Lola Tillyaeva, Aware of the Importance of Water, Expresses Her Concern in The Droplet

 

Although many people are familiar with Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s work in the perfume industry and her long-running foundation, You Are Not Alone, it might surprise them to learn of her commitment to environmental activism. With her husband, successful businessman Timur Tillyaev, the couple are passionate about raising awareness among the international community about the issue of water scarcity. Lola Karimova knew that getting a hearing in today’s fast-paced, 24-hour society would be challenging. Her solution was both innovative and astute – The Droplet.

 

Standing 12 meters high and bulging to 6 meters at the base, The Droplet is a stylized droplet of water formed from polished aluminum tubing. Part sculpture, part art installation, The Droplet can shroud itself in a fine mist of water vapor to provide a “unique multisensory art installation”.

 

The work of a team headed by artist, Marcos Lutyens and fabricator, Scott Froschauer from the Institute for Art and Olfaction, it turns heads everywhere it goes. This was precisely the point. As Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva put it, “by engaging the participants through sound, smell and touch as well as visually, The Droplet naturally opens the way for discussions on water conservation and management.”

 

Lola Karimova’s project is certainly timely. Though issues like the corona-virus pandemic dominate the headlines, water scarcity is undeniably one of the most significant ongoing challenges facing our planet. As one of the single biggest causes of a diverse suite of problems such as; sanitation, food scarcity, forest fires and habitat loss, water scarcity desperately needs addressing.

Given that it impacts every continent and is expanding at double the rate of the world’s population, it’s a major focus of the UN. In some severe cases, “regions are even reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered,” (https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/). One consequence of this situation can be conflict. Global news reports repeatedly describe how water conflicts are a growing feature of international relations, (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/11/18/whatever-happened-to-the-water-wars). Clearly, it presents an urgent challenge.

Anyone familiar with Lola Tillyaeva’s work in, The Harmonist would not be at all surprised that she feels such a deep affinity for water scarcity. Her maison de parfums is underpinned by the venerable Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui and its profound respect for the Earth’s five elements. Not only that, but her business model demonstrates a deep commitment to ecologically sustainable and minimizing its ecological footprint.

 For example, Lola Tillyaeva insists that, “recyclable materials are used at every possible touchpoint, from perfume bottles and deluxe packaging to the vegetal wax candles,” (https://www.theharmonist.com/pages/philosophy). Also, she includes the option of refills for her entire perfume range. It’s a practice that several of her competitors have copied.

 The Droplet has proved a great success at every stage. Having appeared in cities such as Paris, it has spurred discussion and raised the profile of water scarcity. In this way, Lola Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev have shown a real commitment to, “respecting the environment with every nuance of their activity”.

Beyond that, the pair also demonstrate that it’s possible to implement business best practice without sacrificing ecological sustainability.