I Went to Rome 6 Months Ago, and I Can't Stop Thinking About This Elegant Italian Fragrance
Every detail from the trip.
This past spring, I spent a glorious 48 hours in Rome with Max Mara. I packed my chicest neutrals ("Less is more," read the dress code) and zipped off to JFK to discover the brand's soon-to-be-launched fragrance, Le Parfum—a fragrance that was kept so firmly under wraps I had to fly 4280 miles to be one of the first journalists to smell it. The secret's officially out as of late August, but still, I find my mind wandering to those sunny spring days filled with tuberose, cashmere, and heaping scoops of gelato. When in Rome!
Perhaps it's because NYC has been finally granted the first kiss of crisp fall air and the fragrance has a soft, cashmere-like quality that's A+ for the season. Maybe I'm simply trying to justify dropping coin for a Max Mara coat (which actually inspired the scent). But I digress. The point is that this short Italian stint deserves a digital footprint outside of the confines of my camera roll, so here, discover four standout moments that refuse to leave my brain.
1. The Six Senses Sanctuary
Six Senses is the definition of a wellness sanctuary, and its Rome property certainly feels like a haven in the heart of the city. I genuinely let out a sigh of relief as soon as I stepped into the airy, sun-drenched lobby and another when I later ate lunch at the rooftop garden, which boasts stunning panoramic views. On the first day, I had a couple of hours before my room was ready, so I took the opportunity to explore the Pantheon and the Colosseum, both of which are within walking distance of the hotel. After clocking all those steps, an afternoon gelato is a must.
2. Scoring a First Look at Le Parfum
Of course, I have to include the star of the show! Max Mara debuted Le Parfum to a select group of global editors in expo-like fashion with different stations explaining each facet: the bottle, which was inspired by the iconic 101801 coat and complete with a lacquered belt and gold button cap; the unique notes of musky sandalwood, cedarwood, tuberose, benzoin, and blue vanilla presented by perfumers Fabrice Pellegrin and Marie Salamagne; the initial sketches of the design; and more. Each set was interactive, and we were encouraged to smell, touch, and play to get a 360-degree olfactory experience of Le Parfum. There was even a display of Max Mara coats throughout the decades, from the '50s to today, which had to be my favorite stand. It was a little slice of fashion history.
3. Chatting With Florence Pugh, the Face of Le Parfum
A fragrance inspired by such iconic outerwear deserves an equally iconic face to front the campaign. Enter Florence Pugh, who I was able to sit down with at Six Senses to chat about her love for the velvety Max Mara scent. "It actually smells like cashmere," she told me. "Whether I'm working on set, on a press tour, [or] at home, it is part of my identity." She added that perfume is her "invisible DNA." She even assigns a fragrance to each of her roles to help her tap into the character, though the jury's still out on who gets to wear Max Mara. "It's an incredibly unique and bold scent that I don't want to just put on anyone—other than myself," she shared. You can read the full interview here for more of Pugh's method-perfuming tactics, plus the unconventional smells she finds oddly comforting.
4. Attending a Gala at the Salone delle Fontane
The trip culminated in a gala at the Salone delle Fontane—a grand 21,000-square-foot event space in Rome's EUR district—where editors, brand executives, and Pugh herself clinked glasses to Le Parfum's anticipated debut. During a seated dinner, we caught a first glimpse of the campaign video, in which Pugh declares, "When you're ready, you'll know." It's a nod to how the fragrance effortlessly ties an outfit together. It's an invisible accessory with the power to make you feel instantly more confident. As Pugh revealed to me just hours before, "perfume will be the last thing that I apply [before] I go on set. I get myself into costume, I put my scent on, and it's the final piece that builds that person for me."
