The launch of Ferragamo Fiamma is the brand’s first women’s fragrance envisioned by the creative direction of Maximilian Davis. Before the grand reveal of Fiamma, we had the opportunity to travel to Florence for an exclusive experience to celebrate the launch at the iconic Palazzo Spini Feroni with Senior Perfumer for DSM-Firmenich, Clement Gavarry, who created the fragrance alongside Davis. The launch was accompanied by a stunning campaign shot by Mario Sorrenti starring model Karolina Spakowski in Florence, exuding transformative beauty, strength, and femininity, all traits that represent Fiamma.
Fiamma features three key ingredients: white pear, gardenia, and ambrox. Beyond the sustainable elements found in the fragrance, the recyclable glass for the perfume bottle and paper for the packaging were also created with respect for the environment to reduce waste and enhance sustainability in luxury.
When first sitting down with Gavarry, we couldn’t help but discuss the inspiring tour of Musée Salvatore Ferragamo we had just seen. The exhibit showcases Salvatore Ferragamo’s masterful craftsmanship and innovative use of materials, ranging from candy wrappers to frog skin and beyond, throughout his career in fashion and film. Gavarray delves into the intricacies of crafting this fragrance and his destined journey in perfumery.
Can you take me back to the beginning of the fragrance and your creative process? How do you start on a project like this? Is it the name or the ingredients?
“I didn’t get the name until the end, so the concept was more about creating a new blockbuster for the Ferragamo woman. There was a lot of freedom for me to get inspired, but obviously, the inspiration came a lot from the history and the heritage of Ferragamo, I studied that a lot. I then moved on to the present, the present being Maximilian Davis, the Ferragamo house designer, and the way he modernized the brand, which also inspired me to create Fiamma. I knew that I needed to create modernity but also elegance and a strong addiction, so when I had those key words in my mind, I had to look around and see what I was going to put together in terms of ingredients. The modernity came in the freshness, creating this white pear by working with a flavourist that was unique to create this for Ferragamo. Then, capturing the scent of the gardenia, the living flower, and using the ambrox that is created by new biotechnology that is 100% sustainable.”
Which ingredient came first?
“The pear for sure, the white pear came first because to me that represented the light. I didn’t know Fiamma would be the name of the fragrance, but I knew there would be a lot of light. The freshness, the light, and contrasting with the addiction and warmth of the ambrox, I knew I had to use those to create that elegant contrast.”
You touched on the sustainability of ambrox. What other sustainable factors are a part of the fragrance in terms of packaging or other ingredients?
“We are recreating the scent of gardenia, a living flower, which is 100% sustainable as well. I don’t even pick the flower; I capture the living flower by leaving it on the plant and capturing it by trapping the scent from the air that is charged with the scent of the flower, and then you go to the lab to analyze and recreate it. Other than that, using some of the rose and some of the jasmine which are essential oils. We partner with farmers at the DSM-Firmenich, we have this commitment with them to source the product from the moment where you do the crop of patchouli, of the rose, of the jasmine, to when it arrives in the bottle, we partner closely with the farmers for the product to be sourced responsibly from the beginning to the end.”
What was it like getting approached by Ferragamo to work on this fragrance?
“Well, of course, it was an honor to work for such an iconic fashion brand. I was very excited. I was dreaming of this moment, so it’s super cool that it finally came to life, to realization. It took a year in the making, the scent, and then two and a half years to come to life, so it was a long journey, but it was worth it for sure.”
Is there a specific historical moment in the Ferragamo brand, especially the women, that you found the most inspiring?
“Well, the women in the Ferragamo family were always present. They had different roles, but still, they were very much present. I wouldn’t pinpoint one moment, but it’s more the realization that the women were always part of the fashion. From the shoemaking to the clothing, they were always present, a strong presence more than we would think. Today, Fiamma is the realization to honor women and to also empower them even more and to bring this confidence to life. It’s the realization of how women were so important in the Ferragamo family, and now the women that are wearing Ferragamo are following the Ferragamo brand, from the shoes to all the accessories and the clothing. I hope that they will feel as empowered as the Ferragamo women are in the family.”
How did you get into perfumery?
“Similar to the Ferragamo family, I also have a strong heritage in my family; my family has been in the perfume industry for a few generations. At the beginning more so with natural ingredients, my great-grandfather was distilling the lavender in Provence, and my grandfather was taking of the flower gardens in Grasse, and bringing the flowers to the factory to do the crop and make sure that everything was working well for the flowers, such as rose, jasmine, orange blossom, all the flowers in the south of France, mimosa, you name them, back then, at that time, there were a lot of flowers and a lot of flower fields in the south of France. Now, it’s coming back to life, I feel like there is more investment from many brands to bring back some of the flowers and the flower field in Grasse. My dad was the first perfumer of the family; he did his entire career in France, and I followed in his footsteps, and I crossed the Atlantic Ocean to do my own career in New York City and it’s been 25 years. One of my sons is very interested; it’s actually “bring your kid to work day.” He’s so excited to come again, it’s the highlight of his year to come to dad’s office and to brag about his dad. At 11, he’s pretty vocal at becoming a perfumer.”
As you mentioned, you worked on this for a year, is there a final moment that you know it’s ready?
“Well, the fragrance is never finished because it’s a living being in it’s in this bottle. You have nature, you have molecules, you have science and art, its constant movement, yet at some point you have to say “okay that’s about it” it’s not up to me to decided, it’s up to the brand, but we were happy with the end result. I’m very proud of it; it’s a beautiful result and a beautiful scent, and I’m very proud to see the enthusiasm, the reaction, the joy and the excitement when I see people experimenting with Fiamma.”
