Small yet mighty, saffron is one of the world’s most desirable ingredients. The delicate orange-red strands of this covetable spice, known as “red gold”, are harvested by hand from the prized stems of the crocus flower.

It is a painstaking process that can only be undertaken once a year, with workers racing around the clock to complete the intricate harvest within a 24-hour window.

It is for this reason, and for its luminous, exotic appeal and complex flavour profile, that saffron naturally imbues a sense of luxury.

Zafferano by Acqua di Parma

And so it is that saffron is the inspiration and key ingredient of a surprising new scent from Italian perfume house Acqua di Parma, created exclusively for London’s premier department store, Harrods.

The newly unveiled Zafferano features natural saffron from Iran at its core. This nuanced spice is offset by bright notes of bergamot, mandarin and orange, along with touches of coriander seeds, creamy vanilla and tonka. Zafferano is the latest addition to the premium Signatures of the Sun collection, with each scent innovatively reinterpreting one of the world’s most precious ingredients. The result is a rich and sensual fragrance presented in an elegant new edition of Acqua di Parma’s classic Art Deco-inspired glass bottles, featuring black panels and hand-painted tones of gold. In keeping with the sustainability principles of the wider Signatures of the Sun collection, the bottle is also fitted with a removable dispenser for recycling purposes and the outer packaging is made from FSC-approved fine paper. All of this fine attention to detail is emblematic of all Acqua di Parma products, which are still crafted in Italy to traditional standards using only the finest ingredients.

Zafferano by Acqua di Parma, £201 for 100ml, available in store at Harrods

‘We’re very happy to dedicate a rich fragrance like Zafferano to Harrods, a genuine London institution,’ commented the maison. ‘Signatures of the Sun is a collection that provides a continuous discovery; with Zafferano it resonates with new emotions and tells the story of something unique.’

“The power of scent is that it can pull us instantaneously to a certain time or place”

Although a different landscape to the glamorous Italian Riviera synonymous with Acqua di Parma perfumes, Zafferano represents the house’s dedication to creating luxurious and evocative scents that transcend pure fragrance and create an experience.

Acqua di Parma was founded in 1916 with the launch of the iconic Colonia fragrance, still recognised today as the masterpiece of
the maison. Founder Carlo Magnani wanted to capture the city of Parma in his scent, with citrus notes evocative of Italian landscapes, architecture and vitality. Colonia was instantly popular, and became a global sensation in the 1950s when it was discovered by Hollywood starlets Audrey Hepburn and Ava Gardner. The power of scent is that it can pull us instantaneously to a certain time or place in a way that none of the other senses can do so proficiently. Colonia has transported us to the heart of Parma for more than a century, and now Zafferano offers an exciting new journey and story told through the timeless lens of Acqua di Parma.

Discover Zafferano by Acqua di Parma exclusively at Harrods