Julia Zangrilli
Julia Zangrilli did not follow the conventional path into perfumery. She built her foundation as a self-taught creator before pursuing formal certification in raw materials at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in France, grounding herself in the discipline's historic capital. Born in State College, Pennsylvania, the youngest of four, she eventually planted herself in Brooklyn and launched NOVA in 2012. What began as a custom-blend service catering to New Yorkers seeking signature scents has grown into a broader creative practice. Her work with Loup Chamant on their debut fragrance, Sultan, announced her ability to execute sophisticated, emotionally resonant compositions. She has since created scents for Madewell and collaborated with jewelry designer Anne Sheffield, proving her range extends across fashion and accessories. Based between New York City and Williamsburg, Zangrilli continues to run NOVA as both a custom studio and event space, with her work catalogued at fifteen fragrances and counting.
The signature
How Julia composes
Zangrilli trained in Grasse, which means her technical vocabulary leans classical. She understands raw materials with precision, a skill evident in her formal certification. Her custom work suggests someone comfortable working across fragrance families, from the opulent warmth of Sultan to more minimal, modern compositions. She has shown affinity for workshops and interactive formats, which implies an ingredient knowledge broad enough to educate on the fly. Her retail collection through NOVA indicates a preference for wearable, considered scents rather than aggressive statement fragrances, reflecting the understated confidence of someone who never needed permission to call herself a perfumer.
Philosophy
What drives Julia
Zangrilli treats fragrance as a form of autobiography. She believes scent carries narrative weight, capable of archiving memory and identity in ways other mediums cannot. Her process begins with conversation, understanding what her clients want to carry with them, before a single material touches the palette. She resists trend-driven work, favoring instead the creation of scents that feel deeply personal. Custom blending remains central to her practice because, she has said, people deserve to smell like themselves, not like a marketing demographic. Her philosophy also embraces accessibility, evident in her willingness to demonstrate basic perfumery techniques to wider audiences, demystifying an art form often cloaked in exclusivity.