Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Inspired by idyllic childhood memories, Dezso designer Sara Beltrán has teamed up with floral designer and event producer Sandra Ovando to create a scented candle, Olas. Named after the Spanish word for wave, Olas recalls the saltwater breezes and ultramarine water of Mexican beaches.

“It was like a dream,” says Beltrán of the candle’s creation, which draws from Beltrán and Ovando’s unique backgrounds and marks a singular cornerstone for both brands. A former stylist-turned-accessories designer, Beltrán splits her time between New York and Jaipur, India. She was already a fan of Ovando’s specialty flower shops when the two were introduced through a mutual friend. “Sandra happened to be looking for an artist with whom to collaborate, and it was good timing when she approached me,” Beltrán explains. “I’ve done lifestyle products in the past, including furniture design and glassware, but I wanted to do a candle for a long time, and Sandra didn’t yet have a candle that reflected the beach. I brought the ocean world of Dezso by Sara Beltrán to Ovando.”

Intricately layered with top notes of coconut and labdanum, middle notes of violet and leather, and undertones of vetiver, mysore sandalwood, and oakmoss, the palm soy and coconut wax blend evokes a specific, synesthesia-like nostalgia for the Mexico of the pair’s youth. Each candle burns for 60 hours and is encircled with an authentically-sourced Mexican bracelet from Beltrán’s jewelry collection. “They’re made by a community in Chipas,” Beltrán tells us. “Usually the bracelets have a silver or gold shark tooth, but this special one is made from fluorescent flamingo resin.”

Coinciding with the launch of the Ovando debut fragrance collection, Olas will be available for purchase in select Dezso and Ovando retail partners this April.