The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The Abstract Art Collection treats each fragrance as an equation to solve. 3+5 is one of ten compositions in the collection, each named for mathematical operations rather than metaphors or memories. Paolo Terenzi designed this one around contrast: the warmth of cream against the coolness of white florals, sweetness held in check by something earthier underneath. The naming convention isn't decorative, it's the brand's argument that fragrance operates on logic, that a formula can produce something worth wearing. 3+5 doesn't refer to an ingredient count or a proportion. It's simply a title, a position in a system, an equation whose answer is the scent itself.
The note structure here is unusual for a white floral. Instead of leading with a sharp citrus or green top, the opening goes immediately gourmand: almond and coconut arriving together, creating something closer to cream than to any flower. The Mexican tuberose then complicates that sweetness by being both lush and slightly animalic, the kind of tuberose that knows what it is and isn't embarrassed by it. What prevents this from becoming one-dimensional is the base: Italian oakmoss and ambergris adding mineral depth that the florals and cream can't provide on their own.
The evolution
First impression: the coconut and almond arrive simultaneously, coating the skin in something almost food-like. Apricot sits underneath, barely there, more of a suggestion of fruit than a statement. The pimento is the unexpected element, a brief flicker of warmth that prevents the opening from reading as purely dessert. Twenty minutes in, the florals take over. The Mexican tuberose dominates, jasmine sambac underneath providing body, while lily of the valley adds a brief coolness, a reset moment between the gourmand opening and the warmer heart. This middle phase is where the fragrance earns its complexity. It's still sweet, but the sweetness now has dimension. The drydown is where this composition justifies the Extrait concentration. Vanilla flower from Madagascar anchors everything, warm and slightly vanillic in the way real vanilla behaves, not synthetic sweetness, but something deeper. Indian sandalwood adds a milky woodiness. The Italian oakmoss is the surprise, bringing an earthy coolness that contrasts with the cream that preceded it.
Cultural impact
The Abstract Art Collection positions each fragrance as an equation to solve rather than a story to tell. 3+5 joins nine other compositions, 4x2, 2x4, 1+7, in a system that treats fragrance as mathematical art. The collection debuted in 2022, the same year as the house itself, suggesting a fully-formed philosophy from the start rather than an evolved aesthetic. This is fragrance as conceptual object: something to decode, not just wear.
