"The Droplet": a project to raise environmental awareness and support our beautiful blue planet


In September 2017 The Harmonist maison de parfums launched an innovative environmental project in Paris. According to this up-and-coming company, the project represents a firm commitment to finding much-needed responses to mitigate climate change and hone humanity’s use of the world’s precious water resources.

Inspired by ancient Chinese wisdom that balances the five fundamental elements, The Harmonist’s unique philosophy puts the brand in tune with Mother Nature. Prompted by the urgent questions surrounding climate change, the company resolved to raise awareness through a series of innovative art installations. Envisioned as a ten-year commitment, the main mission of this project is to safeguard the five key elements that underpin not just the philosophy of The Harmonist, but that form the very foundation for all life on Earth: fire, earth, iron, water and wood.

The first installation, The Droplet, is a pavilion which will travel the world as a striking platform for conferences, performances and awareness-raising events spotlighting water issues of global concern.

 With so many urgent problems threatening our precious environment, why the focus on water resources? As the Harmonist points out, increasingly devastating water shortages are affecting many parts of the world and this motivated them to choose water as their first goal because urgent action is required. “Water makes up 70% of our beautiful blue planet,” explains Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva. “It is absolutely vital to all life on earth, and our own bodies depend on it for all our biological functions.”

The simple yet elegant design by artist Marcus Lutyens  - a water droplet – lends the installation a striking visual aspect while other features offer visitors a profound multisensory experience. By engaging all our senses in this way, the Droplet will create a tangible sense of urgency and inspire participants to take action on climate change, custodianship of non-renewable resources, and of course, global warming

Getting to know "The Droplet"


The Droplet will travel the world as the visual centrepiece to conferences, performances and consciousness-raising activities that focus on the many issues surrounding water, global warming and all related topics.

Built out of aluminium tubing, 12m high and 6m wide, the basic structure of The Droplet will be specially tailored to reflect the historical role of water at each venue it visits, bringing local water-related themes to the fore. By engaging four out of our five senses: smell, sight, sound and touch, this installation naturally opens the way for discussions on water conservation and management, a conversation further stimulated by pertinent, tactile quotes by the world's leading climate scientists and experts in the study of water.

Lola Jarimova-Tillyaeva and her vision of success, awareness and harmony

Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva believes that the survival of humans as a species is inextricably linked with the environment. And so as environmental stress mounts, we are increasingly threatened by climate change, global warming and the shortage of natural resources such as water.

She insists we can no longer close our eyes to a problem of such magnitude, a problem so  far-reaching that it is fraying the social, economic and cultural fabric of many countries. This is not just a matter for some regions, it is a matter of global urgency.

As a mother of three, Lola believes it is our responsibility to safeguard the health of our planet for the health of our children. If we do not take bold action now and take care of this planet today, future generations will face a dire inheritance, a planet that may be almost uninhabitable.

The power of art


Art is about communication, about conveying a message in a profound way that resonates with the audience on a deep level. And this makes it the ideal medium for raising awareness. In our simple design – a single drop of water – as well as drawing attention to the fragility of this element, we show the power of the individual as part of the whole, the droplet that represents all water everywhere. After all, an ocean is made of millions of drops united.

The Harmonist and its commitment to the planet

Many know the famous maison de parfums thanks to its quality and unparalleled originality. Perfumer Guillaume Flavigny de Givaudan has successfully explored the subtleties of the five elements, the building blocks of the universe, and harnessed their power to create scents promoting inner and outer balance. Resting on this ancient Chinese philosophy, The Harmonist believes in working with the underlying link between the environment and the human being to achieve perfect harmony. As The Harmonist says :”harmony is the source of beauty.”


Resultado de imagen de the droplet lola karimova


One way to further this harmony is by sponsoring philanthropic causes committed to combating climate change, global warming and water shortages. This new initiative bears all the hallmarks of The Harmonist: a tasteful project combining art, inspiration and nature’s own beauty that brings together top artists and designers from all over the world to balance the five elements that underpin life on earth. The Harmonist believe this message of awareness should reach all corners of the globe so they are prepared to take this travelling project to every city.

Let's experience The Droplet

This striking installation with its urgent environmental message will be exhibited in several prominent locations around the world, each chosen for its unique relation to water. At present, the pavilion is partway through its two-year tour.

The team involved in designing the Droplet pooled a wealth of experience to create an installation that will make an indelible impression. Collaboration with the Institute for Art and Olfaction, which is committed to advancing public, artistic and experimental engagement with scent, has played an important role here.

Each sensation, whether visual, olfactory, audible or tactile, is specially tailored to reflect the historical role water has played at each venue, bringing local water-related themes to the fore to create a unique and profound bond with each participant. 

 In this way, the Droplet will be able to sensitize visitors, showing them how vital our environment is, and how much its survival now depends on us. The organisers believe that through this installation they will succeed not only in raising awareness of water scarcity but also in stimulating discussion on ways to tackle the devastating droughts that are affecting more and more geographical regions of our planet.

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