Company: Acqua di Parma

In 1916, skillful master perfumers created a new fresh, refined and modern fragrance in a small perfumer’s laboratory in the old town center of Parma.

Named Colonia, this first Italian eau de cologne expressed a new sensibility. What was most striking about it was its formula, produced exclusively with natural ingredients, and its bottle showcasing Art Deco lines. Its popularity reached its pinnacle in the 1950s during the golden age of Italian cinema, when the biggest names in the industry discovered the fragrance while in Rome for film shoots at the famous Cinecittà studios.

Going beyond the Italian border and transcending time and fashion, Colonia became the exclusive perfume of high society, an unmistakable symbol of Italian elegance.

The brand, which opened its first boutique in Milan in 1998, has since developed a wide range of products, including fragrances, colognes, beauty and shaving products, a home collection and leather accessories.

Today, Acqua di Parma is a lifestyle brand in a high profile market, a worldwide byword for sophistication and Italian refinement.