Nicola Pozzani
London-based, Italian-born, Nicola is bespoke perfumer at Floris London, with a long list of creations for other fragrance houses to his name. He also happens to teach yoga, as well as perfumery
After initially pursuing a career in fashion and photography, Nicola had a ‘life-changing’ experience studying with one of the true greats, Jean-Claude Ellena, at the Università dell’Immagine (Academy of the Senses) in Milan. He went on to work with Acqua di Parma, and as creative director for The Merchant of Venice.
An important part of Nicola’s work today is with Floris London, where he creates many of the bespoke fragrances for clients, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. As he explains, ‘Through the art of fragrance, I help people find their essence, enhancing what they do.’
Nicola is also a teacher – not only of perfume (including for Kingston University, the London College of Fashion and Bern University of the Arts), but perhaps more surprisingly, of yoga; he trained under an Indian teacher, in Spain. ‘Yoga and meditation were part of the study programme at the Academy of the Senses, and definitely inform my creativity.’
How does your day start?
I’m Italian, so the answer is: coffee. Honestly don’t talk to me before I have my coffee! Breakfast in general is very important. In Italy we like sweet things, but one of the reasons I love living in England is salty breakfasts. If I am on a yoga retreat, I detox; breakfast follows yoga and meditation practice. It makes a refreshing change.
Where do you work?
“‘Somehow my work always starts with diving into original (formula) books, Renaissance manuscripts, old object, ledgers’”
Mine is a very unique set-up. In UK I’ve been lucky enough to work for nearly 10 years in Floris London’s 18th century shop on Jermyn Street, making artisanal fragrances in their museum behind the store itself.
During my time working in Venice I had the chance to work in incredible places like Palazzo Mocenigo, the Museum of Perfume. Lately, I’ve also been doing some exciting work in Cologne, the German birthplace of Eau de Cologne, for the perfume brand Farina. Because I teach, the workplace can also be a classroom like at HKB in Switzerland or UCL in London. Then there are trade shows, visiting the fragrance houses in Paris – and I do also work from home. I am very grateful as my work varies a lot and I work in different places and countries, though sometimes travel does get mad.
How does your day break down?
It completely depends on the day and where in the world I am. I tend to like the morning, and sometimes again in the evening; I am a creative person and creative work can’t always be scheduled. I also sometimes find myself working at weekends and night. Bespoke Perfumery at Floris forces me to be militarily efficient with time, though, as clients book a consultation and sometimes travel from the other side of the globe to see us.
How many fragrances might you be working on at any one time?
At the peak, around 40 fragrances a year. I create fragrances by myself as well as with other perfumers with fragrance houses.
How do you work?
At Floris London we have the most authentic artisanal approach, still using pen and paper as in the famous ‘ledgers’ dating back to the 18th century. I write, and blend myself, with the client. We have dedicated software, of course, but wat’s extraordinary is the blending itself, which I do myself (no formal assistants but nice colleagues) using the traditional imperial measurements and glassware. This is very fascinating but can also be a bit painful when you have to blend large quantities!
When I work with other perfumers and large-scale fragrance houses in Paris, New York or Dubai, it’s quite different. I detail my ideas as much as possible with images, words and specific ingredients that I want to use on my laptop and present it to them, more like a creative director. When they’re ready with the juice we evaluate together and decide how to refine. Either way my work always starts in the head with an intuition.
What kind of other inspirations do you look for, during your day?
“‘You need time to let go of thinking about a fragrance, to come to it fresh. A fresh mind and a fresh nose’”
I specialise in heritage brands, meaning my work is always informed by history and culture. So, somehow it always starts with diving into original (formula) books, Renaissance manuscripts, old object, ledgers. Chatting with family members (mostly I work with family businesses) like Edward Bodenham at Floris is essential for exchanging ideas and information and crafting a meaningful story. When creating custom made perfumes at Floris, customers themselves are the inspiration.
I like to include a walk in my day, somehow. When at Floris London, we tend to go for a stroll in the beautiful St James’s Square and admire the beautiful variety of plants and trees. A particular colleague is very talented at spotting the interesting scents there. Nature changes everything.
And once a year or so, as a trained yoga teacher, I do my yoga retreat. It’s the perfect reset, to find inspiration again.
Do you break for lunch – or eat at your desk?
Did I already mention I’m Italian?! We must eat. At Floris we are so spoiled around the corner is Fortnum & Mason, one of my favourite shops in the world. You might find the Perfumery team at the deli… sometimes not just at lunchtime; lately we have become obsessed with cardamom buns.
When I have more time – which is quite rare – I go to Cicchetti Piccadilly, the best Italian place around. Just like perfume, food is like a meditation for the senses. I would hyperventilate at the prospect of a triangle sandwich. I’d rather fast.
Do you continue to think about the fragrances when you get home?
I very much identify with my work – sometimes it feels like I am married to it. I tend to think of the projects I am working on most of the time. To decompress from the day, at around 6 p.m., I love to walk through London parks, or to the station. But sometimes I kind of need to force myself to book other things such as gym, yoga, exhibitions, see friends, to stop thinking about work.
Do you need to be in a particular mood, to create?
It’s more about needing to have the right intuition. What inspired my latest Floris creation, Golden Amber, is what we called ‘the luxury of tranquility’ – contemplating sunsets at Lake Garda whilst learning about iconic Floris customers. The idea, the ingredients came rather quickly and naturally. Sometimes the opposite like a very short time I mean a challenge, can actually produce good results.
Is a moodboard helpful to you?
Mandatory! I learnt perfume through colours with my teacher, Jean-Claude Ellena. I am always taking pictures, as inspirations.
What has it been like working so closely with Floris?
It’s a completely unparalleled experience. You feel transported into another era where time and space can offer a privileged experience of scent. This is the place where I’ve had the chance to blend fragrances for clients ranging from HM The Queen Elizabeth II to John Galliano. We are like the custodians of authenticity. It’s like an institution, yet it’s all very human, as artisanal as it can get. I am eternally grateful to the family for the opportunity over so many years.
How do you ensure that there’s a Floris DNA that runs through these fragrances?
It often starts from a formula or a character from the archives. For Golden Amber, for instance, I referenced Winston Churchill and Lawrence Olivier’s Floris perfumes. The inspiration was a place both of them loved and holidayed at, Lake Garda in Italy. I worked on selecting ingredients from their formulas and matching that with ingredients that would help me convey ‘golden hour’ at sunset.
How much of your time is spent working on bespoke fragrances for clients?
Most of the time I am working on bespoke these days as demand has grown exponentially. The fragrance creation process can take two hours as well as a few months depending on what the client wants to go for. It involves a conversation and a lot of smelling; we start from a base from the Floris archive which is adapted to client’s taste through the addition of ingredients and accords. This process results in a unique formula which gets saved in the Floris ledgers alongside iconic client’s scents. Their fragrance is then hand blended again whenever they wish.
How long does it take from concept to finished fragrance, in general?
Anything from a few weeks (which I don’t enjoy) to a year or even longer… I am not one that beats around the bush as far as fragrance creation is concerned. You stop when you and your team feels confident it’s right or simply when time is up!
Do you listen to music while you work, and if so, what?
When I work from home, yes – all genres from bossa nova to Lady Gaga, classical music to Tina Turner, singing bowls to 80s… it’s essential for the creative flow.
What is the greatest number of modifications you’ve ever had to do, on a fragrance? And the least?
50 was the most. With bespoke, you might make two or three modifications for the client, before they’re satisfied – or you try a bit harder…
How many materials do you have at your fingertips, to work with? And how many tend to be in your regular palette?
At Floris I have around 100 ingredients to play with; at other fragrance houses, there are thousands available. Personally I think less is more; scents are like people you know so you kind of need to know them well to play them well.
How much of your day (or perhaps week) is spent on your own work – creating new accords, etc.
When there’s time, I absolutely love to discover new raw materials especially the synthetic ones which brings me back to my love for fragrance houses, where my career started.
How different is teaching fragrance to creating it?
To me similar, as both are an invitation to awaken the mind, train the nose, get in touch with your primal sense and emotions and reconnect in a world that desperately needs that. To observe human’s curiosity and amazement with fragrance is priceless. I love taking people on a fragrance rollercoaster!
What is the one fragrance you wish you had created?
Shalimar, a fragrance I always loved, which my mother also used to wear.