Etro: from textiles to perfume
Paisley, the teardrop-shaped leaf of Eastern origin, has appeared in the collections since 1981 and has become the house's signature. It also appears in relief on the glass of the eau de parfum bottles, which are closed by a gold-finish cap. The common theme of the fragrances is travel, and you can see it in the names, which point to faraway places like Rajasthan, to a fabric like Shantung silk, or to Milan itself, with Via Verri and Vicolo Fiori.
The eaux de parfum in the catalog
Paisley and Musk: subtle sensuality and musk
Paisley bears the name of the motif: the house tells its story starting from the Tree of Life that the little leaf represented in ancient Mesopotamia and describes it as an enveloping perfume with a subtle, understated sensuality. Musk works on musk supported by woods, with an intense, enveloping character.
Patchouly and Rajasthan
The house's oriental classic is Patchouly, in a modern version that opens on woods and citrus and then turns softer, with a texture the house calls velvety. Rajasthan is named after the Indian region and pairs lemon, damask rose and mimosa with amber and white musk, which gradually give way to the base notes.
Shantung, Vicolo Fiori and White Magnolia: citrus and flowers
Shantung, released in 2016, is the citrus scent of the collection, built on the image of a nomadic tribe and the silk it carries. Vicolo Fiori brings together flowers and the city, with Eastern and Western accents, and the house dedicates it to the first Etro store in the Brera district, designing it for those who like to dare. Finally, White Magnolia, signed by perfumer Olivier Cresp and launched in 2021, is a unisex woody floral musk with bergamot in the opening, magnolia and hellebore at the heart and white woods and musk in the base.
The eaux de toilette and the shower gel
Via Verri Eau de Toilette is named after the street of the first boutique and has a sharp top and a languid heart, with floral, woody and musky notes intertwining. Patchouly Eau de Toilette has an accord of resin and roses, the same as the Patchouly shower gel. The eau de toilette version of Musk recalls the undergrowth, with musk, grass, wet leaves and bark. The house describes the Vicolo Fiori version as a tapestry of flowers and colors, a cobbled path of petals.
How to choose an Etro perfume
For Patchouly, Musk and Vicolo Fiori you can also choose the concentration, keeping in mind that the house describes the two versions starting from different images and materials. Patchouly and Musk come from the tradition of perfume built around a single material, patchouli and musk. Rajasthan, Via Verri and White Magnolia are instead multi-voiced compositions, combining flowers, citrus and woods.
Frequently asked questions
When did Etro start making perfume?
Etro has made perfumes since 1989, twenty-one years after the house was founded in Milan in 1968 by Gerolamo "Gimmo" Etro as a textile company. The house's first fragrance was Ambra, launched that same year, 1989.
Why is there a paisley motif on Etro bottles?
Paisley is Etro's signature and has appeared in its textile collections since 1981. On the eaux de parfum you can see it in relief on the glass of the bottle, together with a gold-finish cap. The house also named the Paisley eau de parfum after the motif, recalling that in Mesopotamia the design represented the Tree of Life.
What's the difference between Etro Patchouly eau de parfum and eau de toilette?
The two concentrations of Etro Patchouly have a different character. The eau de parfum is a classic oriental that opens on woods and citrus and settles into a velvety texture, while the eau de toilette has an accord of resin and roses.
Which Etro perfume should I choose if I love citrus?
If you love citrus, the Etro perfume to start with is Shantung, the citrus eau de parfum of the collection, inspired by silk and the travels of a nomadic tribe. White Magnolia also opens with bergamot, but then moves to a floral heart of magnolia and hellebore and a base of white woods and musk.
Who created Etro White Magnolia?
Etro White Magnolia is signed by perfumer Olivier Cresp and was released in 2021. It's a unisex woody floral musk, with bergamot at the top, magnolia and hellebore at the heart and a base of white woods and musk.
What inspired Etro Via Verri?
Etro Via Verri is named after the street in central Milan where the house opened its first boutique, in 1989. The house describes it as an ambivalent fragrance, with a sharp top and a languid heart, where floral, woody and musky notes intertwine like a garden hidden in the city.
Are Etro perfumes for men or for women?
It depends on the fragrance. The house doesn't divide the collection into men's and women's perfumes and presents it through raw materials, places and fabrics. White Magnolia is declared unisex, while Rajasthan is presented as a nod to a more nomadic femininity.
What's the difference between Etro Musk eau de parfum and eau de toilette?
The two versions of Etro Musk start from different images. The eau de parfum is a musk supported by the richness of woods, intense and enveloping, and comes in a 100 ml bottle with paisley in relief. The eau de toilette instead recalls a path through the undergrowth, with grass, wet leaves and bark.
What is the story behind Etro Vicolo Fiori?
Etro Vicolo Fiori comes from the meeting of flowers and the city. The eau de parfum pays tribute to the first Etro store in the Brera district and combines Eastern and Western scents, while the house describes the eau de toilette as a tapestry of flowers and colors, a cobbled path of petals.
What are the notes in Etro Rajasthan?
Etro Rajasthan opens with primofiore lemon, accompanied by damask rose and mimosa. Then come amber and white musk, which gradually give way to the base notes. The house presents it as a nod to a more nomadic femininity, a poetic and alluring fragrance.
