SR_A ACQUA DI PARMA

Their latest innovation, Acqua di Parma proudly presents Colonia Limited Edition.

Designed by Samuel Ross with a reimagining of its signature fragrance bottle by SR_A, Ross’ London-based, industrial design studio, the fragrance is the first iteration of a three-year partnership between Acqua di Parma and SR_A.

A true piece of art, the iconic Colonia - presented at Design Miami - is an artistic play on duality.

SR_A (Samuel Ross and Associates) was first debuted by Samuel Ross at the Hublot Design Prize exhibition in the Serpentine Gallery in 2019 and is a design-led studio operating within the fields of luxury industrial design, interior installation, architecture, furniture and sound design and visual communication.

A project of both conservation and renovation, Colonia Limited Edition by Samuel Ross reshuffles the design codes of each maison to create an entirely new blueprint which will drop globally this March.

Founded in Italy in 1916, Acqua di Parma burst on to the market with Colonia as its debut fragrance. Reassuring and sophisticated, Colonia is iconic with an uplifting citrus-blend that evokes the scent and soul of Italy.

Originally created in 1916, Colonia is the definition of a timeless classic that is still in high demand today. The instantly acquadiparma.com recognisable golden fruits blend of radiant lemon, Calabrian bergamot and orange, with a heart of lavender, rose and rosemary and woody notes of vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli create an effortless scent that is not only long-lasting, but eternally elegant.

The new Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross celebrates the timelessness of its signature scent, which has endured, unchanged, for more than 100 years.

Samuel Ross’ dynamic interpretation of Colonia is an ode to the past, funnelled through his contemporary lens to create a vision of the future.

Exuberant and industrialist, multi-disciplinary artist and designer Samuel Ross looked to the architecture and attitudes of London and Milan as the foundation point for inspiration. Informed by the structures of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, Ross imagined the sun - an eternal source of inspiration for Acqua di Parma - glazing across a European cityscape, with the vantage points of light informing the vision for this striking take on the Italian classic.

London’s urban brutalism is represented in a hyper-flat, uberpigmented yellow that absorbs the light: providing a reimagining of Acqua di Parma’s signature colour, which formed the starting point for this collaboration.

A real jolt to the senses, this optimistic hue synonymous with Acqua di Parma is imprinted with SR_A’s visual handwriting. Sun_Rise_Yellow is juxtaposed with primary shades of Grass_ Blade_Green and Ultra_Orange, an industrial nod to Samuel Ross’ own practice.

While the evolution of palette forms a new design language that pays homage to the heritage of Italian and British modernism, the iconic Art Deco bottle remains. The juice itself, consistent as an Italian golden citrus- blend since its first unveiling in 1916, is a timeless masterpiece, and the bottle, a scaffold for display.

Aligned with the architectural ethos, varying vantage points and perspectives are explored, like a looking glass - the bottle is a window, a synergetic metaphor for this collaborative sharing of ideas. This is further demonstrated through the stripping of acquadiparma.com the label, with lithographed lettering: in peeling back the layers, a new-found focus emerges. It’s a distillation of the Maison’s codes in its purest form.

Prismic points of interest are discovered as light refracts off its angles. Colonia Limited Edition designed by Samuel Ross is a tangible sculpture created with a digital-first audience in mind. Hold the bottle up to the light and watch it transform. The object becomes interactive, creating thoughtful images to cherish throughout the day as one might recall a moment of sunlight - think midday sunlight refracting off The Centre Pompidou, or The Shard. Such beauty is in the eye of each beholder.

A connective bridge between two cities, and two distinct maisons, Acqua di Parma Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross, is an ode to cross-border creativity and community. This is reflected in the unique, co-branded design. The collection will be unveiled in a series of international retail spaces designed in tandem by SR_A and Acqua di Parma. From unpolished aluminium shelving to powder-coated pigment fixtures, materiality pays homage to industrial design, while effective use of colour amps up the voltage to inject a youthful vibrancy and intensity into the traditional retail model. Each space is an in-real-life shopping experience for the online age, again blending the old and new in an engaging, tangible way.

Crafted in Italy, Acqua di Parma Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross will be released globally on March 15.

300 numbered, special-edition collectors bottles, spanning the three colours in ascending order, will be released on March 1. Each will come with an exclusive art publication featuring behind-the-scenes stories and visuals. In the days leading up to the launch on Acqua di Parma’s social channels, information will be provided on how to subscribe to the dedicated list that will be exclusively accessible at the time of release.

The 300 numbered special-edition collectors’ bottles will be released exclusively at Selfridges London and on acquadiparma.com priced at £186.00 for 100ml.

The second release limited edition Acqua di Parma x Samuel Ross will be available exclusively at Selfridges priced at £140.00 for 100ml.