Interview to LUCA MAFFEI
More and more fashionable, perfume is increasingly present and important in our life.
The primacy belongs once again to Italy, home of fervent creativity and in recent years, home of new and innovative perfumery brands for the person and the environment.
But what does it mean to be a nose?
How to get to this profession?
We met Luca Maffei, one of the youngest and most talented Italian “noses” of last years.
Luca developed an incredible sensitivity from early age: he grew up among perfumes, coming from a family in the sector.
After a training course with Franocis Marin, perfumer and former director of the perfume school of Grasse (Roure – Givaudan), Luca immediately launched into the world of perfumes with enthusiasm and passion.
Many olfactory successes are already credited to him, such as Ferragamo, Onyrico, AccaKappa, Jul et Mad Paris, Carthusia, Houbigant and Cigno Nero Milano.
D. Luca, “nose” is acquired by birth or one become “nose”?
R. Both things, I was lucky to be born in a family that has always worked in this industry, so it was very easy for me to be fascinated by this world and to be extraordinarily attracted to smells. I always knew from an early age that I wanted to be part of the perfumery, over time, it was then the “nose” profession that chose me.
D. I would like to ask you about the importance of made in Italy in niche perfumery. What do you think about?
R. I believe that the concept of made in Italy in perfumery is very important from an artistic point of view. We have a unique way of seeing the world and interpreting beauty in the world. Our country and our culture are an inexhaustible source of ideas and inspirations, which I personally try to put into each of my creations. The made in Italy style in perfumery becomes a unique olfactory signature.
D. Do you think there are tendencies in niche perfumery?
R.Yes, the trends arise from niche perfumery and then spread to the more commercial one. They are born mainly around raw materials, for example for oud, ambroxan or molecules with marked fruity scents. I believe that the next trends will be around natural raw materials extracted with new techniques in order to further enhance their olfactory properties.
D. Which are your inspiration?
R. Anything that surrounds me and stimulates my instincts: going to an exhibition, seeing a movie, trying a starred restaurant... I am an esthete and "beauty" is my greatest inspiration. the world is an inexhaustible source of inspiration just learn to pay attention to smells.
D. Which are the keys for a good product?
R. harmony, creativity and passion
D. In your opinion, what is expected from and Italian product?
R. Style, luxury and creativity. These are the main ingredients that distinguish made in Italy in perfumery, fashion and lifestyle. Those who choose a Made in Italy fragrance have the strong desire for the emotions that belong to us and that make us unique.
D. Are there some materials you like more than others?
R. Yes sure, I love flowers and woody notes, in particular rose and sandalwood are my favorite. I love to play with them in combination with spicies or molecules like cashmeran.
D. Fruity, floral, spicy fragrances…in which olfactory direction are you headed ?
R. I like harmony and simplicity, I'm not for loud fragrances. For this reason I really like flowers for their naturalness and the emotions they transmit, same thing for the woods that always give a lot of enveloping and creaminess. I really like to insert contrasts to give three-dimensionality to the notes.
D. Have you got a smelled dream in your pocket?
R. There are several smells that fascinates me in nature and that could be enclosed in a bottle such as the smell of asphalt, the scent of rain or the scent of a new car.
D. Can you give me a fragrance vision for future?
R. My vision for the future is that of a perfumery that focuses heavily on communication, which can become a vision of the world through smells, thus abandoning provocations and excesses. A direct perfumery capable of moving consumers directly based on the quality of the raw materials and the artistic form with which they are composed. Luca Maffei's nose contributes in several Niche and Co. Fragrances, see them all here
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