Acqua di Parma

Emblematic of the “lifestyle” spirit: Acqua di Parma, whose famosa Colonia was born in 1916 in a little laboratory near Parma. Glamorous stars of the 40s and 50s, like Gary Grant, Ava Gardner and Audrey Hepburn, made it famous the world over. The brand has been steadily expanding its universe to home and travel scents, with Home Fragrance (candles, scented objects), Home Collection (bath linens), Travel Collection (leather goods and luggage). Colonia Assoluta (2003), Lavanda, Profumo with more than 300 ingredients, and Iris Nobile (2004) having been added to the original Colonia range and its bath and body line. Lest we forget, the excellent men’s shaving range, launched in 2005, Collezione Barbiere, reflects true Latin luxury, with refined materials like smoky metal, amber glass, wenge wood and unpolished brass.

TIMELESS COLOGNES

“Colognes” have stood the test of time, and Italy is a paradise for these fresh Eaux, with their invigorating qualities. Created in 1871 by Luigi Cantono, La Colonia Acqua di Biella expresses the fabulous properties of the water in the splendid mountain streams of Biella, combined with an airy fragrance of Alpine flowers and an exuberant one of Mediterranean flora. All in all, a Cologne with a unique, pure character, it has conquered the worlds of the aristocracy, culture and the arts.

In 1878, the manufacturer became the official supplier to the Royal House ofSavoy, and production has continued uninterrupted for over a century. The fourth generation of the Cantono family, which still owns the business, aims both to maintain tradition and to innovate, by creating new fragrances which, like their predecessor, evoke “fragments of emotions”. After the unisex Baraja (2002), Janca (2004), for women, bears the name of another splendid mountain stream near Biella, and pays homage to the town’s sumptuous parks and gardens. Their new men’s scent, Bursch (2005), named for a valley in the area, expresses both a deeply rooted concern for quality of life, and a contemporary sensibility. Another famous Eau, Acqua di Genova, was, as perfume historian Silvio Levi explains, “created in 1853 by Stefano Frecceri, perfumer to the House of Savoy; it received 24 gold medals at international fairs between 1855 and 1898”.

Acqua di biella