Perfume and leather: the Florentine tradition in Santa Croce

During the Middle Ages, a walk along the river Arno, meant following the unmistakable scent of leather, from Florence all the way to Pisa. The area of Santa Croce shortly affirmed to be one of the most renowned centres for leather craftsmanship. Even today, the names of the streets recall a story full of historical shops and artisanal knowledge: Corso de’ Tintori, Via delle Conce and Via de’ Conciatori witness a lively and flourishing activity.

It is around Piazza Santa Croce that originated one of the most fascinating techniques of leather craftsmanship: the cuoietto fiorentino. Its origins date back from Ancient Times with the Etruscans; however, it was during the Middle Ages that leather masters started to bring this technique into art, leading it to its splendour during the Renaissance. The cuoietto fiorentino represents an innovative technique, due to the absence of  stitching, but is also profoundly essential, as it allows to value each part of the leather without causing any waste.

At the base of this craft, there is the crosta, which is one of the hardest parts of the leather typically excluded by industrial productions. The most renowned method in Santa Croce, needs the crosta to be softened by soaking it in a solution of water and alcohol, then shaped around a wooden model, so that it takes its form when dried down. Secondly, the structure is coated with the fiore, the softest and finest part of the leather. The result is a resistant object, but still pleasant to touch and sight.

The cuoietto fiorentino has silently but constantly accompanied the history of Florence. From its Etruscan roots, passing by the Middle Ages - when leather represented one of the main flowing activities of the city’s economy - until the Renaissance, when leather started to be decorated and became a symbol of  social prestige. Today, this craft still lives in the Florentine artisan’s botteghe and it became one of the most authentic expressions of Made in Italy in the world.

Aquaflor fully embraces this story and we dedicate ourselves to protect and value the cultural heritage of the city, honouring two excellences profoundly attached to Florence: artistic perfumery and leather craftsmanship.

Along with its fascinating story, leather is also a protagonist in the world of perfumery. Starting from the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, perfumers, attracted by its intense unmistakable facets, started to create the first fragrances that included leathery accords. Between the 20s and the 60s of the 1900s, leather became a central element in multiple compositions, often combined with tobacco, woods and musks.

Its characters derive also from the symbolic value of leather, always associated to elegance and luxury: bags, gloves, jackets and precious accessories evoke a timeless style. At the same time, leathery accords evoke depth, warmth and mystery, offering an experience which goes beyond the sense of smell and almost recalls touch.

The leather note is shaped by the ability of the perfumer, who uses both natural and synthetic raw materials to recreate its sensation. Among the most chosen ingredients we can find birch, tobacco and some animalic notes, enriched by patchouli, labdanum, cist, oakmoss and birch tar. Starting from the early 1900s, more synthetic alternatives started to emerge such as Isobutyl Quinoline, along with historical bases such as Mousse de Saxe and more modern options like Suederal. Each interpretation is truthfully unique and brings with it the own signature of the perfumer.

Among the Aquaflor collection, the Prélude d’Amour fragrance reinterprets the chypre style, much appreciated until the 80s, by enriching it with more contemporary accents. Leather, an essential element of this style, obtains a symbolic value: the leather purse, intimate and personal to every woman. The fruity floral notes recall the perfume, the iris evokes the lipstick, while leather gives the sensation of the purse itself. In this perspective,  Prélude d’Amour truly honors timeless feminine elegance.

In our Black Tie fragrance, leather adds character and refinement, exactly like the dresscode its name is inspired from. It is a strongly sophisticated scent, ideated to evoke the style and the confidence of the modern man.

An interpretation even more intense is the one offered by the Hussar fragrance, the Aquaflor perfume entirely dedicated to leather. For this scent, we were inspired by Russian leather, traditionally treated with birch tar to make it water resistant. The result is a strongly smoky scent, capable of evoking the story and identity of a culture.

Among materials, memory and sensations, leather still today expresses a universal language. A deep connection between craftsmanship and perfumery that bypasses time and honours the authentic elegance of Florence.