fine and nobody ever thought to put them in luxury packaging till Diptyque Paris announced doing the same.
The French fragrance house has launched its limited-edition Citronelle Incense scented spirals and if you were wondering what a pack of six coils looks like with a designer label slapped on it, the answer is Rs15,000.
Each coil works out to roughly $11, or Rs3,067. The stand, in an act of generosity, is free.
The spirals come in packs of three interlocked pairs, brown, with the brand’s signature snake head in the centre. Each weighs 12 grams. A golden coil holder is included in the box though customers are advised to handle the separation carefully, which is perhaps the most relatable mosquito coil instruction ever written.
Diptyque describes the experience of burning one as lemongrass wisps escaping into the air, the spiral releasing “relaxing notes recalling the peaceful air of a water garden” and its “fresh, herbaceous scent” creating “an outdoor oasis” and “a serene cocoon”.
Customers are also warned not to inhale the smoke directly which, for anyone who has spent a summer night in Lahore or Karachi, sounds very familiar.
For those still not satisfied with spending Rs15,000 on pest control, Diptyque also offers an enameled porcelain incense holder for $183 around Rs51,000.
For context: a pack of ten regular coils costs about Rs90.
This is not a new phenomenon either. Foreign brands have a history of lifting everyday South Asian products, repackaging them with European branding and charging accordingly. Prada’s Kolhapuris, Christian Louboutin’s Peshawari Chappals and Zara’s $90 lungis are a few examples.
