The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
CÀ·SO arrived in 2021 from a partnership between Bravanariz and SUPER DUPER HATS, the Italian hat makers. It began with a simple idea: what if putting on a hat could also mean stepping outside? Ernesto Collado Sala, a former actor turned self-taught botanical perfumer working out of Catalonia's Empordà region, built the composition from plants he knew intimately, the kind of aromatics that surround anyone who grew up somewhere wild. Fir, pine resin, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon, bergamot, and oakmoss. Mediterranean forest, essentially, bottled as a gesture you wear on your head. Only 90 numbered bottles were produced, which makes it less a product launch and more a small conversation between two craftspeople who thought hats and scent should meet more often.
The choice of Scots pine resin matters more than it looks. Most aromatic compositions lean on lavender or rosemary to carry the herbal thread, but raw pine resin brings a sticky, almost bitter warmth that synthetic aromachemicals can't replicate. Pair it with fir, sage, and oakmoss, and you get something closer to a forest floor than a cologne. The citrus top, lemon and bergamot, acts as sunlight filtered through branches, present but never the point. Everything ties back to landscape rather than abstraction.
The evolution
The first thirty minutes belong almost entirely to the citrus. Lemon and bergamot arrive sharp and bright, almost bracing, the way cold air feels when you step out of a warm room. Rosemary threads through underneath, herbaceous and dry, giving the opening an almost kitchen-garden quality before the conifers arrive. Pine resin and fir build the spine of the composition, turning the bright top into something denser and woodier around the second hour. Oakmoss settles in slowly, providing the damp, earthy base that makes the whole thing feel rooted. Sage and lavender stay present throughout, not as top notes but as quiet anchors in the middle. By hour four the citrus is gone, replaced by a resinous, slightly mossy close that clings close to the skin. Below 4-6 hours it's mostly skin-warm resin and faint conifer. The next morning, what's left smells like dry bark and cold stone.
Cultural impact
CÀ·SO arrived in 2021 as a crossover project between Bravanariz and the Italian hat maker SUPER DUPER HATS, capped at 90 numbered bottles per batch. The collaboration tied scent to craft accessories, each unit paired with a co-branded leather case and a numbered dust bag. The release reinforced Bravanariz's reputation among collectors who prize raw, single-origin botanical perfumery over commercial accords. Its limited run made it a frequent reference in niche collector circles and helped draw attention to the broader Empordà-grown distilling movement in Catalonia.
The House
BravanarizBravanariz creates natural perfumes inspired by Mediterranean landscapes. The brand was founded by Ernesto Collado, who left a career in theater and contemporary performance to pursue botanical perfumery. Based in the Empordà region of Catalonia, Collado walks directly into landscapes to capture their aromatic essence, translating place into wearable scent. Each fragrance draws from wildcrafted botanicals and essential oils of regional origin, reflecting a practice rooted in sensory exploration of the natural world.
The Creator
Ernesto Collado SalaCollado's aesthetic leans toward the wild and unrefined. He favors native Catalan botanicals, often wild-harvested or grown himself on small plots near his studio.
