Few writers have paid homage to the power of scent quite like the German novelist Patrick Süskind did in his historical fantasy bestseller Perfume. In the final scenes, the main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille – an exquisite perfumer turned murderer – is about to be publicly executed. However, moments beforehand, he pours some drops of a “perfect scent” he created. The crowd, suddenly hypnotised and intoxicated by the irresistible aroma, ends up cheering the killer in a moment of collective euphoria.

Although Süskind blurs the lines between reality and fiction, it is true that scent influences a significant portion of human behaviour. Smell is said to be our strongest sense and olfactory signals are directly connected to our limbic system – the area of the brain that processes emotions and memory. From attraction to nostalgia, passion to calm, certain scents can enhance our mood, opening portals and leading our brain to unexplored territories. Dubbed “armchair travel”, fragrance is a powerful and immediate medium that evokes feelings while kick-starting our imagination.

Nevertheless, not every scent is meant to transport us to exotic destinations. Aromas are also inextricably linked to past memories, such as the comforting familiarity of home. This was the wish when Italian aristocrat Carlo Magnani decided to commission the making of his personal fragrance, Acqua di Parma Colonia, in 1916. Touring across the world’s cultural capitals, from London to New York, the elegant and cosmopolitan baron wanted a spritz that captured the spirit of his sun-drenched palazzo in the heart of Parma. The result was a fresh Mediterranean scent made with Sicilian citrus fruits, lavender and Bulgarian rose.

The formula – which has remained almost unchanged through the years – gained huge success among the baron’s noble circle of friends and prestigious tailors’ shops. A few drops were added as a graceful finishing touch to the solemn selling ceremony of bespoke suits. The perfume, considered to be Italy’s first real cologne, attracted the attention of the elite clientele of these exclusive boutiques in Rome and Florence, echoing the endorsement of celebrities such as Cary Grant, Ava Gardner and Audrey Hepburn. Celebrating Italian lifestyle and its finest rituals, the brand became an ambassador of “arte divivere” through a range of energising blends. Its signature packaging includes its Art Deco-style bottle and the bright “Parma yellow” label –a colour which adorned the city’s most elegant palazzo facades.

It is clear the brand is enormously proud of its over-a-century-old heritage, but it hasn’t been afraid to embrace new and unconventional adventures. The latest is a Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross – the British multi-disciplinary artist and creative director – and his industrial design studio SR_A.

Taking inspiration from the utilitarian soul shared by the architecture of Milan and London, Ross celebrates the classic fragrance with anode to high-tech modernism. With a nod to British Brutalism, the label is reduced to its minimum, turning the bottle into a window. ‘A fragrance bottle is a sculpture in its own right,’ says Ross. Lightness and transparency play vivaciously with a saturated colour palette that includes Sun_Rise_Yellow (a highly pigmented twist on the brand’s signature hue), Grass_Blade_Green and Ultra_Orange.

‘We are speaking the language of youth culture but producing something that is intergenerational. Acqua di Parma is a feeling, much like taste and sensibility. And we are inviting people to embrace that experience,’ he concludes. The baron, you feel, would approve.

Acqua di Parma Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross, will be released on 15 March, £140for 100ml; acquadiparma.com; selfridges.com