The artistic perfumery trends of 2020 in Milan
According to four Milanese boutiques: Zhor, 50ml, Oggioni and Mazzolari
G-Club
December 21st, 2020
December 21st, 2020
As the term itself implies, artistic fragrances are conceived and created for an audience that wants to wear something unique, telling their story through the scent that evokes memories and emotions. In fact, these real works of art turn out to be self-portraits of the owner's personality. Thanks to the use of refined and high quality materials, niche perfumes, unlike traditional perfumery, are designed with the intention of satisfying a personal pleasure and do not care about seasonality or current trends. So where to cultivate this passion if not inside a boutique, a place where a unique sensory experience is offered, enclosed in a bottle: the olfactory path proposed by the experts in the industry is essential, allowing the customer to get oriented more consciously inside this world and to meet their own needs.
The perfumers of four of the best Milanese boutiques know this really well: Zhor, 50ml, Oggioni and Mazzolari. nss G-club interviewed the 4 boutiques to better understand their way of conceiving and explaining a fragrance to the customers, the best-selling fragrances and scents in Milan, and the current situation in the artistic perfumery industry.
ZHOR
The boutique Zhor Parfums (Via Monte Napoleone, 14) is where Eastern and Western worlds meet, a limbo in which the customer is cuddled and accompanied on his/her olfactory journey among fragrances with precious essences, enclosed in bottles that look like jewels.
Packaging is an important part, it represents the first approach that the customer has with fragrances. Even if lovers of niche perfumery rely more on the quality of the fragrance itself, for enthusiasts and collectors the packaging can be an essential part.
Thanks to its charm and its typically oriental hospitality, Zhor takes the customer to places from One Thousand and One Nights: as in a real museum, the customers finds themselves in a marble and precious setting, where they can let themselves go, driven by sensations only.
The refined selection of Italian and oriental fragrances proposed, like Moth and Rabbit, Rajani e Boadicea the Victorious, is presented by the staff of the boutique, who, with great competence, guides the customers to the choice of their own fragrance and help them recalling olfactory memories and pleasant sensations; in fact, according to Zhor's philosophy, scents are strongly linked to emotions. Those who want to approach the world of niche perfumery need to explore, be curious and do constant research.
We have seen a 30/40% increase in artistic perfumery in the last period, because now the customers give greater importance to quality, exclusivity and production.
The trend of the moment in Milan according to Zhor in terms of fragrance/olfactory pyramid?
According to Zhor, the trend the moment is definitely the simplicity of a cuddle, like woody fragrances with a citrus touch or vanilla: if we were to associate a perfume with 2020 it would undoubtedly be a sunny and positive fragrance, with a citrus touch or gourmand, like ZETA by Morph.
50ml
50ml (viale Monte Nero, 16) was born as an e-commerce and later became a boutique: a place with a welcoming, refined aesthetic and an elegant rosy appearance. Fabio and Matteo, as good hosts, follow the customer in a professional way, accompanying them in the search for the fragrance that best represents them and that causes that feeling of wellness that artistic perfumery evokes. The boutique offers a wide range of products including: solutions for body and face, home fragrances, hair care, make-up, characterized by the presence of high quality natural ingredients, and, of course, a selection of artistic perfumery with multiple facets, proposed by brands like Atelier Oblique, Fragonard, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Maison Tahité, Miller et Bertaux and Christan Tortu. Whether they are spicy, delicate, sensual, citrus or floral fragrances, 50ml will satisfy the most refined olfactory needs.
As Fabio and Matteo tell us, the boutique presents a good mix of more popular brands (Diptyque, Aesop) alongside new products with an attractive design, like BYREDO and Vilhelm, positioned in a way that catches the customer's attention: the design of a packaging in fact affects the final judgment of the customer.
It happened to hear this from customers: "I won't buy it because I don't like the bottle".
We also asked if it is correct to state that a specific olfactory pyramid can be associated to different categories of people. According to 50ml, a type of person can be associated with a brand, but not with an olfactory family.
For example, I would associate Alessandro Gualtieri's works with an audience that is more attentive to trends and inserted in the world of fragrances: Seminalis, Duro and Stercus certainly have a specific target. With Black Afgano (a popular fragrance by Nasomatto) the range of customers widens. The same can be told about Creed and its Aventus.
For those who want to get closer and discover this world, the advice of 50ml is to start from the sensation rather than the olfactory notes. As salespeople, they say it is easier and more effective for them to talk about fragrances with an emotional edge, rather than a technical one, more difficult for customers to understand.
It is essential to smell many different fragrances before coming to a decision. And above all, to start with small "travel" formats. Personally, for history and price, I recommend the brand Fragonard for the more classic and Laboratorio Olfattivo for those looking for something with a different twist. For a long time Cozumel was one of the "first fragrances" I recommended and everyone was happy to have it as their first fragrance. - says Matteo.
The trend of the moment in Milan according to 50ml in terms of fragrance/olfactory pyramid?
Although this year there has been less engagement in the boutique than online, the trend of oud of the last decade has been partially left behind, to get closer to something that is more of "a cuddle": the note of "clean" is in great demand and also the note of vanilla (not sweet) is constantly growing also in the male audience.
PROFUMERIA OGGIONI
Oggioni perfumery (Viale Regina Giovanna, 36) was born in Milan on November 27, 1963, becoming over the years a cornerstone of niche perfumery and cosmetics in the city. A story of women, Bruna, Elisabetta and Sara, three generations linked by a passion transmitted from mother to daughter. Oggioni staff accompanies customers in a unique and personalized experience, where the search for high quality products blends tradition and contemporaneity, thanks to a selection of historical and emerging brands like Rhizome and Moth and Rabbit. When displaying the products in the store, the main attention is given to the fragrance, and secondly to the packaging - that in artistic perfumes is always very accurate.
The boutique is the result of the evolutionary process of a creative laboratory that has been able to explore iconic perfumery raw materials, trying to represent them in an original and contemporary way. The main goal of Oggioni perfumery has always been to present a vision of sustainable luxury, meant as respect for the environment and for the person.
According to Oggioni experts, despite the olfactory taste is very personal, it is possible to find some associations between scents and type of person.
For example, a woman with a strong personality wears sensual and sophisticated fragrances like Don't Ask Me Permission by Simone Andreoli or Inavouable by Making Of, a more shy woman falls in love with delicate perfumes like Dolls by Moth and Rabbit or Imperial Poudre by Jehanne Riguad. The fashionable lady is attracted to amber perfumes. The classic man chooses fresh and woody fragrances, while the eclectic man prefers perfumes with more spicy and intriguing notes like Hermann to Mes Cotes by Etat Libre D’orange. As for young people, if the choice of a Montale perfume like Intense Cafè or Roses Musk is almost certain, but also #HASHTAG and Elisir De Bombe by 27 87.
For those who want a first approach to niche perfumery, Oggioni recommends starting with fragrances with a less complex olfactory pyramid, like those of Rhizome. Or, for those who love gourmand perfumes, Maison Tahité is ideal with its captivating and original fragrances.
We also believe that it is simplistic to classify artistic perfumes in female / male, however there are some floral fragrances, which are mainly chosen by a female audience. The artistic perfume is a work of art and reflects the personality of the owner, merging with the person and enhancing their most personal characteristics.
The trend of the moment in Milan according to Oggioni in terms of fragrance/olfactory pyramid?
Nel nostro punto vendita le fragranze più trending al momento sono Silenzio di Simone Andreoli, un profumo intenso e seducente; Ambre 114 di Histoires de Parfums, un ambrato speziato molto intrigante; Veleno Doré di Laurent Mazzone, inebriante essenza calda e speziata. Che dire del 2020... un anno assurdo, che ci piace rappresentare ironicamente con la fragranza di Etat Libre D'Orange, La Fin du Monde. L’ispirazione del profumo viene dal grande schermo, perché quello che stiamo vivendo l’avevamo visto fin'ora solo al cinema.
In our store the most trending fragrances at the moment are Silenzio by Simone Andreoli, an intense and seductive perfume; Ambre 114 by Histoires de Parfums, a very intriguing spicy amber; Veleno Doré by Laurent Mazzone, a hot and spicy essence. What about 2020... a crazy year, which we like to ironically represent with the fragrance by Etat Libre D'Orange, La Fin du Monde. The inspiration for the fragrance comes from cinema, because we have only seen what we are experiencing now in the movies before.
“So what does the end of the world smell like? Popcorn, of course! In the face of a terrible disaster, you can laugh out loud. And if you are terrified of what you see on the screen, your loved one will be happy to hug you”.
MAZZOLARI
Mazzolari, created by Augusto Mazzolari in 1966, after more than 50 years continues to be an undisputed reference on the Italian and international scene of artistic perfumery. Quality, research, and customer focus are the watchwords. The great dedication, talent, respect for tradition and passion for Made in Italy quality are the foundations of the success of this boutique. The locations in Milan are: Corso Monforte, 2; Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 7; Via Luisa Battistotti Sassi, 4; Via Carlo Farini, 73; Course Twenty-two March, 11.
Mazzolari hosts over 90 thousand products of sought-after brands, among which we find the best brands of perfumes, like Omnia Profumi, products for personal care, home care and much more. Furthermore, its staff guarantees customers expert and precise advice, in the context of a jewel boutique that offers the best of Made in Italy in the sector. As Giuseppe Ruffolo, director of Mazzolari, tells us, in fact, the fragrances are selected based on their raw materials, based on the sensations they express. In the moment of selection, the packaging has its importance, but takes a back seat.
For Mazzolari, it is correct to say that an olfactory pyramid can be associated with some categories of people: in this, history reminds us and teaches us that some historical personalities had their own olfactory pyramid. Furthermore, the niche perfume does not necessarily have to be for men / women: it must strike us and stir up new or old emotions in us and express character and personality.
The trend of the moment in Milan according to Mazzolari in terms of fragrance/olfactory pyramid?
It is possible to identify the trend fragrance of the moment: for example in this 2020 in Milan the demand for elegant, sophisticated, warm and enigmatic perfumes has increased, like Baccarat Rouge by Maison Francis Kurkdjian where amber embraces a pungent rose, which warms itself with saffron makes it enigmatic.
