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Brand Introduction
Alessandro Brun is the brains behind the new Italian niche brand, Milano Fragranze. Does his name ring a bell? Well, if you’re a fan of niche perfumery, you probably know Sig. Brun from his work with the brilliant Italian niche house, Masque Milano. With Milano Fragranze, Sig. Brun set out to showcase the city of Milan. No easy task. After all, Milan is a global city with many facets, spanning modern high-end fashion and design to gothic cathedrals with their striking architectural style a distinct nod to the past. In today’s blog post, I’ll take you through the eight scents in the collection. Each perfume focused on telling the story of one particular place in this historic European city.
The brand kindly sent me a discovery set of their eight perfumes to sample. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been getting to know the scents a little better. The first thing most people may notice about these perfumes is that they are less complex and less distinctive when compared to the Masque Milano range. Undoubtedly, there is an air of familiarity about most of them. That could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. I will say that they are all enjoyable to wear, but there is one particular standout. Not surprisingly, I find it the most offbeat/singular of the collection.
Overview
There’s something for everyone in the lineup. Inspired by the art gallery of the area, Brera is an amalgam of rose and patchouli held together by a leathery saffron accord. It’s spicy, thanks to an injection of chili pepper. Loud and long-lasting. Cortile, which translates to courtyard, aims to capture the aura of a courtyard in Milan at the end of a summer day. Cortile is a non-indolic jasmine scent with a hint of bitter coffee in the background. Soft and discreet. The galbanum green of Derby whisks us off to the Milano racecourse. The touch of suede in the dry down a nod to the horses that grace the track.
A trip to the barbershop is given a subtle twist in Diurno, with the almond effect of amaretto placed over the top of a lavender and herbal heart. I only wish the amaretto had a little more presence. As it is, I’d probably favour Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Cologne over this one. Galleria’s well-balanced fruity leather combo evokes the Salotto di Milano where travelers visited to purchase leather goods and other wares.
For La Prima, a night at the opera comes to life in a fruity floral dance where osmanthus and jasmine sit over the top of an elegant musky vanilla base. I immediately thought of another Italian niche house when I sampled Naviglio. The soapy neroli freshness recalled the Acqua di Parma classic Colonia Essenza. However, it’s even soapier and longer-lasting than the Acqua di Parma. Clean and invigorating, the Marseille soap accord bringing to mind white shirts and carefree blue sky days.
My favourite from the line and the clear standout is Basilica. The incense accord made bright and aromatic thanks to the ingenious use of herbal notes. Thyme and rosemary enveloping the incense before a subtle milky accord introduces a surprising gourmand facet to proceedings. The milky effect is thankfully underplayed, but it adds an intriguing creamy layer to the fresher, aromatic top, while all around, the smoky resins burn. Basilica is an incense that is fresh enough to wear in the summer and would comfortably slot into a smoky summer freshie lineup featuring L’Eau Froide by Serge Lutens and Passage d’Enfer from L’Artisan Parfumeur. Very nicely done.
Final Thoughts
In a time when niche perfumes have became more expensive, Milano Fragranze is a breath of fresh air. Each bottle will set you back 115 Euros (under 200 Australian dollars) for 100ml of perfume. One cannot complain about the presentation, the blue bottles looks fantastic, though I’ve never seen them up close. The informative booklet that comes with the discovery set is most helpful, providing an outline of each scent. Four women perfumers composed the scents. Violaine Collas composed Basilica, Brera, and La Prima. Michelle Moellhausen composed Cortile and Naviglio. Dominique Moellhausen composed Derby and Galleria, and Julie Masse authored Diurno. Overall the fragrances are well formulated but unlikely to challenge. Still, Basilica was a pleasant surprise and certainly a candidate for a full bottle purchase in the future. Thanks again to Milano Fragranze for sending over a discovery set for sampling.
Have you tried this brand? Do you have a favourite?