In 1709, a 24-year-old Johann Maria Farina created what would become the world’s first Eau de Cologne, laying the foundation for a family business that would survive more than three centuries.

Today, another young Farina is writing the next chapter. At 26, Louise Farina is the ninth generation of her family to carry the name forward - and the first woman in the direct family succession to lead the company. A trained perfumer, she is navigating the very modern challenges of running a heritage house while protecting the values that have endured since 1709.

The parallels are striking: two young perfumers, separated by over three centuries, leaving their mark on the same fragrance house at remarkably similar ages. Johann Maria founded the company, Louise is his heir apparent, the first woman to take her place openly at the helm.

Earlier this year I was invited to Cologne at the time of the launch of the new Série Extrait de Cologne collection, to tour the Farina museum and to meet Louise. Our interview is the first in this year’s October series dedicated to Women in the Fragrance Industry.

THE LEGACY: 300 Years. And counting.

For people who have never heard of Farina, what's the first thing you want them to understand?

There are actually three things that are the essence of who we are.

First of all, Farina is the world's oldest perfume house, founded in 1709. We respect and revere our heritage, and we recognize that it affords us a considerable advantage in the market.

Secondly, we are the inventors of the original Eau de Cologne, an innovation that changed perfumery forever. It’s the foundation of our 300+ year-old legacy which lives on today in what we are doing and how we are continuously looking to be innovative.

And thirdly, we are still a family owned business after nine generations. This is very important because it shows how we work, and how we think. We are not short sighted, we are really trying to do things that last for centuries. I want to create fragrances that will become classics.

How do you convince someone that heritage still matters?

You don’t and I'm not trying to convince anyone. I think in a sense that the people who care are going to find us. With our marketing, we want to show people that we exist and that we have this heritage. I have seen people get very emotional and excited when they hear the stories and when they see the product. I love to talk to clients and see how touched they become.

How do you tell a 300-year-old story in a way that resonates on Instagram or TikTok?

It's quite challenging especially because the formats young generations are watching are very short. It’s impossible to put 300 years of history into a one minute video! So the content needs to be simple and digestible - we can't overcomplicate things. But at the same time, we are lucky because everyone is looking for content and for stories to tell. We have so many; I will never have a problem with that!

THE TRAILBLAZER: The Woman Who Inherited it All.

You're the first woman in the direct family succession to lead Farina. What does that milestone mean to you personally?

It’s a huge responsibility. There have been women who have shaped the company and our history, but they could never be recognized at the time. It wasn’t something women would be doing. 200 years ago, the fourth generation Johann Maria Farina died very young, so his wife took over until her sons were old enough to step in. She didn't get any recognition for it.

I remember when my grandmother went on business trips for the company she told her friends she was going on vacation because even then it was strange for a woman to work, especially when her husband was the business owner.

Now we’re in a time that’s much more open to women being in charge, where I can show my face and show that I am doing the actual work.

You aren't just protecting a family business - you are protecting a piece of perfume history. How does that responsibility influence your daily decisions?

Yes, it's exactly like this!

I think it means looking at the long-term, which sometimes I find easier. I think about how decisions and strategies will affect our company in 10 years, or 20 years, or even for the next generation. I don’t make decisions based on what I think will have the biggest payback in three or 6 months, especially when it comes to branding and positioning: these are essential to how your product looks, to where it goes and to who eventually wears it.

We’re not after one-time buys to make quick money: we want to build relationships with our clients and build their trust. We never compromise on quality, our customers know that and it’s why they’re loyal. They are the best marketing we could possibly have. My father would always tell me, “You always need to start with the product, the quality is the reason why people come back.”

One of my favorite items in our museum is a letter written in Italian where Johann Maria Farina writes to his bergamot suppliers, insisting on quality: “No ordinary essences for me, only the best quality.” This philosophy dates back to the 18th century, and it is still a guiding principle in how we work today.

Most entrepreneurs dream of building a legacy. You inherited one. Does that feel more inspiring or more intimidating?

To be honest, it's a big source of inspiration for me though, of course, sometimes I do find it intimidating. I always think of our whole archive, of the history, the people who worked in the company for the last 317 years. I try to focus on how many treasures are hidden in there, to bring them to light so they can carry us into the future.

What perspective do you think you bring that previous generations couldn't?

I think it's that I am more approachable, more open and more transparent.

In the past it was more common not to show behind-the-scenes processes, to think that keeping things secret and hidden increased the value. The approach that I'm taking now is to show how we develop our fragrances, what is the back story, where are we sourcing our ingredients, which fairs am I attending, and so on. I think it corresponds very well with modern consumers who are curious. They want to understand where things come from and how they’re made which brings them closer to the brand and helps them understand the craftsmanship that we put into everything we do.

THE CREATIVE DNA: What would Johann Maria Think?

Now let’s talk about the new Série Extrait de Cologne. What was the reference point and how do you create a new collection that still "feels like Farina"?

Série Extrait de Cologne has a dual spirit. Firstly, it’s an homage to the original Cologne that changed fragrance history by creating a new olfactory genre with the first recorded use of bergamot in perfumery.

Secondly, it reinterprets that legacy for today’s audiences through a higher concentration format, drawing on the key ingredients of the original Eau de Cologne like bergamot, mandarin, and neroli. Each creation tells a different chapter in Farina's 300 year story - hence the name Série. The name is in French to reflect Farina's close ties with France as a former supplier to the Court of Versailles and Napoleon, while Cologne was under French rule during a formative period for the brand.

The creative side of this work is something I truly love. With the Série Extrait de Cologne, I wanted to create something that carries my own handwriting while still honouring our heritage. I brought in Nicola Pozzani as creative director for this project, and together with a small team of perfumers we tested each fragrance hundreds of times over two years: smelling, adjusting, smelling again, until every extrait felt right. In many ways, it's the original Eau de Cologne decomposed, with the six core essences each reimagined as a modern fragrance portrait. It is a dialogue between generations, connecting Farina’s centuries-old traditions with a new expression of its olfactory identity.

Since the beginning our fragrances were created to bring joy and happiness, to bring pleasure to the person wearing them. That’s in our DNA and it should never change.

What would Johan Maria Farina think about the new extrait collection?

I think he'd be proud to see that we still use his original work as a point of departure to create something modern. He would probably be very jealous of the access we have to oils and ingredients, including synthetics. He might be a little bit shocked by the gourmand twist, but sometimes a little bit of conflict is good.

If he walked into the company today, what do you think would shock him the most?

Probably the amount of people that are in the shop, because in his day, buying perfume was a one-on-one consultation. And it was expensive! Only aristocratic people could wear it – it was the price of a yearly salary for a government worker.

THE ANTI-TREND: Don’t Chase the Trend.

Fragrance has become incredibly trend-driven. How do you compete in a market that's always chasing the next viral scent?

I think we compete by not trying to compete. Our product is completely different from the overpowering, projecting scents on the market today. Our fragrances accompany you like a friend walking beside you.

Is there anything in today's fragrance market that concerns you?

Yes, of course. We are in a very tough market and yet so many people are starting brands, and then the next year they can be gone. There are many beautiful modern brands and there are also brands who don't really have a heritage, but who are trying to pretend that they do. We know, for example, that Napoleon used two bottles of the original Eau de Cologne every day: we have the historical proof, and that builds trust. We have a big list of famous clients including Goethe, Empress Sissi, Napoleon, Queen Victoria and Beethoven. We have the orders to prove it. When brands try to fool the consumer by sometimes claiming things that are simply not true, it jeopardizes the trust for the industry.

THE NEXT 300 YEARS: Her Turn to Leave a Mark.

If someone walked through your headquarters with you, what would you be most excited to show them?

It would be the atelier which opened in July 2025. It was the first project, together with the candle, that I worked on. It’s a splendid example of how we are respecting the past while building the future as we find ways to appeal to the modern customer. In a sense, the atelier is my answer to the museum, which is beautiful, attracting over 30,000 visitors every year: it’s a place where people see, listen and smell. They can create their own fragrance in the birthplace of where it all began over 300 years ago.

Every generation inherits Farina, but every generation also leaves its fingerprint. What do you hope yours will be?

I sometimes see myself as the custodian or caretaker of the brand, and I want to stay close to our roots. Our beauty is in simplicity – in our products, in our packaging, in our messaging. We put so much love, dedication and preciseness into what we produce, that I want to protect it. We will continue to grow, but at a measured pace where we can guarantee that we are always presented in the right way with care.

For Louise Farina, the challenge is not simply to preserve a remarkable history, but to ensure that it remains relevant for generations to come. Her approach is refreshingly clear: protect the essence, embrace the future, and never compromise on quality. At Farina, the past may be 317 years old, but its next chapter is only just beginning.