Florence, Italy is a city of masterpieces, many of which can be discovered while walking aimlessly through town. The city center is dominated by the Duomo, the Belltower and the Baptistery whose bronze doors, created by Renaissance artist Lorenzo Ghiberti, were called the Gates of Paradise by Michelangelo. On a recent visit to Florence I came upon another gate to paradise in the Borgo Santa Croce when I entered the AquaFlor flagship boutique. This is a paradise for fragrance lovers, a multi-sensory moment of bliss that begins when enticing aromas, a refined décor and a warm welcome greet the visitor upon crossing the threshold. Zisis Kapsalis, fragrance specialist par excellence, guided me on my journey to uncover this precious Florentine treasure.

The luxury brand is experiencing a growth spurt. Sylvie Loday tells us why she is at ease with the competition game and why EX NIHILO 'blue' ambition has no limits.

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.