Our interview with Martino Gavazzi – Co-founder & CEO

Where did the love for perfume come from and how was Euthalia Fragrances founded?

Euthalia Fragrances was founded on an idea that I had with my brother Filippo and our long-time friend Giacomo, and with the intention of sharing the story of our great common passion, travelling, through a product, environment fragrances. It was summer 2017, I was in Shanghai for a year studying for my master's and Filippo and Giacomo came to see me. It all started from there. This is when we decided to tell the story of our experiences around the world through the most powerful and evocative of our five senses: the sense of smell. After a year of researching and fine-tuning our idea, in July 2018, the story of Euthalia Fragrances began. As for every trip we take, we chose Genoa as our starting point, opening our first boutique in the historic centre, the vibrant heart of the city.

How did the prestigious project with Veneranda Fabbrica come about and what inspired you to create a fragrance dedicated to the Duomo of Milan?

This prestigious project was launched in collaboration with R.T.I. Mediaset and Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, who gave us the honour and privilege of developing a fragrance that could represent in an olfactory sense one of the most iconic symbols linked to the art of Made in Italy, the Duomo of Milan, creating its very own olfactory identity. It is a fascinating project, in support of the restoration of the cathedral, which we launched after many months of research in June 2022. Inspired by an olfactory journey within the walls of the cathedral, the fragrance aims to capture its wonder and majesty. Indeed, it is a mysterious and highly complex fragrance that captures the spirit of the Duomo and embodies its fascinating history. In order to perfect it, we studied its history and legends, which we also discovered thanks to an extraordinary experience in the wonderful Duomo Archives, a priceless cultural and historical asset.

How do you perfume a city and how did you do it specifically with the Genoa project? Are you thinking about doing the same with other cities?

The project “Genova Profumata - La Prima Città Profumata al Mondo“ (Perfumed Genoa – The World’s First Perfumed City) was an exceptional event, an absolute world first, which saw us perfume the entire historic centre of Genoa for a month, between September and October 2019, and at the same time launch what has become, along with Duomo Milano, the most iconic fragrance in our collection: Genova. For a month, Genoa's characteristic narrow lanes became alleyways perfumed with an intoxicating essence of basil and aromatic herbs, which is still our best-selling product and has the great evocative power of representing our city in an olfactory sense, becoming an icon both for the people of Genoa and for tourists from all over the world.

What are your most successful products in Italy and abroad?

The rod diffusers are definitely the heart of our collection. The beauty of this vast and varied world means that our customers can choose to travel anywhere in Italy or anywhere in the world. Preferences vary according to location; in Italy's seaside regions, delicate, fresh and sparkling fragrances are more popular, while in big cities or in lowland, hill and mountain areas, warmer and more intense fragrances are preferred. This is also the case abroad; in Europe and the United States, different fragrances are preferred by Asian customers than by Middle Eastern or African customers. And this diversity of taste is perhaps one of the most fascinating things about our world.

What fragrances and new products will you be presenting in January 2024 at Milano Home? 

Milano Home will be an opportunity for us to present new fragrances and products to our customers, with the aim of further developing our collection, and hopefully the exhibition will be the springboard for a splendid 2024.