The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Luca Maffei developed La Passeggiata after a field trip to the Ligurian shoreline in early 2025, where the scent of sea-spray, citrus orchards and sun-warmed stone lingered on the air. He translated those memories into a fragrance that moves from the sharp brightness of black pepper and orange through a warm heart of tonka bean, cypress and fig, settling into a drydown of cedarwood, labdanum, patchouli and vanilla. The name, which means an afternoon stroll in Italian, captures both the casual spirit of the composition and the Ligurian terroir that inspired it. Perris Portofino, launched as the seaside sibling to Milan-born Perris Monte Carlo, channels Ligurian light, sea-spray and sun-warmed stone into terroir-focused fragrances, and La Passeggiata exemplifies that philosophy with an olfactory portrait of a coastal walk that feels intimate and unhurried.
Maffei chose black pepper and orange for the opening because they mirror the sharp clarity of Ligurian light, with lemon leaf providing the green texture of coastal vegetation. The tonka-fig heart represents the warmth of afternoon, the point in a walk where the pace slows and the surroundings feel most intimate. Cedarwood and labdanum anchor the composition in the region's sun-warmed stone and pine forests, while patchouli and vanilla add the kind of lasting warmth that makes the fragrance feel personal rather than performative. The result is a fragrance that rewards attention, offering different facets as it settles from bright citrus to warm sweetness to grounded woodiness.
The evolution
The fragrance opens with black pepper and orange, a combination that sparks the skin with immediate brightness before settling into the green clarity of lemon leaf. From there, tonka bean and cypress take over, shifting the composition from sharp to warm, with fig threading through the heart to add creamy, lactonic sweetness that reads as distinctly Mediterranean. As the drydown arrives, cedarwood takes the lead, its dry, architectural character grounding the composition while labdanum adds a resinous depth that feels rooted in the landscape. Patchouli and vanilla follow, bringing earthy warmth and soft sweetness that extends the fragrance well beyond its initial hours, creating a finish that lingers like the memory of a walk along the coast as the afternoon light softens into evening.
Cultural impact
La Passeggiata captures the spirit of Italy’s coastal towns, where daily life revolves around bustling markets, sea breezes, and late‑afternoon passeggiatas. The blend of black pepper and blood orange reflects the region’s love for bold flavors, while lemon leaf evokes the citrus groves that line the Riviera. Introduced in 2025, the scent quickly became a soundtrack to summer evenings, inspiring social media creators to pair it with seaside photography. Its popularity highlights a broader trend toward fragrances that blend bright, fresh top notes with grounding, earthy bases, mirroring a cultural shift toward balanced, versatile scents that transition from day to night.
