The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Voglie di Mare translates from Italian as "desires of the sea", a name that leans into the pull of coastlines and the salt-laced air that certain people find themselves longing for. Perfumer Arturetto Landi built this as a meditation on that specific yearning: what draws someone back to the water, the specific weight of humid air on skin, the way a marine scent can feel like memory as much as fragrance. The 2024 debut falls within Profumi d'Art x Armaf's broader numbered series, each fragrance intended as a standalone artwork rather than a follow-up to what came before. Art 02 carries that intention into olfactory territory, exploring what marine could be when it's not performing "fresh" for an audience.
What makes Art 02 unusual is the sheer density of its opening. Nineteen top notes is unusual, not because more is better, but because it suggests a perfumer willing to layer complexity that could easily collapse into noise. The marine base (algae, seaweed, sea moss) gets complicated by strawberry, melon, and citrus in a way that keeps the initial impression from reading as typical aquatic. The pink pepper and cardamom are the quiet architects here, they prevent the fruit from going too sweet, the marine from going too flat. It's a composition that earns its length by making every phase feel intentional rather than inevitable.
The evolution
The opening arrives fast and loud, marine notes asserting themselves with seaweed and salt, pink pepper giving the algae a slight sting that keeps it from being passive. Strawberry and melon arrive within the first minutes, their sweetness a counterpunch to the brine. Citrus cuts through at the edges, bergamot and grapefruit doing the bright work. This phase lasts roughly 45 minutes before the hand-off begins. The heart is where things shift. Water lily and cyclamen arrive quietly, their aquatic florals replacing the sea with something softer and more garden-adjacent. Juniper and artemisia bring an herbal quality that surprises, the cyclamen sweetness gets cut with something cleaner, greener. Neroli adds a bitter-floral note that most wearers either notice as sophisticated or find slightly astringent. This middle phase carries the bulk of the wear time, 3-4 hours of evolving structure. The drydown is where leather and wood take over.
Cultural impact
The marine fragrance category has experienced significant evolution since the early 2000s, shifting from linear aquatic accords to more complex compositions that blend marine elements with unexpected fruit, spice, and wood notes. Art 02 - Voglie Di Mare represents this newer wave, where the aquatic base serves as a foundation for layered fruit-spice complexity rather than standing alone. The 2024 collaboration between Italian perfumer Arturetto Landi and UAE-based Armaf reflects the globalization of niche-inspired fragrance creation, where Middle Eastern fragrance houses partner with European talent to produce accessible yet distinctive scents.
The House
Profumi d'Art X ArmafProfumi d'Art × Armaf is a collaborative fragrance line that pairs the United Arab Emirates‑based house Armaf with Italian perfumer Arturetto Landi. Launched in 2024, the collection presents a series of numbered Eau de Parfums that blend Italian artistry with the bold sensibility of a fast‑growing Middle Eastern brand. Each scent carries a concise title – Art 01 through Art 14 – and is marketed as a unisex offering, inviting wearers to explore a palette of floral, gourmand, woody and marine notes. The line has quickly expanded to include a discovery set that lets enthusiasts sample the core portfolio in one elegant box.
The Creator
Arturetto LandiLandi favors a clean, linear construction that highlights a single theme before introducing supporting layers. He often begins with a bright top—Italian bergamot, Sicilian lemon, or Calabrian orange—then anchors the heart with aromatic herbs or soft florals.
