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Italian perfume brand: Acqua di Parma, designer luxury perfumes since 1916

Acqua di Parma, a timeless success created in 1916 is the reflection of expressive Italian perfumes brand style.

It is much more than an Italian perfume fragrance brand, it is proof of how the sophisticated form can evolve through the years, having a prestigious heritage, history, and values. The future seems more and more promising for this fragrance brand thanks to their secret which is to move forward to the future while keeping the recipes intact.

The Italian style is brought to the international world through aromatic and harmonious notes.

The Favorite Scent of the Stars

Acqua di Parma Colonia – Photo from Acquadiparma

Movie stars, such as Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, David Niven, and CaryGrant, all wore Acqua di Parma’s classic scent. This famous Italian perfume matched their elegance, class, and style.

City of Parma – The 1st factory and the 1st scent

The City of Parma – Photo from Italianbussinesstips

The company opened its first small factory in Parma in 1916 and produced its first scent, Acqua di Parma Colonia.

This was designed to scent the handkerchiefs of elegant Italian men, at first. During the most fashionable era of Hollywood – the thirties to the fifties-this light, woody scent with its tones of lemon and rosemary found its appeal. The other heavier, stronger perfumes on the market, mostly from Germany, began to lose their allure. Acqua di Parma became ‘the classic symbol of Italian elegance.’

The history of Aqua di Parma’s essences

Aqua di Parma collection – Photo from Acquadiparma

Unfortunately, the popularity of this delightful scent began to decline during the sixties and the nineties. It was rescued by three powerful Italian businessmen who all retained a fondness for the classic scent. Those are Luca Montezemolo of Ferrari, Diego Della Vale who owned Tod’s, and Paolo Borgomanero, a shareholder of the lingerie company, La Perla. In Montezemolo’s case, the Acqua di Parma Colonia scent was his father’s favorite.

They kept the famous cylindrical bottles and the bright yellow packaging while introducing many other products. These included candles, linen, an aromatherapy line, and new perfumes. The perfume again became popular with celebrities, such as Sandra  Bullock and Sharon Stone.

Types of perfumes, colognes, and cosmetics from Aqua di Parma

All the products from Aqua di Parma are totally made in Italy by the best craftsmen. Also, they use the highest quality materials and traditional processes. Moreover, those are the demonstration that tradition can be blended with the modern appeal through the right choice of materials and the best manufacture to deliver the final products. Their perfection is based on simple Italian elegance, essential to deliver the best form of generous fragrance.

The aromatherapy line, Blu Mediterraneo, was inspired by the Italian landscape and includes bath oils and perfumes. Like the original perfume, this line is unisex, so the products are suitable gifts for men and women.

In 2001 the company was sold to the extremely large high-end brand company, LMVH, but the Italian perfumes are still hand-distilled in Italy.

Cologne

Similarly, other Acqua di Parma perfumes include the elegant Colonia Assoluta. It is packaged in the company’s signature 1930’s Art Deco bottle, and the evocative Fico di Amalfi, based on the Mediterranean smell of the fig. This is in the Blu Mediterraneo range.

Some years ago Acqua di Parma introduced its first female fragrance, Iris Nobile. At first, this fragrance was created by the company’s ‘nose’, Paola Paganini. Inspired by the beautiful iris garden in Florence where growers compete for various prizes, she decided to base the perfume on this expensive and delicate flower which is the emblem of Florence. She used the common variety, the blue pallid, and the oil from the rhizomes or thickened stems.

These are gathered, dried, and distilled over three years. Catherine di Medici called the scent of the iris, ‘the Queen’s water’, and introduced it to France. Italian Perfumes created from this aristocratic flower have a long history and were very popular in nineteenth-century Italy, so it is good to see that they are back in fashion.

Acqua di Parma products – Sold online and in stores around the world

Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura perfumes collection in 2020 – Photo from Acquadiparma

The company now supplies its toiletries, Italian perfumes, and lavish robes to many luxury hotels and cruise ship lines, such as Silverseas. Its products are sold in stores all over the world, including Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus. These are certainly worth buying for the pleasure of adding a touch of Italian elegance to one’s life!

Moreover, sophisticated rituals and authentic Italian values are expressed in an Italian brand producer. They make products such as fragrances, candles, bathrobes, and leather accessories for men and women. The made-in Italy tag is spread around the world in 43 countries in distributors’ shops or in 11 own fragrance boutiques. Their newest product is called Colonia Futura and it’s a 2020 unisex aromatic citric perfume.

Until nowadays, Acqua di parma has developed a unique style by creating an innovative collection of perfumes and colognes for every taste.

Acqua di Parma boutique in Rome

Acqua di Parma Perfume Shop in Rome – Photo from Cosmeticbussiness

 Since 2020, you can find Acqua di Parma in Italy’s capital city, the beautiful Rome. Rome is the best city to welcome the luxury fragrance brand. The gracious boutique from Piazza di Spagna with it’s brand’s Parma yellow color was designed by architect Patricia Grosdemange and it is made of beautiful interactive composition which help every visitor to find their fragrance.

Featuring contemporary Italian inspiration, the boutique has a large table of fragrances where everyone can choose and test compositions and engrave scents. Men can also have an Italian shave, as they have special settings for this, featuring armchairs and also lounge areas.

Acqua di parma
Acqua di Parma boutique in Rome – Photo from Globalblue

Lisa-Anne Sanderson

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