By Giulia Piceni. Cover image courtesy of Pitti Fragranze.
Loud and quiet, flashy and subdued. The contrasting forces of brat and demure that have prevailed in recent months are now featured in a site-specific installation at Pitti Fragranze, housed in the Alcatraz Space at Stazione Leopolda in Florence. Titled The Sound of Fragrance, this innovative installation curated by journalists Paola Gariboldi and Susanna Macchia offers visitors a multi-sensory experience centred around duality. In its 22nd edition, the exhibit explores the combination of olfactory and auditory silence on one side and offers bold scents and pulsating music on the other. For this unique event, two custom-designed fragrances were created and paired with a carefully curated selection of music tracks.
With this in mind, our editorial team visited every booth at the annual fair, sampling countless fragrances until our nostrils nearly gave out, seeking to find the brat and demure ethos in the tiny bottles of perfume. This list is so well curated that you can call me Gabriette: you’re so inspired. Which of these perfumes at Pitti Fragranze will conquer your soul brat or demure?
6 Brat and Demure-Coded Perfumes from Pitti Fragranze to smell and taste
Bumpin’ that: Menta sui Navigli by Step Aboard is all about clubbing
Menta sui Navigli is the final olfactory chapter in a journey created by Step Abroad through Milan’s iconic landmarks. With its fresh and vibrant notes, this fragrance brings to mind the lively clubs that have transformed Navigli district into a must-visit destination for nightlife. Bold, eclectic, and unforgettable, this fragrance perfectly captures the brat spirit.
The musk-based scent begins with a burst of mint leaves as its top notes, seamlessly blending into heart notes of raspberry, currant, and watermelon, evoking the essential ingredients of the perfect drink. The label’s design, inspired by graffiti artists’ spray cans, reflects the underground culture and urban mapping familiar to those who call Italy’s fashion capital home.
Very demeure packaging: Luna by Kintsugi Perfumes
Featured in Antonioli’s cutting-edge store selection, Although Kintsugi Perfumes may come in minimalist packaging, but the fragrances are anything but simple. Demure-core embraces scents that are fresh and clean with an underlying sweetness, seemingly straightforward yet intricately composed. Luna, in particular, is the fragrance to go for.
It starts with vibrant notes of orange blossom, cloves, and cotton candy, evoking a neo-gourmand scent. However, this impression soon deepens with richer tones of tonka bean, violet, and ambergris. The fragrance’s base is warm and earthy, featuring amber, vetiver’s rooty depth, and the musky nuance of oakmoss.
If Apple is your favourite song from BRAT, try Dolls by MOTH and RABBIT
Founded in 2016 in Berlin, Moth and Rabbit is a niche perfumery brand that embodies the continuous transformation and reproduction of emotions and values through fragrance, as suggested by its very name. A fascinating detail is that many of their perfumes draw inspiration from cinematic masterpieces, with scents like The Lobster, Parasite, and La Haine available on their website. But when it comes to a fragrance with a brat-coded attitude, could there be a better name than Dolls?
According to its creator, it’s a scent that is “so repulsive in smell, so attractive in colours, so unreal”. The top notes of cherry blossom, geranium davana and orange blossom set a striking contrast against the dominant, animalistic base notes of musk, snowflake accord, ambergris and cedarwood. These opposing elements are beautifully connected by a sweet heart of ylang-ylang, rose oil, sweet maple accord, and apple blossom. Wait, is this an apple reference? That’s so brat.
I don’t come to work with a green cut crease: embrace the greens with Sunetto by Siuno
Siuno is a brand with a deep commitment to natural raw materials, crafting fragrances that truly celebrate their essence. One of their latest creations, Sunetto, pays tribute to Italy through vibrant notes of bergamot and neroli, which gradually soften into warm, woody undertones.
When applied to the skin, it brings back memories of summer: the scent of freshly picked fruits, lazy afternoons on Roman rooftops awaiting the sunset and nights filled with laughter that rejuvenate the soul. The name “Sunetto” blends “sun” and “sonetto,” echoing Italy’s poetry tradition. This fragrance is designed for those who value subtlety but still wish to make an impression: its radiance unfolds only when you draw near.
Everything is romantic: YEUK6 by Black Fades is one of special perfumes at Pitti Fragranze
From the heart of China comes a groundbreaking addition to the world of perfumery: Black Fades. Based in Hong Kong, this brand infuses a total-black aesthetic into a sophisticated fragrance collection. Each scent is a poetic journey, drawing inspiration from haikus and the deep, introspective tones of traditional Chinese culture, reflecting a refined sensibility.
Among the standout creations is the fragrance 若 (Yeuk6), which embodies the essence of purity and love, akin to water nourishing all life. This concept is echoed in the song Everything is Romantic by BRAT, reminding us that even the edgiest of spirits harbour a romantic side, ready to emerge when the moment is right.
若 opens with vibrant top notes of rose, spearmint, and coriander, which seamlessly blend into green, aromatic heart notes of fennel, eucalyptus, and the unique touch of tomato leaves. The fragrance culminates in a warm and captivating base of amber, musk, and sandalwood, leaving an addictive trail on anyone who wears it.
Perfumes at Pitti Fragranze: clean and demure fragrance, from values to notes, this is Provence by Nissaba
Nissaba stands out as a brand that prioritises sustainability by using organic alcohol, 90% natural perfume compositions and high concentrations of key natural ingredients. The brand prides itself on creating “clean” fragrances that are free from colours, stabilisers, additives and any controversial components such as parabens and nitrates.
With a collection of seven distinct fragrances, the most understated in terms of olfactive complexity is Provence. This scent is inspired by the region it’s named after and naturally highlights lavender, which opens the fragrance and brings to mind endless fields stretching to the horizon. The heart of Provence is enriched with sage and coriander, adding a deep herbal note that eventually gives way to the embracing freshness of hyssop in the base. Overall, it’s very demure, very mindful.
