A pair of new fragrances from Dolce & Gabbana are inspired by the light and shade of Sicily, and the enduring sensuality of velvet as a material through the centuries
At the globally touring Dolce & Gabbana exhibition Dal Cuore alle Mani: Dolce & Gabbana (From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana), which explores the design duo’s Alta Moda couture collections since their launch in 2012, there is a room that reproduces the ballroom of Palazzo Valguarnera-Gangi in Palermo, Sicily, which features in the famous 1963 Visconti film Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). This cinematic masterpiece is itself a screen version of a novel of the same name that charts the sunset of 19th-century Sicilian aristocracy. Both Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana cite Il Gattopardo as a formative influence on their aesthetic, and the elaborate and elegant evening wear they show both in their couture and ready-to-wear collections always contains an echo of the craftsmanship and fabrics of the clothing of this bygone age.
Though Il Gattopardo is set in the 1860s, Domenico Dolce has personal memories of the prominent Sicilian families he knew a century later while growing up near Palermo. Surrounded by the myths of the island, as a child he would accompany his tailor father to fittings at the big houses and witness the clothing that these people would order. A regular fabric requested and suggested was velvet – lustrous, tactile, distinctive. And since Dolce & Gabbana’s birth in 1985, velvet has been a favourite in the design duo’s repertoire.
‘Velvet has amazing depth and sensuality,’ explains Dolce. ‘It is a royal fabric,’ agrees Gabbana, ‘and full of romance’.
Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Passion Oud, 100ml, £281
It should come as no surprise then that there is a signature range of scents by the designers that goes by the name of the Velvet collection. This clearly aims to channel the spirit of Sicily and the warmth and sophistication of the fabric, and has now been expanded by the arrival of two new fragrances – Velvet Passion Oud and Velvet Honey Santal. While each has an individual character – one smoky and dark, the other luminous, sunny and sweet – they are nevertheless bound by their seductive appeal and suggestion of the spirit of Italy’s largest island.
Velvet Passion Oud, created by perfumer Paul Guerlain, takes its inspiration from an Arabian palace in Palermo, where it’s easy to imagine whispered tales of the past and the curling smoke from tobacco pipes among the decorative frescoes. Opening with passion fruit, Velvet Passion Oud surprises with a sweet and spicy narghile accord. Saffron and rose add a gentle elegance, while cistus and oud sit at the base of this rich and fruity layered scent. The effect is voluptuous, in the way that velvet can be.
Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Honey Santal, 100ml, £281
Meanwhile, Velvet Honey Santal, developed by master perfumer Aurélien Guichard, is sweeter, taking its cue from miele di Sicilia (Sicilian honey), in legend said to be the favourite food of the ancient deities. Guichard has created a woody, dazzling fragrance, all golden honey and creamy sandalwood. Balsamic notes of gurjun balsam and styrax, and a warm base of benzoin and amber, complete what is a truly glowing, indulgent scent. Again, the connection with the feel and warmth of the fabric that gives its name to this creation is clearly in evidence.
These two new fragrances are unisex and join the other fragrances in the Velvet collection. To enhance this, Dolce & Gabbana has launched a service on its website called the Velvet Layering Experience, an interactive digital tool that can help people to create their own personal olfactory effects with combinations of the Velvet scents.
£281 for 100ml; dolcegabbana.com
