How Bulgari’s New Fragrance Collection Celebrates Emotions, Joy and The Sweetness of Life
Luis Miguel, head of the Roman luxury house’s Perfume division, shares with Bazaar how Allegra pays homage to the brand’s Italian roots and brings hope during times of uncertainty
Inspired by the Roman luxury house’s rich history – and, of course, the colourful jewels its best loved for – Bulgari’s new fragrance collection, Allegra, is a love letter to Italy and the joys the country brings the senses.
The collection is comprised of five different Eau de Parfums and five unique single note Magnifying Essences, each one celebrating a special moment or feeling when it comes to the wonders of emotions one can experience when exploring the Mediterranean paradise. Naturally, the inspiration for the fragrances was originally drawn from the house’s Allegra jewellery, with the exquisite glass bottles being inspired by the colours of precious gems.
Fantasia Veneta is a chypre-based fragrance, which includes patchouli unique to the house; Dolce Estasi is a floral gourmand; Rock’n’Rome is fruity and fun, due to osmanthus and apricot that are sweetened by benzoin; Fiori D’Amore is reminiscent of a bouquet of Turkish and Bulgarian rose; and, lastly, Riva Solare is a citrus scent with notes of Calabrian bergamot, neroli, and mandarin.
The essences come in white bottles and are the purest form of single notes – bergamot, patchouli, rose, vanilla and musk – that can be worn alone or combined with any of the parfums, giving its wearer the freedom to experience, customise and play with the power of bespoke scent.
In honour of the recent launch, Bazaar spoke with Luis Miguel, head of Bulgari Perfume division, as he shares insight into the house’s approach when it comes to fragrance, creativity and the birth of Allegra.
Looking Back To Go Forward
Craftsmanship [and quality] is behind everything we do at Bulgari; historically, the house has always had an innovative, creative, pioneering spirit when it comes to sourcing and using raw materials.
For the Allegra collection, the inspiration was so rich, as the brand went back to Italy and, most importantly, to Rome. First talks with Bulgari’s Master Perfumer, Jacques Cavallier, was an exploration of emotions, a discussion of how we could connect emotions to colours and ingredients. In Bulgari we have this philosophy that how we see each other and ourselves: it is like the jewelers of the gems of nature.
Sourcing The Best Ingredients is Paramount…
As a global powerhouse that provides some of the highest quality gems in the world, this is also reflected within the fragrance notes…
We search the world for the best ingredients; and we put these at the center of our creation. So, if we have to go (in the case of Allegra) to Calabria to find bergamot, to Madagascar to find the vanilla, and to Indonesia to find the patchouli.
…As Is Sustainability For Bulgari
We actually created a farming model of Jasmine in India, and it was beautiful. This flower could be at risk for perfumery, because the quality you need to create a beautiful extract is such a challenge; it has to be hand-picked before the sun hits the flower in the morning. So, what we did was re-train them, re-harvest, creating new farming models, to help them make profit and develop higher quality flowers and still being more sustainable. This is an example of what we do as a brand to be able to trace the sourcing of our ingredients.
It’s also worth noting that the glass bottles of Allegra are also designed to facilitate recycling and reuse.
The Pandemic Has Accelerated The Demand for Fragrance
I think COVID-19 has accelerated the demand for fragrances. Firstly, because the search for authenticity, quality and genuine products has increased. I think now people are more aware of the true value of things and experiences they had and cherish them. So I think they are becoming more demanding of the quality they expect from luxury brands.
Secondly, it’s because of sustainability, there was already a big trend and now a lot of brands are putting a lot of importance and awareness behind sustainability. People probably thought that we would delay our sustainability efforts because of COVID-19 but that’s quite the contrary, clients have become more aware and brands have doubled or tripled their efforts at sustainability.
Finally, the power of digital e-commerce has changed the fragrance industry; now a lot of information is provided for fragrances online so the client is able to purchase it without even smelling the fragrance first. There has also been the discovery of ways to put samples online so clients can smell the fragrance before buying it.
Allegra Brings Hope To The Future
Allegra is the cherry on the cake that sends a positive message of optimism, light, colour and positive emotions which counters the negativity of this year. People are eager to have this optimism. Our contribution in fragrance, apart from the beauty and smell and emotions, is to bring this positivity and light to our world.
For more information and to shop the collection, visit sephora.ae
