Under The Italian Sun: Luxuriating In The Pleasure Of Life

UNDER THE ITALIAN SUN

LUXURIATING IN THE PLEASURES OF LIFE

or the designing duo behind the Eau d’Italie fragrance collection, lightning, you could say, struck as they sat on the terrace of their family hotel, Le Sirenuse Positano, one of the most glorious resorts in the world. It’s a location John Steinbeck felt was “a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” The dream, however, nearly became a nightmare after 9/11. Facing a canceled silver anniversary gala with a worldwide coterie of A-listers held in abeyance, what to do? How to bring Le Sirenuse to guests who couldn’t be there to celebrate?

Gathered on their terrace, surrounded by the essence of nearby lemon groves, the earthen scent of sun-warmed terracotta tiles, and the alluring freshness of bountiful blossoms all embraced by sea-salted air the idea came to them like love at first sight: Create a fragrance to invite their dear friends to experience Le Sirenuse every day, wherever in the world they might be.

The answer was clear for this designing duo: Marina Sersale, a documentary filmmaker, whose family began Le Sirenuse in their summer home, an 18thcentury palazzo overlooking the glistening blue bay of Positano, and her husband Sebastián Alvarez Murena, an esteemed journalist from Argentina, conceptualized a fragrance story to share their love of Italy and in particular, the Amalfi Coast. Their first scent, Eau d’Italie, was introduced 20 years ago, a bergamot-rich parfum that, like any successful siren, seduces both men and women. No wonder David Bowie became the scent’s biggest fan.

By Lori Simmons Zelenko

FROM ITALY WITH AMORE

From one flirtation with scent, many romances followed. Intended originally as a lovely souvenir of time passed at Le Sirenuse, the fragrances quickly took a path all their own. From Positano to Rome to the U.S. to so many points abroad. Armchair adventure today is a necessity, so what better way than a fragrance to let you imagine being in Italy, inhaling the scents that make a visit there so memorable? What began as a loving gesture has produced 11 fragrances in the Eau d’Italie Collection with the newest, Jasmine Leather—a timeless Italian combination of leather and Jasmine which is set to launch this month. We wondered if they are thinking of making their collection an even dozen. “But of course! We are constantly working on new fragrances. It’s a bit like a pot which is always on the fire and boiling. At some point, something in there is ready,” so confess Marina and Sebastián, delighted to satisfy those whose appetite for Eau d’Italie is unceasing. “There will be more to come, no doubt about it!”

FUTURE PERFECT

As we look to the future, how do we assess the recent past? “2020 has been a hideous year. A painful year, worse in many respects than the aftermath of 9/11 when the fragrance collection was born,” Sebastián and Marina reveal. Marina and Sebastián, hope these fragrances will remind us of the pleasures of life. “We cannot let joyfulness escape us any longer,” remark these two who have proven so adept at bringing darkness into light. The power of scent is hardly unfamiliar to Sebastián and Marina, yet it has never been more critical than it is today. “I think this crazy year we have been through has taught us to travel with our minds.” As you may know, nothing can transport you faster to a place you dream of than fragrance. There is no image, no words, to take you beyond the scent of a place, a time, an individual you cherish. Don’t we all want to be transported somewhere magical, somewhere that surrounds us in beauty and kindness?”

A CLASSIC SCENT

As we forge into 2021, Marina and Sebastián have a message. “From the bottom of our hearts, our message is: dare to be free, dare to be happy. Let fragrances choose you. Trust your senses.” Accept Eau d’Italie’s invitation to take you on a fantastic voyage. The fragrance is launching at Bergdorf Goodman this month and may be purchased at bergdorfgoodman.com. •