Fragrances are adventurous travels, and summer brings along olfactory memories that recall the feeling of carefree days, the scents of the sea, shady woods and starry skies. We meet 46-year-old Mauro Lorenzi, from Rome: a Political Science graduate, a luxury perfume designer, the founder of his namesake brand “Mauro Lorenzi Profumi”, and a professional and amateur globetrotter. Together, we explore the olfactory notes that best interpret our desire for peace, never as craved as at the time we are now living.
Mauro, fragrances are not just aromas, but some sort of olfactory dress that describes our personality. Do you agree?
Unlike commercial fragrances, handmade perfumes (let’s call them niche, selective, artistic perfumes) are more than just a dress to wear, they are like a second skin. A second skin that is part of us, and that is supposed to make us feel confident, as if we were the center of the universe, to strengthen and value our personality. Handmade fragrances can change depending on the person who wears them. Every fragrance is thus as unique as people’s skin. The perfume becomes a peculiar, distinctive characteristic. A personal trait, a way of being that we will almost stop perceiving, but that others will identify us with.
What scents are most frequently used in summer perfumes?
Perfumes that are typically considered as summer fragrances have fruity or citrus, flowery, or sea or iodine base notes. The way I see it, there should be no more genre-based commercial difference between men’s and women’s fragrances, nor a difference between summer and winter perfumes. If we wear a certain fragrance to feel unique, that particular scent makes us feel good no matter the season. We might wear it less in summer, when we dress lighter, and more in winter, when we dress heavier. It is up to us to choose.
Your collections stand out for the pure elements you use, skillfully mixed to create experiences. How do you develop your fragrances?
When I build the olfactory pyramid of a new fragrance (top notes, heart notes, and base notes), I think, feel and live the feelings, emotions and passions that I intend to infuse my perfume with. My fragrances are inspired by my homeland, my city (Rome), and my experiences. There is a long prep work behind them, as I study and check history in order to be able to use elements of it. An extremely complex creative process. For example, if I want my creation to “speak” about a river that I hold especially dear, I research and study all elements of the history and nature of that river, and try to translate them into olfactory elements that I find suitable, and that were meaningful to my experience.
You give your fragrances evocative names, tied to elements that characterize Rome. Your sense of belonging, or a brilliant marketing idea?
Not at all. No marketing is involved in my inspirations. Marketing may follow creativity, but it certainly never precedes it. As I said, for my creations, I try to use a series of elements that are part of me. This is why my fragrances’ names belong to me so deeply.
After the success of your Septimontium collection, inspired by the hills of Ancient Rome, are you working on any new line?
I am working on a new collection that I will launch next February in Milan at Esxence 2021, the selective perfumery show. I am creating seven fragrances, still tied to my homeland, my origins, and my experiences. But I will also be introducing something new as to aesthetics – sophisticated features that I am really proud of: a special packaging that will clearly show how my new perfumes were born. That is all I can say for now.
Good luck, Mauro! We can’t wait to show our readers your new creations for 2021!
