Painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver, Piero Fornasetti began his career in the early 1940s. Ambitious and firmly rooted in his dreams, the Italian Fornasetti created over 13,000 different objects in his lifetime - from scarves, tableware, ceramic decorations, cushions and candle holders to paperweights and even casino and cruise ship interiors. Nothing was considered too small or insignificant to inspire him to give it his artistic signature. Piero Fornasetti had a global and tangible vision of his art and pursued it relentlessly.
An innovator, both in art and in the art business, through his collaborations from totally different fields, Fornasetti proved, until the last moment, a visionary, largely misunderstood. His creations anticipated an artistic trend that would emerge much later, and they fell unjustly into oblivion when the whole world was not yet ready for it.
Since the mid-1950s, Piero's artistic diversity has been unparalleled: bicycles, lamps, umbrellas, trays, porcelain vases, as well as casino interiors, opera sets and cruise ship interior design.
Next to the pieces with portraits drawn by the Italian artist are those with black and white buildings inspired by Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture. Emblematic of furniture items bearing Fornasetti's signature, they now occupy surfaces other than wood and are printed on ties and blankets.
"Imagination, fantasy and creativity are food for the soul and spirit. It is a duty for those who have them to pass them on to others. In this way, fantasy invokes fantasy, and poetry invites poetry from others, forever", Piero Fornasetti considered.After his death in 1988, the brand's Milanese atelier - under the direction of his son, Barnaba Fornasetti, the current Artistic Director - continued to handcraft variations of the house's iconic pieces, innovating and bringing the brand into the contemporary. Fornasetti's active role in the history of Italian design has been sealed by tribute exhibitions in museums all over the world, auctions in which the house's pieces have been bought for considerable sums by passionate collectors, and countless books and art albums that attempt to capture the essence of the Fornasetti style. The main source of fascination has remained that physically absent yet ubiquitous character in the brand's history: the woman whose face is represented, in various ways and shades, on almost all Fornasetti creations - Lina Cavalieri, the 19th-century opera singer renowned for her captivating beauty and mysterious allure, who became the emblem of Fornasetti's creative vision.
Fornasetti created perfumes both for the home, specifically scented candles, and perfumes for people, translating his sophisticated visual image into the dimension of the intangible. Each fragrance evokes a story in which the collective memory of Fornasetti's universal, archetypal images is interwoven with the intimate, personal memory of the person wearing a perfume or lighting a Fornasetti candle.
Continuing the tradition, Piero Fornasetti's son Barnaba, together with the current perfumer, created evocative home fragrances, beautifully housed in handcrafted ceramic vessels.
Scented candles can be a statement gift for the most discerning people in our lives.
Fornasetti perfumes are created from the defining secret of their atelier, fragrances that stop time from being time, to become fragments of memory from an evoked future.
Decorations and fragrances are snapshots that evoke an intimate, subjective and timeless story.
Fornasetti perfumes are an invitation to leave space to the imagination, in a sensory experience that transcends the dimension of time. Perfume thus becomes an opportunity to stop the flow of minutes, to ignite a memory or to capture a moment to remember for the future.
In the second half of 2023, Fornasetti unveiled a line of fragrances at Harrods, before launching them globally in February 2024. This marked the debut of his first Extrait de Parfum collection, a testament to Fornasetti's ability to distil his signature style into a range of fragrances. The Fornasetti Extrait de Parfum collection embodies the power of imagination, captured in three unique fragrances that weave a personal and timeless narrative: Forbidden Fruit/Frutto Proibito, Secret Garden/ Giardino Segreto and Imaginazzione/Immaginazione.
These perfumes transcend the passage of time, transforming it into a space where desires are awakened and secrets are discovered. Each fragrance boasts a distinct personality and essence, visually represented through three variations of the iconic Tema e Variazioni series, which pays homage to the face of Lina Cavalieri. With these three fragrances, Fornasetti introduces a new sensory realm, infusing the sophisticated allure of the muse, Lina Cavalieri, into an immersive experience through olfactory portraits.
Frutto Proibito Extrait de Parfum is a unisex fragrance "with a complex floral bouquet: seductive and enveloping like a temptation, it becomes a metaphor for the rebirth of spring". Succulent, discreetly sweet and imbued with herbal notes, the fragrance leads us to the tempting tuberose, which seduces here with its green freshness and buds. It's not as opulent or intoxicating as it can usually become, not in full bloom, but carefully dosed to fit within the fresh, watery fruit. At the same time, one feels the aphrodisiac power of ylang-ylang and its tropical sweetness, overwhelmed by the watery fruit and the extremely interesting tuberose, a vegetal, slightly minty one, nuanced by fennel and aniseed. The smooth, soft trace of vanilla and creamy wood brings flowers, green sap and Mediterranean citrus to the fore for a long time.
Giardino Segreto Extrait de Parfum is a fresh unisex fragrance with green, fruity notes that takes on mystical and eccentric characteristics. "A complex olfactory structure that gradually opens up, note by note, to reveal a bouquet of flowers, herbs and fruits from a dark forest". It is a blend with a complex, botanical charm, perfectly capturing the essence of spring. The tangy freshness of rhubarb and aromatic tomato leaves mingles with the strength of wild blackberry and currant juices. This green bouquet is further enriched by a 'heart' bursting with vibrant, sunlit freshness, evoking the feeling of walking through a sunny forest. The addition of a sharp accent of balsamic citrus serves as the perfect embellishment to this green range, creating a green masterpiece. The essence of nature and morning dew is supported by the presence of a radiant, sharp musk note with a resinous, slightly exotic undertone that enhances the green without compromising the natural harmony.
Immaginazione by Fornasetti is woody, musky and elegant, intense and structured, a unisex fragrance launched in 2024, along with the other fragrances. It is a composition designed for those who like pachouli in perfumes. The spicy, juicy, chypre fragrance weaves creamy, soothing facets of lavender, overlaid with the rich freshness of herbal accords of thyme and juniper. The main focus is on musk and a sweet, woody, slightly chocolaty patchouli, both sweetened by vanilla. At the base, the focus falls on warm and rich notes of creamy wood.
The octagonal shape of the Fornasetti Extrait de Parfum bottle sets it apart, making it a distinctive piece. The green malachite cap introduces an element of sophistication and refinement. The packaging complements the design of the bottle, further emphasising the octagonal motif and enhancing its visual appeal.
Fornasetti, the Italian art and design company, is now recognised worldwide for its distinctive style. The Fornasetti brand has been and remains an invitation to originality, an experience that transcends time.
Comments