‘AURA’ Brought 30 Italian Niche Fragrance Brands To New York

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The smell of bergamot, Sicilian lemons, sandalwood, and palo santo fills the room. It’s surprisingly not overwhelming, but rather transportive, as one can close their eyes and imagine themselves on the coast of Portofino or the rolling hills of Tuscany. But this setting is a little different On Thursday, AURA brought 30 Italian niche perfumeries to the One World Observatory, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. 

The event included a trade preview where buyers met with the perfumeries, hopeful of creating partnerships to carry Italian fragrances in U.S. storefronts. Later, AURA welcomed content creators, distributors, retailers, and professionals to celebrate with a cocktail party. The night welcomed a performance by Joffrey Ballet School Dancers and a sensory installation, Scent in Bloom, presented by Esxence in partnership with the Italian Perfumery Institute. 

The event is the second edition presented by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and Esxence, creating a portrait of artistic perfumery. It’s more than a party, the entire event is a recognition of the importance of the US. market for Italian fragrances. In 2024, the US received approximately 18% of Italy’s perfume exports. This number is growing along with efforts from the ITA to introduce American buyers to niche Italian perfumeries. The event featured a map of Italy, with brands from Naples, Rome, Verona, and Milan. It presented a geographical representation of Italian culture, fragrance, and storytelling. 

The storytelling, details, and spirit of these perfumes is truly what sets them apart. “It’s not only something that you put on your body, but it’s a philosophy of life, a lifestyle,” said Maurizio Cavezalli. 

In Italian, there is the saying: “Il dolce far niente,” or “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Having a drink with a coworker. Greeting an old friend. Sipping a cappuccino in the city square. It’s an essential element of Italian culture. The expression recognizes the importance of small, mundane moments that together create the most beautiful life. Each perfume brand relates to this idea in some way in its conceptualization. 

“We want people to create emotions through smell, through the fragrance, through the story that each of these perfumes tells…because emotions remain in ourselves. We don’t want to spend too many words, just our five senses,” said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian Trade Commissioner. 

L’eau Maliz drew upon the founders’ own love story, from messy nights out to the slow, Sunday morning after. In a similar way, Malva 1979 bottles memories. One scent, “Happy Birthday,” captures the moment one closes their eyes to seal a birthday wish. Giardini di Toscana considers perfumery in another way, attaching a scent to personality. Each scent is designed to be worn as an extension of the self, accompanying the wearer throughout their everyday. 

Storytelling guides the inspiration for many of the brands. Ozmé brought this element into each considered detail. The perfumery designed movie posters along with unique texts to accompany each scent. The stories are so inherently Italian and beautifully considered. Vicolo, for example, is the smell of freshly hung laundry, inspired by Italian alleyways strung with clotheslines. In Astra draws connections between perfume and astrology. “In Astra is looking at the sky from another perspective, listening to the story the stars tell us,” said founder Sofia Bardelli. 

Other brands brought scents from locations across Italy. Ischia Ritual brought alive the small, unknown island of Ischia. It bottled the memory of the island in an effort to ritualize the way of life known to its inhabitants. The bottles are topped with a resin cap in bright, marbled colors. Acqua di Portofino bottled the very essence of the harbor town. Miraculously, it captures the smell of sea air, along with grapefruit, sandalwood, and musk. Gianluca Gariboldi traveled to the Amalfi Coast with the signature citrus, herbs, and cedarwood warmed by the sun. Acqua di Giuletta sought inspiration from Verona, the birthplace of Romeo and Juliet. Zavyla brought together Ireland and Italy with their “Irish Whiskey” fragrance that has tropical top notes and a base of woody accord.

AURA recognizes a breakthrough of Italian perfumery in the U.S. and presents niche brands as a key player in this movement. 

“AURA gives America early access to some of the most original voices in Italian artistic perfumery today. Many of these independent houses are not yet widely available in the U.S. By connecting their vision with fragrance buyers, distributors, editors, and industry leaders, we are creating real opportunities in Italy’s No. 1-ranked fragrance market, the US,” said Giovancarlo.