It’s almost that time….our favorite time of year. The moment all movers and shakers of the niche and artistic fragrance world descend upon Milan to gather for Esxence, the Art Perfumery event. The 2025 edition will be bigger, bolder and better than ever as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the fair.

Fifteen years? As they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and also when you’re busy. Before we look at what to expect this year, let’s flash back to memorable moments from 2009.

In 2009, the music single “TikTok” by Kesha was released. Now isn’t that interesting?

Barak Obama entered the White House and Angela Merkel took up her second term as Chancellor in Germany.

We were flocking to the movies to see Avatar.

We lost Michael Jackson.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set the world record for the 100 meter sprint to become the fastest man in history.

In our world, we saw the launches of Black Afgano by Nasomatto, Blanche by Byredo, Fat Electrician from Etat Libre d’Orange and Nightscape by Ulrich Lang New York.

Oud became the ingredient du jour as it played a starring role in releases from Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Kilian.

Esxence took place at Spazio Pelota…..an intimate space for a small group of challenger brands.

We’ve come a long way, baby!

Esxence 2025

The Concept: Masters of Dreams

In line with Esxence’s mission to promote excellence in perfumery, this year’s theme celebrates the “Masters of Dreams”, those perfumers who “transform dreams into olfactory realities”. Like alchemists, these talented artists, accompanied by the professionals who work alongside of them, bring us joy, happiness, confidence, comfort in liquid form which we use to perfume our skin, our pulse points and our soul. Every fragrance tells a story and even allows us to imagine one in which we are the protagonist.

The Brands

Esxence is of course the ideal platform for retailers, distributors and influencers to discover what’s new in the market while giving the opportunity to both established and emerging brands to increase their exposure to the right audience. No wonder everyone wants to be here! This year the show will cover 16,000 square meters with nearly 400 brands coming from all over the world: from Austria to Australia, from Oman to Uzbekistan, from Italy to India, and almost every country in between. As in the past, the floor will be divided into Main Brands, those who are firmly entrenched and established, and Spotlight Brands, who are innovative and growing. In addition, this will be the fifth year for the Experience Lab, a section dedicated to innovative and high-end beauty brands.

I asked several seasoned attendees to tell me which brands they will visit first.

Lukasz Szczesniak of Chemist in a Bottle is looking forward to seeing Parfum d’Empire. “It’s one of the first brands that got me into niche perfumery. They maintain really high quality while taking a slower approach to releasing new scents. And then there’s Hiram Green, a one-man show who is to me one of the best examples of how natural perfumery should be done”.

Femi Olusola of Seinde Signature in Nigeria mentioned the French, Vegan and cruelty-free brand Maison Mataha along with German family brand, Birkholz.

Danu Seith-Fyr has a long list of brands to visit inside the show including Extra Virgo, Kajal, Parfums Dusita, Manos Gerakinis, Meo Fusciuni and "so many others". She's also mentioned Hiram Green, so make time to visit his stand!

I’ve been perusing the list of brands to put my own game plan together which will include stops at Réserve en Afrique, Spiritica – subtitled as “paranormal luxury scents” – and Turkish brand Seven Gates which combines digital art and fragrance. My first stop, however will be at Lorenzo Villoresi’s booth since he told me last Fall that he was working on a new perfume.

The Program

Esxence always offers a rich program of workshops, lectures and panel discussions which will educate and inspire. Mark your calendar to get a seat in the conference room because, quite frankly, there is something for everyone.

If you want to know how niche perfumery has evolved since Esxence’s first edition, I’ll be interviewing Silvio Levi, co-founder of Esxence and founder of Essencional. Trust me, this will be a thought provoking chat. Here’s a snippet from our preparatory meetings:

If you want to know how to build your brand and grow your notoriety, we’ve got two panel discussions for you. Your truly will moderate a workshop with an international panel of retailers, distributors and luxury goods experts focused on how to get on the radar of buyers, retailers and distributors. Author Sarah Colton brings together brand principles, a retailer and an influencer to discuss how to get the PR attention you’re seeking.

If you’re curious about the key trends in niche fragrance, come hear Clayton Ilolahia from Fragrances of the World. Ermano Picco will explore the concept of mood-boosting fragrance with a panel that tackles the question of whether emotions can be bottled.

If you want to know about the challenges facing perfumers today, there’s a panel discussion with in-house and independent perfumers who will talk about some of the hottest topics they face every day.

If you want to know numbers and performance, Circana, the world leader in consumer market intelligence, will provide key insight on the state of niche fragrance in 5 top European markets. Essencional’s Observatory will share the results on the recent survey of brands, retailers and distributors on the evolution of niche perfumery.

If you want to dive into the history of niche, join us for an immersive retrospective presentation by Givaudan that spans nearly 90 years, delving into the partnership that develops between perfumer and creative visionaries.

If you want to know more about emerging markets, we’ve got a panel discussion on South East Asia and a presentation on opportunities in Iran.

Check out the event calendar here and block your agenda now!

2025-esxence-event-calendar.pdf

The Exhibits and Experiences

Esxence always delights the visitor with new olfactory concepts and experiences, many of which are offered by partners and sponsors. This year the Accademia del Profumo puts the focus on Bergamot of Calabria with an exhibit that explores the history, the production techniques and several applications of this iconic raw material.

The Osmothèque pays tribute to the decade of the 1920’s, a golden age of perfumery. Discover the legendary fragrances that launched during the decade when flappers danced the Charleston.

Be sure to reserve a slot with the entertaining and charismatic Bravanariz founder Ernesto Collado who will take small groups on olfactory walks in the environs surrounding CityLife. Following a quick mind opening exercise participants will revel in their senses as Ernesto talks about the language of plants and what they can reveal to us. After your “nose trip” you’ll have a new appreciation for nature. Space is limited for this unique experience; register at communication@equipemilano.com

Make your way to the MasterParfums stand to check out a new game that puts your sleuthing skills and olfactory prowess to the test. Can you sniff out the scent of a criminal based on the sillage left behind?

You’ll also want to make time for the experiential workshop offered by CFF Creative Flavours & Fragrances where you’ll have the opportunity to discover exclusive accords and raw materials.

The Challenge

Indeed the challenge is: how to take it all in over the four day event? You’ve got to do your homework! Visit the official website to preview the list of exhibiting brands. Make your short list and book appointments if you can. Esxence dedicates the first three days to professionals, so maximize this time first. Saturday welcomes the general public so you may want to head over to the exhibits and experiences and spend less time with exhibiting brands. Whatever works for you, it’s sure to be action-packed from morning ‘til night. As Duftbunker told me,

See you next week!

_________________________________________________

And here’s a shameless plug for my workshops!

Esxence at 15: A Look Back & Ahead with Silvio Levi

Thursday 20 February 2025: 14.30 – 15.15

As Esxence, the Art Perfumery Event, turns 15 co-founder I’ll interview Silvio Levi about the early days up until the present. He’ll share thoughts on how the perception of niche perfumery has evolved over the years. He’ll also explain the role Esxence serves as brand incubator and launchpad for trends in the overall fragrance sector.

Silvio Levi, Co-Founder Esxence, Founder Essencional

__________________________________________________________________

Finding your Niche: How to attract buyers, retailers and distributors to your brand

Friday, 21 February 2025: 15.30 – 16.15

The niche perfumery sector has become very crowded. At the first Esxence show in 2009 there were roughly 400 launches and now that number has skyrocketed to over 1500….per year. In such a competitive field, how can a brand rise above to be desirable and get on the radar of buyers, retailers and distributors? What makes a retailer find shelf space to add the brand to the assortment? What criteria must a brand have to be picked up by a distributor? A international panel of experts will discuss these topics and more.

François Duquesne, CEO & Founder Maison Duquesne

Eduardo Garcia, Founder MyScentJourney

Vesa Kalho, Head of Beauty Buying, Fenwick UK

Carlo Pignataro, Luxury Industry Negotiation & Customer Experience Expert

___________________________________________________________________________

Circana Presents: Niche Fragrances in the Perfumery Channel in Europe, 2024

Wednesday, February 19 February 2025: 15.00 – 15.30

I’ll be moderating a panel discussion with representatives from Circana who will provide key insight on the state of niche fragrance in 5 top European markets. We’ll talk about trends, we’ll examine size and price point data, we’ll look at the performance in Brick & Mortar plus eCommerce and we’ll dive into details by segment. We’ll also peek into the relationship between consumers and the niche sector.

Sylvie Cagnoni, Executive Director Circana

Alessia Ceriani, Senior Account Manager, Italy

___________________________________________________________________

90 years of Haute Parfumerie by Givaudan : Heritage and current challenges

Wednesday 19 February 2025: 16.30 – 17.15

Join us for an immersive retrospective presentation that spans nearly 90 years of Givaudan's olfactive craftsmanship. Beginning in 1937 with the success of Shocking by Schiaparelli, a collaboration between the designer Elsa Schiaparelli and perfumer Jean Carles. This partnership marked the beginning of Haute Parfumerie—two creative minds joining forces with fearless creativity to merge both their universes into scent. A model that continues today for contemporary Haute parfumerie. Givaudan will share with you their unique way of working to make the magic happen.

Bernardo Cauvin, VP Sales Fine Fragrances & Business Development, Fragrance & Beauty,

_____________________________________________________________________________

Essencional Observatory 2025: Observations and Survey Results

Thursday 20 February 2025: 11.30 – 12.15

In recognition of Esxence’s 15 year anniversary, Essencional has conducted a comprehensive survey on the evolution of the niche sector from the point of view of retailers, distributors and brands. What is the benchmark of must-have brands today? How often do retailers revise their assortments? What key factors are brand lacking to be successful? What are the most common long-term goals for brands? We’ll discuss the findings after a quick review of the economic conditions facing the industry today.

Marco Ricchetti, CEO Blumine and Economic Advisor to Essencional

Silvio Levi, Co-Founder Esxence, Founder Essencional

Chiara Toniello, Project Manager, Essencional

_____________________________________________________________________________