With thousands of fragrances on the market, how to capture the senses? For fashion house Fendi, which launched a complete set of perfumes this month, it wasn’t about bottling just one moment, but seven. The seven-piece range, which aims to pay tribute to the company’s history (it’ll celebrate its centenary next year) and key members of the extended Fendi clan, from the founder to its new generations, includes scents such as Perché No, with notes of sandalwood and pink pepper, as well as Casa Grande, combining leather and vanilla.
One of Italy’s oldest fashion dynasties, the storied fashion house is well-versed in selling a lifestyle – it’s Rome, it’s leather, it’s the Baguette. How to encapsulate that in a series of scents? Go back to the beginning – la famiglia. Each smell is inspired by a different member of the well-heeled brood: the matriarch, Adele Casagrande Fendi, who founded the label in 1925; her daughter Anna; her grand-daughter Silvia, the current artistic director of accessories and menswear; and Silvia’s two daughters Leonetta and Delfina; Delfina’s twins, Tazio and Dardo; and honorary family member and British designer Kim Jones, the fashion house’s artistic director.
Delfina, fourth-generation member of the dynasty, is dressed in an off-the-shoulder knitted blue Fendi dress with cat’s-eye white sunglasses when we meet on the rooftop of Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, Fendi’s Roman headquarters. Her eyes are rimmed with metallic blue liner and, on one ear, a cascading drop-diamond cuff nods to her reputation as one of the most exciting jewellery designers of the moment.
By both name and nature, Delfina is fashion; she walked in her first Fendi show aged five and grew up in and out of the studio. ‘When you are born and raised in such a family, there is no distinction between work and family.’ She launched her own brand in 2007, aged 19, before joining Fendi in 2020 as artistic director of jewellery. Perfume, however, is new territory for her..
‘I’ve never used a fragrance in my life,’ she exclaims. ‘No one believes me, but I never resonated with anything out there. I love everything that is very natural and I always look for an individual streak; something that is truly mine. So I waited 36 years for a bespoke, couture signature scent,’ she laughs. ‘It was like working on the most gigantic and invisible piece of jewellery because the process is very similar and it could go on forever. Someone has to stop you.’
In Delfina’s case, that someone was Quentin Bisch – one of the three perfumers drafted in to work with the family to distill their memories and journey into fragrance. ‘Delfina’s fragrance, Sempre Mio, is everyday, unisex and universal – it’s quite fluid, everyone can wear it, but at the same time, it’s super-signature,’ says Bisch.
The starting point for the Sempre Mio fragrance was Delfina’s childhood spent in Morocco’s Ourika Valley. With hints of Calabrian bergamot, cedarwood and orange blossom, it’s fresh with a masculine undertone. ‘I’ve always loved masculine cologne on feminine skin; I like everything fresh and natural.’ Despite having never landed on a fragrance until now, she’s happily found three scents she likes. ‘I like Kim’s (combining tangerine, rosemary and oak moss), but I also love my mum’s (a cocktail of pink pepper, sandalwood and balsamic), because it is very familiar,’ she says. ‘When I smelt Perché No for the first time, it brought back the memory of when she used to pick me up in her car – the smell of her perfume mixed with leather car seats.’
No family member is forgotten; not least Delfina’s six-year-old twin boys, Tazio and Dardo, who served as inspiration for La Baguette, named after the bag designed by Silvia in 1997. The soft fragrance, with notes of iris and vanilla, is designed to feel timeless, nodding to the next generation. Plus, it’s reminiscent of their favourite snack – bread, butter and sugar. ‘They like it,’ confirms Delfina. ‘They are waiting for the gigantic bottles and the mini ones.’
With gamut-ranging inspirations, there’s a fragrance profile for all. Do you gravitate towards floral notes? Try Dolce Bacio, a sweet, floral scent. Prefer rich, musky aromas? Kim Jones’s Prima Terra inspired by his childhood growing up in Africa is a heady mix. Each comes in its own architectural-inspired bottle, ensuring cult shelfie status. As for the chef ’s kiss? A miniature perfume-holder-cum-bag-charm to clip on your handbag – meaning you’re never too far from a spritz. Tutto bene!
Shop: The New Fendi Fragrances
www.fendi.com
Crafted with Silvia Venturini Fendi in mind, this comforting, warm scent boasts notes of delicious sandalwood and pink pepper. Her daughter, Delfina, recalls how the fragrance 'brought back the memory of when she used to pick me up in her car – the smell of her perfume mixed with leather car seats.’
The perfumes will be available in Fendi boutiques and at fendi.com from today
Jane McFarland is Grazia’s Associate Editor, overseeing fashion, beauty and luxury content. A fashion journalist for over ten years and previously The Sunday Times Style’s Wardrobe Mistress, Jane loves dissecting trends, discovering new brands and writing about personal style.
