From an atelier of sacred vestments to perfume
Sorcinelli has worked with the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and made vestments for Benedict XVI and for the Mass inaugurating the pontificate of Pope Francis in 2013. The perfumes came later, devoted to their creator's other passions: Gothic art, photography and above all the organ, which he himself calls the soundtrack of his life. Music also shapes the way the notes are described: instead of top, heart and base, each product sheet speaks of subject, countersubject and coda, as in a fugue. Also tied to the organ is Symphonie Passion, which recalls the scent Filippo noticed when he switched on the organ played by Marcel Dupré in Rouen, with sandalwood, musk, cedar, vetiver and peony. Then there is Ennui Noir, dedicated to the need to find oneself again in the fog of solitude, with patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, heliotrope and lavender.
The collections in our catalog
UNUM, the core of the house
Everything starts with Lavs, an incense with tonka bean, amber, opoponax, labdanum and black pepper. The Lavs Limited Edition uses the same materials and adds rosewood. To capture the scent of the Gothic, born with the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the house created Opus 1144, with white musk, vanilla, sandalwood, leather and iris. Quando Rapita in Estasi is dedicated to Maria Callas in Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala and smells of incense, lily of the valley and peach. The same collection also includes Io Non Ho Mani Che…, a tribute to the photographer Mario Giacomelli with incense, benzoin and tobacco, and Ne' il Giorno Ne' L'Ora, which starts from the parable of the ten virgins to speak about fear.
Memento, the sacristies
In this collection each perfume is born from the drawers of a sacristy. Pont.Max. is inspired by St. Peter's in the Vatican, Santa Casa by Loreto and its candles, and Chiesa D'Oro by the spices of St. Mark's in Venice. Basilica di Assisi recalls a spring wind among wood and walls, with benzoin, styrax and rose. Finally, Dò'Mm is dedicated to the ancient north sacristy of the Milan Cathedral, the first part of the cathedral to be built.
Extrait de Musique, the stops of the organ
Here each fragrance is inspired by the sound of one stop of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris. Unda Maris takes its name from the stop with an undulating sound and has incense, vanilla, patchouli and tonka bean. The song of the human voice lies behind Voix Humaine 8, which combines musk, amber, vanilla and ambrette, while Contre Bombarde 32 recalls the dust and waxes of the pipes. The series also includes Trompette 8, Plejn Jeu and Violon Basse.
Délire de Voyage, X SÉ and SuperFluo?
Délire de Voyage starts from real events, such as the earthquake that struck the Marche for Epicentro and the fire at the Paris cathedral for Notre Dame. X SÉ is the provocative side of the house, with perfumes such as Quickie and Coffee and Cruising Area. SuperFluo? is devoted to body care and includes extraits such as Dolcissimo Sollievo and Luce dei Cuori.
How to choose a Filippo Sorcinelli perfume
Incense lovers can start with Lavs, which the house calls "the incense of incenses," or with Quando Rapita in Estasi and Io Non Ho Mani Che…, both with incense in the subject. For atmospheric perfumes there are the Pioggia (Debole, Moderata, Forte), Nebbia (Fitta, Spessa, Densa) and Vento series: Nebbia Fitta ends with an accord of damp earth, while Nebbia Spessa opens with sea lichen. Those who prefer vanilla will find Ascetic Vanilla, with vanilla cream, jasmine and caramel.
Gift set and body line
The Memento sample set brings together eight fragrances from the sacristy collection in 2 ml vials. Lavs also comes as a body cream, made with olive oil, argan oil and shea butter and recommended by the house for dry skin, as well as a shower gel and shampoo. Lentezza Carezza also comes as an extrait, body cream and shower gel.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Filippo Sorcinelli?
He is an artist from the Marche region who founded LAVS in 2001, an atelier of sacred vestments known for the robes made for Benedict XVI and for the Mass inaugurating the pontificate of Pope Francis. He is also a musician with a deep passion for the organ, and since 2014 he has signed a line of artistic perfumes born as an extension of the atelier.
What inspired Quando Rapita in Estasi?
Quando Rapita in Estasi is inspired by Maria Callas singing the mad scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala in Milan. The fragrance combines incense, lily of the valley and cedar, then clove and peach, and closes with balsam fir, labdanum, patchouli and vetiver.
What do subject, countersubject and coda mean?
They are the musical terms Sorcinelli uses to describe the composition of his perfumes, in place of the usual olfactory pyramid. They come from the form of the fugue and reflect his passion for the organ: on every product sheet the raw materials are divided into these three parts.
What is the Memento collection?
Memento is the Sorcinelli collection inspired by the drawers of church and basilica sacristies. It includes Pont.Max. for St. Peter's, Santa Casa for Loreto, Chiesa D'Oro for St. Mark's in Venice and Dò'Mm for the Milan Cathedral, along with Assisi, Cascia and Notre-Dame. The Memento sample set gathers eight of them in 2 ml vials.
What is Extrait de Musique?
Extrait de Musique is the collection inspired by the stops of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Each fragrance bears the name of a stop, such as Unda Maris, Voix Humaine 8, Contre Bombarde 32 and Trompette 8, and interprets its sound with incense, resins, woods and musks.
Are Sorcinelli perfumes eau de parfum or extrait?
The Sorcinelli perfumes in our catalog are all extrait de parfum, in every collection: UNUM, Memento, Extrait de Musique, Délire de Voyage, X SÉ and SuperFluo?. Even SuperFluo?, created for body care, offers Dolcissimo Sollievo and Luce dei Cuori as extraits. What changes are the materials, from the incense of Lavs to the vanilla of Ascetic Vanilla.
Does Sorcinelli make sweet or gourmand perfumes?
Yes. Ascetic Vanilla combines sandalwood and amber woods with vanilla cream, jasmine and caramel. Vulnus opens with red-hot iron and leather, moves to caramel and ends with crème brûlée and advocaat. Voix Humaine 8 and Rosa Nigra also have musk, amber and vanilla in the subject.
Does Sorcinelli make body care products?
Yes, Sorcinelli offers body products in the Lavs and Lentezza Carezza fragrances. For Lavs there is a body cream with olive oil, argan oil and shea butter, a shower gel with betaine and panthenol, and a shampoo with marjoram and aloe vera; Lentezza Carezza comes as a body cream and shower gel.
