Dear Friend,
Some things arrive exactly when you need them.
Pinehurst — known to those who loved him simply as Pineapple 🍍 — was one of the brightest, most radiant horses I have ever known. His coat glistened, sun-drenched and shining; his presence put you instantly at ease. I have never seen a pineapple emoji the same way since.
He arrived in a season of profound change — motherhood, a return to work, the quiet disorientation of becoming. I was building a career I loved while learning who I was now, and I was a little lost in all the becoming. Those stolen weekends spent riding in the sunshine were the one thing that belonged only to me. With him, finding my way back to myself felt effortless.
In truth, it was never only him. Horses have been the red thread through my life — through early childhood, those awkward teenage years, and every season since. In the saddle, I am the truest form of myself. And therein lies the metaphor. Maison d’Etto was never meant to be about horses. It is about whatever returns you to yourself. For me, it is horses. For you, it may be art or music, ceramics, tennis, a garden, or the open water. Each to their own.
I have held this fragrance in mind since the beginning of Maison d’Etto. Fruit was literally in his name. But “fruity” has always meant sweet — and I didn’t want sweet. I wanted real. So I waited for materials with true depth and nuance, until fruit could be done with realness, a little quirk, and never literally.
Pascal Gaurin, who also composed Noisette, put it beautifully: “I was fascinated by the dichotomy between light and shadow.” Rambutan, blood orange and pink pepper break boldly through the surface, folding into jasmine, rose and geranium. Resinous woods and soft, supple leather anchor the brilliance — the ease of a loose rein, eyes up and heart full.
Pinehurst is the scent of return — the brilliance of being exactly who you are. Effortless confidence, rediscovered. Radiance brushed clean of its dust. A light that, even buried beneath the extremes of life, refuses to go unnoticed.
Because some stories don’t end. They simply find their way back to us when we need them most.
With love and gratitude,
Brianna Lipovsky
Founder, Maison d’Etto
P.S. If you have had a season like that one, I would love to hear about it. Just reply. I read every note.
