The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Chiudi Gli Occhi e Poi Vedi translates the act of closing your eyes into scent. The name invites a moment of stillness, a shift from seeing to sensing. The fragrance opens green and herbaceous, vetiver and artemisia arriving with an immediate sharpness that feels unapologetic. As it settles, unexpected sweetness emerges, threading through the herbal tension like a quiet revelation. It's about what happens when you stop looking and start sensing, when the familiar recedes and something else takes its place.
The unusual note structure is the point. Artemisia and clary sage bring a bitter, almost medicinal quality rarely found at this concentration. Strawberry in the base, jammy, sweet, slightly tart, arrives late and stays quiet. The combination creates a sweet-herbal tension that feels jarring on first spray, then hypnotic over hours. The vetiver and cedar hold everything together, earthy and contemplative, like the poem itself.
The evolution
The opening hits green and sharp, vetiver, artemisia, clary sage arriving almost simultaneously. No courtesy of a bright citrus opening. The bergamot and lemon in the base are subtle players, threading through the drydown rather than announcing themselves. After two hours, the strawberry emerges: sweet, slightly jammy, a surprise against the green. The dry herbs and vetiver take over, their earthiness deepening as the sweetness fades. The composition feels deliberate in its progression, each stage distinct yet connected to what came before.
Cultural impact
Part of the Unum collection, Filippo Sorcinelli's series of standalone fragrances. Chiudi Gli Occhi e Poi Vedi rewards patience over performance, unfolding slowly rather than announcing itself. The composition asks the wearer to engage with it on its own terms, to return to it repeatedly and discover something new each time. It's a fragrance designed for those who treat scent as a practice of attention.
