Filippo Zanini
Filippo Zanini emerged from the Tuscan town of Pistoia with a curiosity for wild flora that quickly turned into a professional pursuit. After completing a degree in chemistry, he enrolled at the Natural Perfume Academy, where he earned the Certified Natural Perfumer credential and later added the Certified Olfaction Trainer title. The rigorous curriculum taught him to extract, blend, and evaluate botanical essences without synthetic shortcuts. In 2020 he launched his independent lab, spending three years and more than fifty experimental batches perfecting a language of scent that feels both rooted and inventive. The effort paid off when his debut compositions, Principio and Dafne‑Meli, earned a nomination for the New Luxury Awards 2023. Today Zanini balances studio work with gallery installations, inviting visitors to experience his “smellscapes” – immersive scent environments that echo real and imagined places.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Filippo composes
Zanini favors natural extracts harvested at peak ripeness, often working with small‑batch distillations and cold‑presses. He builds structures around a single botanical anchor – such as lily in Principio or Mediterranean fig in Dafne‑Meli – then layers complementary notes that reinforce texture rather than dominate it. Transparency guides his formulations: each ingredient appears on the label, inviting the wearer to trace the scent’s evolution. He frequently employs maceration techniques that allow the heart of the material to unfold over weeks, and he experiments with unconventional carriers like olive oil or honey‑infused bases to soften volatility. The overall effect feels grounded, tactile, and unmistakably organic.
Philosophy
What drives Filippo
Zanini’s philosophy treats scent as a living archive of the natural world. He believes that every leaf, bark, or seed carries a story that can be translated into aroma, provided the perfumer listens with trained sensitivity. His training as an olfaction trainer reinforces a disciplined, scientific approach, yet he refuses to let analysis mute intuition. Ethnobotanical research guides his ingredient choices, while his studio rituals – from field walks in the Apennines to quiet note‑testing sessions – keep the process tactile. The result is a collection of “smellscapes” that aim to evoke place, memory, and mood without relying on synthetic shortcuts.
The houses