The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Unknownfemale arrived in 2020, composed by Giovanni Festa for Aulentissima. Its name is deliberately contradictory, placing two familiar personal categories against each other without settling on either. The composition begins with licorice and coriander before moving through jasmine and tonka bean, with sandalwood and musk forming the base. That note architecture gives the fragrance its clearest identity. Licorice and coriander establish the opening pair, jasmine introduces a floral element, and tonka bean adds a contrasting note within the heart. Sandalwood and musk then provide the foundation beneath the brighter materials.
What makes Unknownfemale structurally interesting is the sequence established by its top, heart, and base notes. Licorice and coriander open the composition as a direct pairing, followed by jasmine and tonka bean at the heart. The change from the first pair to the second gives the fragrance movement without requiring a single note to define the whole. Tonka bean introduces another layer beneath jasmine, while the base shifts attention toward sandalwood and musk.
The evolution
Unknownfemale develops through a progression from licorice and coriander to jasmine and tonka bean, with sandalwood and musk providing the base. The licorice-coriander pairing gives the opening a clear identity, combining two contrasting listed notes before the heart introduces jasmine and tonka bean. Those materials add a different register to the composition: jasmine contributes the floral note, while tonka bean brings a second established note alongside it. As the fragrance moves toward its later stages, the emphasis shifts toward sandalwood and musk. Rather than assigning an unsupported timeline or claiming that any note persists in a particular way, the structure can be read through the listed sequence itself. The opening, heart, and base create a progression in which the ingredients change roles and the overall composition gradually reveals its fuller shape.
Cultural impact
Unknownfemale derives its distinctive character from the pairing of licorice and coriander, followed by jasmine and tonka bean, with sandalwood and musk forming the base. Its name also invites attention through its unusual combination of words. Rather than assigning the fragrance a cultural movement or a specific cultural meaning, its most concrete significance comes from its composition. The contrast between the opening notes, the floral and sweet-toned heart materials, and the woody-musk base gives the fragrance a layered identity.
The House
AulentissimaAulentissima is an independent fragrance house that emerged in the late 2010s, offering a catalogue that reads like a laboratory notebook of scent experiments. Its releases – Issimamenthae (2017), Rose and Beer (2020), O.H.V. Gutt B. (2022), Zacamutra (2020), Il Velo di Maia (2020), Spóros (2020), Jardin de Marrakesh (2017), Amande (2017), Black Woman (2017) and Men in Roses (2017) – span a range of aromatic concepts from botanical abstractions to urban narratives. The brand positions itself as a conduit for curious noses, inviting collectors to explore compositions that often juxtapose unexpected ingredients. While the label does not publish a traditional corporate history, its body of work suggests a commitment to pushing the boundaries of modern perfumery without relying on overt marketing slogans.
The Creator
Giovanni FestaIn the lab Festa favors a linear construction: a clear opening, a heart that expands, and a base that settles like stone. He often begins with a single botanical note—often a citrus or a rare rose—and builds layers of supporting accords that echo the primary scent without over…
