Naso di Raza: Italian Heritage Meets the Art of Perfumery

Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule

Passion, Italian heritage, and perfumes inspired by art – these are the elements that best describe Naso di Raza. In an interview with PlezuroMag, Federica Cavallin, the brand's creative director, reveals the story behind it.

Federica Cavallin and Agapito Norca / Photo: Darius Damulis

Naso di Raza currently has a stunning collection of nine exceptional fragrances, created in collaboration with renowned perfumers such as Cécile Zarokian, Luca Maffei, Patrick Bodifee, and others.

Ever since I sampled Ravi—a spicy, boozy blend of tobacco, cinnamon, nutmeg, and more, crafted by Ms. Zarokian—I was eager to explore the rest of the collection. This September, at Pitti Fragranze in Florence, I had the chance to do just that—and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary, I added several perfumes to my never-ending wishlist. Creative and unique, with some being mouthwateringly delicious, these fragrances are truly worth trying.

But it wasn’t just the perfumes that were a memorable encounter while visiting booth B5. I also had the pleasure of meeting the people behind Naso di Raza: the lovely couple Federica Cavallin and Agapito Norca, who share, as they like to say, the “Creative Director’s sofa.” Watching them talk about their perfumes, it was impossible not to notice the passion they have for their work. Federica kindly agreed to share more with PlezuroMag readers about the brand, its inspiration, and the influence of Italian roots on their creations.

When was your brand founded and how did you come up with the idea?

We founded the brand in 2014. We don't belong to the category of those who create a perfect storytelling narrative to satisfy voracious consumers of novelties and unpublished products. Our story was born from the meeting of people with a pure passion for perfumes. Each of us has a life behind us (though not very long—we haven’t yet decided to grow old) that allowed us to start this new chapter. Important friends enlightened us on the parts exquisitely linked to production, and the perfumers did the rest.

Can you introduce the people behind the brand? Is this a family business?

First, I like to remember an unknown street artist, François Bernard, whom I met at a chiringuito in the Balearics. He signed our first caps with drip painting in a garage. Now he's no longer with us, but his artistic and wild memory always guides us. Agapito Norca—architect, husband, and partner in crime since school days—takes meticulous care of the packaging and more! Together, he and I manage every step of this collection. We sit side by side on the Creative Director's sofa!

Naso di Raza / Photo: Darius Damulis

What do you find challenging about staying relevant in the fragrance industry, and what do you enjoy the most?

I find the universal side of perfumery fascinating. A single drop contains essences from every corner of the world, and a bottle of perfume reaches every corner of the world. There are no cultural, ethnic, or geographical barriers—it’s a global masterpiece.

We have no interest in adhering to the rules of the fragrance industry; they stifle creativity. We don’t follow the annual launch rule for new products. Instead, we fully enjoy the entire creation process: the meetings with perfumers, the arrival of the first sample (which we open with an almost religious ritual), and the tests on the skin. These become initiation rites, and we wait for the perfect day—it must be sunny! Then the journey begins, sometimes very long, until we achieve exactly what we envisioned.

Can you tell our readers more about your perfumes? Do you have a favorite from your line? How important is Italian heritage to you?

As inscribed on the bottle, "pensato in Italia", our perfumes are created with Italy in mind. I like to think that Italy has never lost its Renaissance tradition. Foreign artists and men of letters have always come to Italy to learn about new artistic and cultural trends. We strive to maintain the strong identity of Italian style.

Perfumes are like children, and none can be preferred. Personally, I like to wear them all, but if I were to reconnect to what I said earlier, I’d mention Giuseppe. This perfume embodies the Italian lifestyle, and the name is among the most common in Italy. I challenge anyone not to have a father, brother, uncle, or cousin with this name. The perfumer Luca Maffei perfectly captured the essence of the Italian man: very elegant, dynamic, concrete, and handsome. This is a modern dandy perfume with extraordinary allure!

We love challenges and innovation, but we don’t like conformity. Our collection translates paintings (Use Black inspired by Kandinsky), emotions (Mozzafiato meaning “breathtaking”), characters from French literature (Cyrano from Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer from Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris), music (Ravi inspired by jazz and Cha-ba-da bridging jazz and Sicilian baroque), legends (Than…White as a white rainbow), and stories (Cher Tetu as the tale of adolescence). We reinterpret these inspirations with complete freedom of mind and judgment. Creative direction is entirely ours—beauty must be caressed and elevated. Perfume is its fullest sensory expression.

Naso di Raza / Photo: Darius Damulis

You have worked with well-known perfumers. How does the process of creating a new perfume look? How do you choose the perfumers you work with?

We have collaborated with wonderful perfumers—Luca Maffei, Cécile Zarokian, Patrick Bodifee, Michelle Moellhausen, and Lucia Cassano—whom we deeply respect and admire. You must present them with interesting projects and assign briefs that respect their personal aptitudes; creativity cannot be forced. The meetings do the rest. The last brief was presented outdoors, around a wooden table, on a beautiful sunny day in the Provence countryside!

Do you have a new fragrance in your plans? Can you tell us more about it?

We’ve embarked on the journey of creating a new fragrance, from which we have high expectations. The brief is beautiful but, of course, top secret. The perfumer knows exactly where we want to go. The timing may be long, as we’ve mentioned, because we don’t follow deadlines. And as always, the latest creation is the most beautiful!

Thank you for your time.