According to Ernesto Collado, “Smell has more to do with emotion than with intellect and the language of plants is smell.” Having been an actor and director, he is an animated soul who discovered a passion for the plant world of his local surroundings in l’Empordà, a Catalan region in the Northeast corner of Spain.

Thanks to his caring mission, ingredients are no longer silent. In his book, we listen to each ingredient story and understand their unique melody. Spread around the world, this family untold story unfolds.

Germany may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about fragrance, but it turns out the country has a rich history, heritage brands and has contributed a fair amount of innovation to the industry. How does the German approach to fragrance differ from neighboring countries? What do we know about the consumer today? What does the retail landscape look like? How has the market changed in recent times and what could happen in the next few years?

Italy is a reference point for art, culture, film, cuisine, la Dolce Vita and the love of beautiful things. What is much less known, and will be explored in this article, is the importance of Italy to the world of perfumery. Several months ago I wrote about the German approach to fragrance* which was enlightening, and now it is time to put the focus on the Bel Paese, to shed light on a country that has made significant contributions but that has not been in the limelight. To investigate the role Italy has played over many centuries, I sought out several industry experts who kindly provided insight and shared their knowledge on this fascinating topic.

Italy has a rich yet unknown perfume past. The present is flourishing thanks to prime ingredients, artistic creativity, and a wide merchants base. It is no longer shy.

It takes a lot of courage to have principles and take a stand against what you believe is wrong. I had the distinct privilege of speaking anonymously with the owner of a trading company in China who wanted to expose the dark side of the grey and fake market and, specifically, how it can affect artisan fragrances. To understand the context, let’s start with a definition and then some history.

Spanning the globe once again, your intrepid Essencional reporter has made an exceptional discovery in India where avid fragrance lover and collector, Mr. Shishir Mehta, has founded SCENTIDO Niche Perfumery, the premiere experiential niche fragrance destination in India. Leaving the metallurgical engineering field, where he had been heading a testing laboratory for 35 years, Mr. Mehta pivoted to his passion and his long standing love of rare and exclusive niche fragrances, deciding that the time was right to bring these treasures to the Indian consumer. In this exclusive interview with SCENTIDO Marketing Manager Surabhi Popli we’ll explore the story behind this retailer in a market slated for exponential growth in the years to come.

“Fragrance sits like a jewel in its crystal bottle until it is liberated. And this is why the flacon is so important and must be designed with care.” So said perfumer and founder of his eponymous brand Ramon Monegal when I interviewed him earlier this year. Ever since, the thought of fragrance bottle design has been a topic I have wanted to explore further. What are the origins? How has it evolved in the past hundred years? What is the process and how long does it take? Over the past few months as I met individuals deeply involved in the process, I was able to make inquiries into this part of the fragrance universe that had been elusive.

Not that long ago, in the late 20th century, few people in the world knew that being a perfumer was actually a profession, probably because it was a craft taught by the master to the apprentice. It all changed in 1946 with the creation of the first fragrance school, and ever since, more institutions have cropped up teaching not only perfume creation but everything that supports it, from sourcing to evaluation to quality control. Researching the schools and learning about the breadth of job options became a ”who knew that existed” moment. This two-part series takes a deep dive into internal fragrance schools associated with oil houses where future perfumers are trained, as well as accredited institutes where broader offerings prepare students for multiple career paths.

The craft of being a perfumer is surrounded by mystery, glamor and idealized thoughts of a master artisan creating alchemy in his laboratory. In last week’s article it became evident that there is a lot of chemistry, science and repetitive work that is demanded of a nose in this highly specialized field. It takes years to memorize ingredients, to understand how they interact, and to consider supply chain, regulatory and production constraints when creating beautiful fragrances. This week’s article includes a visit to the world renown school, ISIPCA (Institut supérieur international du parfum) and in-depth conversation with IFF about the professional path a perfumer can take.