Profumoir: The Art of Senses

By Daniele Cavalli

On the occasion of the launch of his new project “Profumoir”, an olfactory library developed in collaboration with Sileno Cheloni, we delve not only into the multisensory interaction of this figure but also into the core of his vision. Daniele embodies a strong and searching identity, a lover of the senses and their application. For him, creativity is not just an expression, but a true way of being…a concept deeply rooted in his family history and reflected in each of his projects. Arts, music, perfumery and craftsmanship, when approached with a thirst for knowledge and curiosity, become bridges to a sensory universe where mind, body, and nature interact, elevating perception to a higher level, free from temporal constraints. Just as with music, which he describes as something that, once a certain awareness is reached, is chosen to influence the state you want to be in or belong to, the same applies to every art form and mode of expression. This interview takes us through a cyclical journey, untouched by time or limits of exploration, where hearing, touch, smell, and taste become the lifeblood of a creative sacrality.

Your journey has been rather atypical, not everyone chooses to follow their own path rather than an established one. What drove you to distance yourself from the fashion world and your family’s legacy, in order to express your own vision of continuous creative exploration?

I come from the world of fashion and a family that has established a very distinct and powerful identity in this industry. I grew up within this world, but at the same time, neither I or my family have ever been particularly fashionable crown , if you know what I mean. We’ve never been attached to the vain side of fashion. My family is more connected to the world of art, and for me, expression , the concept always passed down to me by my father, is about a much broader idea of creativity; It’s a way of being, not just a practice or, even less so, a commercial endeavour. Creativity, vision, or a personal identity is a way of life; it’s not something you apply specifically to a sector for commercial purposes or any other goal. That said, fashion has always taught me a lot. Even though I’m not a typical character inside this industry, I’ve loved it because it’s a sector that has allowed me to broaden my knowledge, develop my own thinking, and thus shape my identity on many different levels. I’ve always said that fashion is the only sector, like cinema, where the creative director needs a detailed understanding of all fields, from economics to anthropology, from the architecture of the body to materials, from craftsmanship to marketing, merchandising, display, music, and lighting. To have a strong identity in their work, the creative director needs extensive knowledge across the board. I’m talking about knowledge, but first and foremost, I want to talk about curiosity, because knowledge doesn’t come without curiosity and interest. So yes, I’m very atypical, but that’s because I’ve been fortunate to grow up in an environment where creativity is seen as a personal identity, not a logical or rational study.

With Atelier De’ Nerli, you’ve created a cultural salon that promotes the exchange of ideas and critical judgement among people from diverse fields. Yet today, the system still seems somewhat closed off, dominated by hierarchies and elitism. What drove you to create this space? Do you think the system remains closed, where something still needs to be “unlocked” to encourage fresh critical thinking and innovative insights?

Far less than before, I’d say. We are opening up more to collaboration and communication. In the past, industries were much more reluctant to let you into their world, to help you understand it, to be a part of it, and to communicate that externally. I’m referring to the world of craftsmanship, but this applies to almost all sectors. There is now much greater openness to collaborate across different positions. I remember back in the day, my father was one of the pioneers of such collaborations. He was a precursor. I distinctly recall one time he came to the table and said, “Guys, we’re doing a collaboration with H&M,” and I thought, “Are we mad? These are completely different clients and ways of operating.” There used to be much more rigidity. The channels of communication and freedom were few, and when things were done, they had to be carried out in a very direct, precise manner. Today, communication is much more prevalent. What a company communicates and what it wants to be is a much broader and faster concept. Every day, we have to communicate something new, which has led to a much more frantic pace. So yes, today there’s a certain franticness in communication, and as a result, many more paths are accepted and explored. There’s greater openness to considering different forms of collaboration. This exchange, at the same time, brings about what should be the true principle of connection between sectors. I come from a Renaissance city, one that seeks to express this very concept: the necessity to express a message and to break common conventions, applying it as a guide for all forms of art. What inspired me was the idea of creating a salon, a gathering place, as restaurants are traditionally gathering spots, and using it to showcase the real Florence and all the realities tied to it that might otherwise remain hidden.

“This collaboration, for me, is like a circle closing; it encompasses all the stages of my life and my journey”

Profumoir – Biblioteca Olfattiva, Florence
Profumoir – Biblioteca Olfattiva, Florence
Atelier De’ Nerli, Florence

When you choose an artist for your collective or for musical production, what strikes you the most? What “soul” do you seek to capture? How do you recognise when an artist aligns with your vision?

It stems from a deep passion for art or for what that person transmit to me. My desire to collaborate comes from a wish to unite and merge a certain knowledge – whether it’s from a craftsman, an artist, a designer, or a collaborator – and to elevate it further with my vision. It comes from a profound love, a deep reverence for the people I engage with, a great sense of respect and admiration. This applies to everything I do and all the realities I’m involved with. I spent a period in America, and the Americans taught me the value of collaboration. While they don’t have the strong, passionate identity that we do in Europe, the fact that they come together, collaborate, and dream as one is what makes them a great nation. In Europe, particularly in Italy, there is far more individualism, and less of this collaborative spirit. However, culturally we are a much more passionate and rich country, with a stronger sense of identity. I’ve been lucky to have travelled and experienced the world, and through the privileges I’ve had in my past and my family, I’ve been able to create a force that brings different people together and enhances them in the right way. This concept is what led me to open the restaurant. The chef is one of my closest friends, and I’ve always considered him one of the bests in Italy and the world. The same thing happened with the music studio. I grew up with Francesco Frilli, who is the producer and manager of the studio, and my musical mentor. I’ve always considered him the greatest teacher. This pattern has repeated itself in the world of perfumery, where I met Sileno Cheloni, a perfumer with an extraordinary nose. With great honour and passion, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with him to contribute and try to create a path together.

Your work is a fusion of all the senses: sound, taste, smell, hearing, perception. Is there a common thread that ties these elements together? Has your interest in each developed gradually and progressively, or has it been innate from the beginning?

Everything begins with the first great love, the most precious and important of all, the music. Music was the first thing that made me understand that our sensory capacity, when navigated with curiosity and a desire for deeper understanding, can open up a much broader perceptual sense than we believe. I realised that through attention and knowledge, one can delve much deeper into our senses than our perceived experience suggests. Consequently, music taught me how my hearing could refine and expand through knowledge of that domain, and this has happened somewhat with all the senses, both unconsciously and consciously at the same time. After music, I entered the world of fashion, spending months touching fabrics; I was creating a menswear line, which meant I had to choose 50 fabrics per season from a selection of thousands. This selection was made solely through touch, which dramatically expanded my tactile function during that period. From there, I felt the need to learn photography, and thus what light meant and how to control it. Perhaps I should have mentioned earlier the concepts of attention and knowledge, but I should also talk about the control of the senses. By learning about photography, I grasped the nature of light and learned how to control it. When you develop sensitivity and control over light, you start to view all the spaces where you live in a different way, and consequently, your spirit and the way you inhabit those spaces change. This completely altered the paradigms of my perception and my view of reality. After my time in the fashion world, I began an art project that aimed to bring together all these areas. Soon after, I opened a restaurant, which deepened my exploration of the world of taste, including the levels involved in constructing a dish. If you want to communicate and control what you are experiencing , you need knowledge and sensitivity. So, it has all been a journey of vision, culminating recently in the realm of perfumes. With this last endeavour, I have somewhat closed a circle that encompasses my journey and my need to discover and understand the sensory world. Now that I have closed that circle, my interest is shifting towards understanding what lies beyond the senses, beyond the sensory aspect. I am opening up to a world connected to energy and the energetic vibrations of things.

“I realised that through attention and knowledge, one can delve much deeper into our senses than our perceived experience suggests”

Heavy Soul Darling
Details Casa Profumoir, Florence
Details Casa Profumoir, Florence
Giardino Profumoir, Florence
Details Casa Profumoir, Florence

The ceremonial and ritualistic sphere, perceived almost under a spiritual dimension, is quite evident in this new launch. What attracts you most in this universe? How does it reflect in your daily approach to life, and how is it connected to the olfactory component?

Sensory perception is influenced much more by our body than by our mind, and I am consequently understanding the connection and importance of the relationship between mind and body, and how this connection is closely linked to breathing. This has perhaps been the greatest lesson the world of perfumery has taught me, combined with another absolute principle: the power of nature that surrounds us. These insights are leading me to explore a more introspective side of living and the senses. I simply want to provide a platform where people can discover themselves. For me, the important thing is to stimulate individuals to experience emotions that they are not accustomed to, in a world where I believe everything is gravitating more towards a certain conformism, a creative flattening, or even a very often vulgar expression of communication. Thus, it becomes doubly precious to me to address themes with a very precise identity form, respecting and valuing the history of the place. In everything I do, there is an assessment and understanding of the past while simultaneously creating spaces where one can somewhat detach from reality and immerse oneself in timeless worlds, where there is a certain atemporality.

The olfactory component, deeply linked to memory, has a personal value. Which fragrances or olfactory notes awaken particular memories in you? How does scent relate to your personal history, and which olfactory notes do you feel are yours?

Let’s say that when we are in a more superficial state concerning art, the arts, or the senses, we tend to limit ourselves to memories; we want to somewhat restrict ourselves to memories. It’s similar to music: initially, songs are tied to memories, but when one becomes passionate about music and begins to understand the power it has over oneself in shaping a certain attitude, it ceases to be merely a connection to memories and becomes something you choose to condition a status you want to belong to or feel. The same applies to all the senses, particularly the sense of smell. In the initial phase, there is certainly an attachment to certain scents, certain odours that evoke specific memories. However, once you delve deeper, that sense, that desire for exploration, that longing to be enchanted by that world, leads you to discover that burning incense or using a particular type of perfume will condition your perception of reality based on that choice. You can choose; the power of the properties of nature comes into play. So, if I choose to light or burn or surround myself with the scent of lavender, my body will enter a state of relaxation, whether conscious or unconscious. In contrast, peppermint has more energising characteristics. Thus, everything has a property; the ancients taught us this. They had a profound understanding of it, which we have completely forgotten, and today, this is somewhat my mission: to rediscover the knowledge of the past and present it in a playful and accessible way within contemporary understanding.

Entering into the specifics of the project and collaboration with Sileno Cheloni, what is the essence of this interaction, the essence of your identities, and the identifying elements present that make this an alternative and unconventional path?

This project marks the birth of a platform connected to the world of perfumes, but also related to the extraction of the properties of plants and those defined as olfactory notes. Sileno, first and foremost, introduced me to the world of perfumes and the art of perfumery through his extraordinary creations that continue to inspire. His creations are compositions formulated with his artistry.The olfactory notes are the raw materials that underpin this reflection; they are the foundations of perfumery upon which perfumers build their composed fragrances. ‘Profumoir’ was conceived as a platform for these olfactory notes, not for perfumes. We do not sell composed perfumes, apart from Sileno’s collection, which is his own creation. We define ourselves as an olfactory library, for when you enter our world, you can find a realm of olfactory notes, carefully curated by us. We have currently created a collection of 50 olfactory notes organised as if it were a library—a library of notes that we invite people to explore through what is called the layering technique, meaning the layering of scents based on your instinct and your interpretation of yourself and the day. Thus, our main line is structured around seven mother notes of perfumery, which function like musical scales: you can combine them in any combination, and they will always work. This collection is called Origine, and the notes we present are embedded within the name itself: ‘o’ for oud, ‘r’ for rose, ‘i’ for incense, ‘g’ for jasmine, ‘i’ again for iris, then ‘n’ for neroli, which is an orange flower, and ‘e’ for elemi, which is a type of amber. These are the seven notes we have created as fragrances. From this, we also extend into home fragrances with single-scent candles. We invite you to come and experience the scent of gardenia, the aroma of opium, the fragrance of pepper—essentially embarking on an educational journey. We encourage playfulness with yourself while maintaining an identity. Just like in the fashion world with the concept of uniforms, having the same personal scent is akin to wearing the same uniform. We invite you to play with various types of accessories or constructions. This collaboration, for me, is like a circle closing; it encompasses all the stages of my life and my journey.

Looking to the future, do you have any ideas about what will come next?

Well, we presented a lot months ago. We even introduced a hospitality house where people can come and stay to explore the full concept of the senses in all its expressions. The world of hospitality encapsulates everything, and we unveiled it with this incredible house I created in the heart of Florence, with the idea that one could enter and sleep in the home of a perfumer. Within this hospitality experience, certain types of activities take place. There is a garden, and at the end of it, we have created an extraction room where we are beginning to conduct experiments to extract the purest and most organic part of the plant for both olfactory and therapeutic functions. So, yes, the next step is to expand this entire concept.

Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Casa Profumoir, Florence
Giardino Profumoir, Florence
Daniele Cavalli

Profumoir: The Art of Senses

Credits:

Artist: Daniele Cavalli  / @danielecavalli
Profumoir site: www.profumoir.com / @profumoir
Address: Via di San Niccolò 72R, Florence, Italy
Interview: Annalisa Fabbrucci / @annalisa_fabbrucci
Editor: Maria Abramenko  / @mariabramenko

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