Lorenzo Villoresi
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Villoresi is a perfumer
in Florence
, Italy
. His study and travel in the Middle East
has greatly influenced his work and some of his most important fragrances are Orientals, exotic perfumes of spices, amber, incense, resins, vanilla, sandalwoods and other aromatics. He continues in the long tradition of perfumery in Florence, arguably where modern perfume making began. The LV house opened in 1990 in the 15th century family palace, overlooking the Arno.
He is most well known for his custom-made fragrances and potpourri
s, and distinguished in that he is an independent perfumer, working outside the big fragrance houses (e.g., Hermès
, Chanel
, etc.). Villoresi was the recipient of the prestigious Prix François Coty
in 2006, an "Oscar" award to 'artistes parfumeurs', recognizing perfumers' achievements over their career as well as their most recent creations.
He is the author of several books on the art of perfume:
Promoting the culture and artistry of perfume, he is involved with the Pitti Immagine's FRAGRANZE conferences, an annual event bringing together perfumers worldwide, dedicated to the art and culture of fine perfumes. Villoresi is also involved in the founding of L'Accademia dell’Arte del Profumo—Academy of Perfume Arts—in Florence. It will "host courses, events, seminars, a fragrance library and everything else that has ties to the world of fragrance."
Notable creations of his "fragranze fantasia" line include:
Perfumer
A perfumer is a term used for an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a Nose due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His study and travel in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
has greatly influenced his work and some of his most important fragrances are Orientals, exotic perfumes of spices, amber, incense, resins, vanilla, sandalwoods and other aromatics. He continues in the long tradition of perfumery in Florence, arguably where modern perfume making began. The LV house opened in 1990 in the 15th century family palace, overlooking the Arno.
He is most well known for his custom-made fragrances and potpourri
Potpourri
Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. It is usually placed in a decorative wooden bowl, or tied in small sachet made from sheer fabric....
s, and distinguished in that he is an independent perfumer, working outside the big fragrance houses (e.g., Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
, Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, etc.). Villoresi was the recipient of the prestigious Prix François Coty
François Coty
François Coty was a French perfume manufacturer, newspaper publisher, and founder of the fascist league Solidarité Française...
in 2006, an "Oscar" award to 'artistes parfumeurs', recognizing perfumers' achievements over their career as well as their most recent creations.
He is the author of several books on the art of perfume:
- Il Profumo: Cultura, storia e tecniche (Firenze: Ponte alle Grazie, 1995) -ISBN 88-7928-271-9.
- The book contains descriptions of perfumery techniques, an overview of raw materials and essences, separate chapters on the history of perfume and famous perfume quotes in literature, a special section dedicated to aromatherapy, and an extensive glossary.
- L'arte del bagno: una guida al più sensuale rito del corpo (Firenze: Ponte alle Grazie, 2001) -ISBN 88-7928-340-5.
- L'arte del bagno. Ricette e segreti per la cura, il piacere, la bellezza (Firenze: Ponte alle Grazie, 1996) -ISBN 88-7928-550-5.
- Il Mondo del Profumo (Edited by Villoresi. Milan: RCS Libri & Grandi Opere, 1996/97 - 70 booklets in 3 volumes)
Promoting the culture and artistry of perfume, he is involved with the Pitti Immagine's FRAGRANZE conferences, an annual event bringing together perfumers worldwide, dedicated to the art and culture of fine perfumes. Villoresi is also involved in the founding of L'Accademia dell’Arte del Profumo—Academy of Perfume Arts—in Florence. It will "host courses, events, seminars, a fragrance library and everything else that has ties to the world of fragrance."
Notable creations of his "fragranze fantasia" line include:
- Piper Nigrum (1999), "reminiscent of the spice route and his memories of African markets."
- DilmunDilmunDilmun or Telmun is a land mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations as a trade partner, a source of the metal copper, and an entrepôt of the Mesopotamia-to-Indus Valley Civilization trade route...
(2000), "the mythical Mesopotamian paradise, a vision of sun and citrus fruits, a memory of the evocative legends he heard during his studies." - Teint de Neige (2000), "the Belle ÉpoqueBelle ÉpoqueThe Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
...the rosy hue of a powdered face. The unmistakable scent of perfumed powders, the fragrance of face powder, the perfume of talc, a soft, gentle, enveloping eau de toilette." - YerbamateYerba mateMaté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
(2001), "an endless expanse of grass and wild flowers, reflecting his love of nature and wide open spaces, of the tea and matéMatéMaté may refer to:* Yerba maté - species of holly native to subtropical South America* Mate - infusion, containing stimulants including caffeine, prepared by steeping dried leaves of yerba mate...
ceremonies." - AlamutAlamutAlamut was a mountain fortress located in the South Caspian province of Daylam near the Rudbar region in Iran, approximately 100 kilometres from present-day Tehran, Iran...
(2006), "a sumptuous oriental-style perfume characterised by warm sensual notes and highly precious flowers, on a rich base of rare exotic woods. Alamut evokes the legends of the Near East, enchanted fortresses overflowing with delights, the Thousand and One Nights, the GulistanGulistan of Sa'diThe Gulistan is a landmark literary work in Persian literature, perhaps its single most influential work of prose. Written in 1259 CE, it is one of two major works of the Persian poet Sa'di, considered one of the greatest medieval Persian poets. It is also one of his most popular books, and...
and the flowers and scents of secret gardens."