Heritage
A house, in its own words
Sandalia emerged as a collection within Acqua di Sardegna, a house dedicated to expressing the authentic character of the island. The brand takes its name from the sandalo, the traditional Sardinian wooden sandal, a humble object that speaks to the island's artisan traditions and its intimate connection to the earth. The collection launched in 2017 with releases including Lò, Karaly, Miana, Coros, Boeli, and Othoca, each named after significant Sardinian locations. This inaugural group established the house's approach: using place names as portals into the island's layered identity. The subsequent years brought continued expansion, with Qadesh, Daidalos, Aketathon, Sirai, Honebu, and Ugarith arriving in 2022, followed by Mareos in 2024. Nixias, launched in 2019 as an extrait de parfum, was described as the scent of the Animus, adding a mystical dimension to the collection. The house draws inspiration from archaeological sites including Sa Figu on the plateau of Coros, home to Domus de Janas (the House of the Fairies), the ancient tomb structures that dot the Sardinian landscape. This archaeological grounding gives the collection a sense of temporal depth rarely found in contemporary perfumery. Sandalia operates from a conviction that every island holds an olfactory truth waiting to be discovered. The house rejects the notion that fragrance should merely smell pleasant; instead, it seeks to articulate the innermost identity of a place. The founders believe that Sardinia possesses a complexity that mainstream perfumery has largely overlooked, with its wild interiors, coastal breezes, and millennia of human habitation creating a scent archive that remains largely unexplored. The collection chooses names with care, selecting place names that carry specific associations within Sardinian culture. These are not arbitrary labels but deliberate invitations for the wearer to research, learn, and connect. The house describes itself as authentic, pure, and wild, terms that reflect both the materials used and the approach taken. There is no attempt to soften or modernize Sardinia's rougher qualities; instead, the fragrances embrace the island's untamed character.