Acqua di Portofino , recently launched by Francesca Casiraghi, was inspired by the life of this little port, with its authentic charm… and its luxurious sea-resort clientele. The fragrance and its bath-and-body line evoke sea- and sun-bathing, modernity, elegance and seduction. A flight of citrus (tangerine, citron), followed by a heart of local flowers (lavender and pitosforo), and a woody finish (musk, vetiver, patchouli).

As for the Pro Fumum Durante Roma brand, it was born of the desire to transmit emotions, pleasure and sensations from the world of scent. Inspired by Greco-Latin culture, both the calligraphy on its packaging and the very names of its fragrances evoke the empire of the Caesars:Acqua di Sale, Antico Caruso, Acqua e Zucchero, Ambra Aura, Santalum and Victrix.

Laura Tonatto has a gift for bringing historical olfactory creations to life, and also excels at interpreting imaginative concepts. She has elaborated her own line, complete with products for the bath and body, and even for the home, with subtle and varied compositions like Ambrosia, Magnifico, Albi, Plaisir, Sandalo per teti, Rè.

Italy is such an extraordinary source of inspiration that it has even led some foreign designers to elaborate “Made in Italy” style fragrances, inspired by the peninsula’s unique culture. Ambra di Venezia, Agraria and Antica Farmacista are all in fact Anglo-Saxon brands!

Celso Fadelli , president of Herbarium, feels that “niche brands require boutiques dedicated to this type of product, ones that can tell the story behind the perfume, places like ‘ Profumo in Brera’ in Milan, ‘Floris’ on via Pomba in Turin, ‘Elisir’, in the Ponte Vecchio quarter of Florence, and ‘Materozzoli’ in the heart of Rome” .For his part, Silvio Levi, another specialist in this sector, believes that, “The internet has a vital role to play in transmitting information about these minor, but highly artistic markets, as the typical customer for these brands, already accustomed to the web and to new technology, is curious to discover them and find out more .”