After Prada's Kolhapuri sandal controversy and Ralph Lauren's jhumka-inspired design debate, another luxury brand has landed in hot water with Indian social media users. This time, the spotlight is on Paris-based fragrance house Diptyque, whose latest limited-edition summer launch has left Indians doing a double take.
Check it out below:
Citronnelle (Lemongrass) Incense | Image Courtesy: Diptyque's website
Diptyque's scented incense spiral under fire
Diptyque unveiled its latest summer limited-edition creation, a lemongrass-scented incense spiral priced at £45 (around ₹5000). While the brand positioned it as a sophisticated outdoor fragrance experience, Indian social media users instantly recognised something else: a mosquito coil.
According to the brand's official website, the Citronnelle Incense comes as a spiral-shaped coil designed to be burned outdoors. The product is infused with notes of lemongrass, verbena, and neroli, and is intended to create a calming atmosphere during warm evenings.
The set includes six scented coils and a decorative stand, with the brand describing it as a fragrant addition to outdoor gatherings and garden spaces.
Visually, however, the product's brown spiral design immediately reminded Indian audiences of traditional mosquito-repellent coils sold across neighbourhood stores for a fraction of the price.
Citronnelle (Lemongrass) Incense | Image Courtesy: Diptyque's website
Desi netizens didn't hold back
The conversation exploded online after fashion watchdog account Diet Sabya shared the product, asking followers whether they would buy it. The comments section quickly transformed into a comedy show. "That's our kachua chhap mosquito coil," one user wrote. Another joked, "fibonacci spiral artisanal incense."
Many users questioned why an object so visually similar to an everyday household product was suddenly being marketed as a luxury lifestyle item. "I love Diptyque but stay in the lane babe. Even our mosquitos won't accept it," read one popular comment. "Where is the Made in India police now?" one commenter asked. Another quipped, "I am going to sell roti tawa to Germans and beedis to the French. I need to pay my bills somehow."
Several users also questioned the lack of any acknowledgment of the product's resemblance to traditional mosquito coils commonly used across India. "Where are the credits to India? They just can't copy our famous pieces," one comment read. Others kept the humour flowing with lines such as, "Ghar ke peeche ration ki dukan pe milta hai" and "Diptyque needs to kindly DIP."
