The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Empathy arrived in 2025 from Solonoi's Dolce Far Niente Collection, composed by Alejandro Mazzola. Bergamot, petitgrain, ginger, and bright citrus notes form a clear opening, balancing fresh citrus with ginger's clean, peppery warmth. The composition then moves toward rose, white musk, white pepper, and palisander rosewood, bringing together floral, musky, peppery, and woody elements. As the fragrance settles, ambrette and amber add warmth beneath the brighter opening and the rounder middle notes. The result is a fragrance for people who like their ease with a point of view.
What makes Empathy worth slowing down for is the handoff between its materials. Citrus brings light and immediacy, while ginger introduces clean heat rather than heavy smoke. Rose softens the sharper opening notes without turning the composition into a conventional bouquet, and white pepper adds a dry, lively accent. Palisander rosewood contributes a woody presence alongside the floral and musky notes. Ambrette and amber settle underneath, adding warmth with a subtle resinous quality. Together, the materials create a familiar language with a measured, composed character.
The evolution
The first impression is brisk and transparent, with citrus brightness and petitgrain at the front. Ginger follows with clean, peppery heat, giving the opening a lively character without a heavy smoky quality. As the scent settles, rose and white musk create a polished middle ground, while white pepper and palisander rosewood introduce dry, woody notes. The drydown is quieter but more tactile: ambrette and amber leave a warm, skin-like trace with a subtle resinous depth. Across the composition, the brighter opening gives way to softer floral, musky, woody, and warm layers.
Cultural impact
Empathy can be discovered through its composition of contrasting materials. Bergamot, petitgrain, ginger, and bright citrus establish an energetic opening, while rose, white musk, white pepper, and palisander rosewood create a more textured middle. Ambrette and amber add warmth underneath, giving the fragrance a layered progression from fresh and peppery to floral, woody, musky, and warm.
The House
SolonoiSolonoi is a niche fragrance house offering a diverse portfolio of scents that range from gourmand compositions like Overdose and Bel Natale to Mediterranean-inspired fragrances such as Sogno Mediterraneo and Torrechiara. The brand's catalog suggests a creative breadth that spans playful, nostalgic, and moody territory, including recent releases like After Office and Cul de Sac from 2024, alongside more unconventional offerings like Oudphoria and Pinocchio.
The Creator
Alejandro MazzolaMazzola's signature lies in his willingness to source inspiration from the everyday and the regional. He has built entire compositions around mass-consumption pleasures, mate, beer, dulce de leche, turning raw, recognizable notes into refined, wearable structures.
