Gabriella Chieffo Leaves an Impression

by: Lucia Remigi, Bella Van der Weerd

After the interview our Managing Editor Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison had with Gabriella Chieffo about the upcoming launch of her new creation Maisìa, which took place during Esxence 2016, many of us who were planning on visiting  the exhibition were eager to find out what this “fiery” fragrance was really about, immediately intrigued by the powerful and vaguely witchy statement coming through the ad’s image (a naked woman who seems to emanate fire more than being burnt by it) and fascinated by the intense words chosen by Gabriella Chieffo herself to introduce her 2016 collection: “I want to celebrate a new concept of woman, brought to the limit, an invincible woman who challenges the darkness of the ignorance and of prejudice to face the devastating power of Love”.

Gabriella Chieffo

We will go deeper into our impressions about this specific fragrance and another one  from the 2014 collection – Lye – in a moment, but what strikes us as peculiar and truly captivating about this Italian house in general is the ability of its owner Gabriella Chieffo (a woman from South Italy as she proudly points out – and rightly so) to convey her emotions, her vision of life and art, her passions, her ideals and hermemories through the scents that bear her name. A very personal – almost physical – touch is what one can indeed easily perceive while getting acquainted with Gabriella Chieffo's creations, something that’s not so obvious or easy to find in most perfume offerings. You can call it an existential “signature” in which the 7 compositions fluctuate acquiring strength and dynamism, an imaginary scented landscape harmoniously entwined with the comforting, dreamy and languorous warmth of a both maternal and sensuous embrace and the sharp, dense and sometimes overpowering struggle of everyday existence – an ocean of symbols, reminiscences and feelings that originate from a somehow autobiographical inspiration but aim to reach a more universal significance.

Each one of the scents from her collection seems to allow the wearer to get an allegorical yet coherent message both in terms of perfume per se and of concept, nothing is left to chance or shyly hinted (let’s have a look at the stories related to her creations on the official website of the brand) but this doesn’t translate in the least into loud, meaninglessly provoking or unique at all costs offers that try hard to capture our attention. On the contrary; we are left with the sensation of scents in which delicacy and intensity are masterfully mingled in a way that makes us want to get closer to their essence......like subtle reminders that there is much more behind the facade, and that we should allow ourselves to embrace a more soulful approach to reality and life.

Our encounter with Gabriella Chieffo was maybe too short to get to know her in depth, but speaking at least for me, her eyes and her calm but firm way of talking were a mere confirmation of what I already knew, even before testing her entire line of fragrances: not only does she truly believe in what she does but she does it with an authentic passion. We hope that  her “idyllic olfactory journey which originates inmemory, finds lifeblood in introspection and finally arrives at a state of redemption” – to use her own words –  will lead her to many more exciting, profound and rich-in-meaning destinations.

Maisìa - Review

Maisìa is Gabriella Chieffo's enchantment fragrance, according to her own description, and her inspiration for this story-telling perfume came from the ancient ritual of atonement for the beautiful temptress who finds herself on the pyre while the fire blazes, people watching with a savage pleasure how her allurement and shapeliness come to an end. But the fragrance doesn't paint a miserable scene; from the very start there's vivacity, beauty, lushness and strength, brought about by notes of bergamot, lemon, fig leaves and fruit, held up by something slightly smoky, warm and dry; Gabriella's "fiery notes".  On my skin, it takes only a minute before one of the most beautiful, fruity fig notes I have ever found in perfume starts to surround me, leaving this delectable cloud behind me where ever I go. I met it again on re-entering every room in my house that had already walked through and it filled me with a feeling of pure delight every single time.
 

Slowly but surely,  a soft idea of "skin" starts to develop, which, as Gabriella explains, is created with broom flower and narcissus notes, and it skillfully portrays the soft skin of Maisìa in her ordeal: there's a slight sweaty note, beautifully balanced and quite emotional, almost pulling you into the scene to watch in admiration how Maisìa, with drops of sweat on her forehead and tears in her eyes, curses the crowd but still exhales a breath of love for him, the one she gave her soul to. The skin scent is mixed with ashes, fresh wood, musk and amber in the dry down that's unique and intriguing.

The perfume stays with me for hours and sometimes decides to confuse me with a sudden re-occurrence of the fig fruit, as if to tell me: she may have lost her life on that stake, but she's still here, you know....

Notes: Top notes: bergamot, lemon, fig leaves, "fiery notes" Heart notes: fig, broom flower, narcissus, ylang ylang Base notes: sandalwood, guaiac wood, ash, musk, black amber

Reviewed by: Bella Van der Weerd

 

Lye - Review

The innocence and purity of childhood, and that tender melancholy most of us can relate to when recalling such a significant time of our life, is a theme widely explored in almost every field where creativity is somehow involved: perfumery is not an exception, of course, and when perfumers are challenged with the task of conceiving a “regression” fragrance, the focus is usually on specific vibes, sensations and images that almost yearn to be conveyed and taken back from a remote place – both in space and time – through the medium of olfactory memory. Sometimes the path can be straightforward and perhaps even funny to walk by, while other times – and that’s the case here – the creator-driver may want us to go along a more intricate and introspective itinerary that leads to unexpected but also vividly realistic scenarios where the line between reminiscence and imagination is often very thin.

 

With Lye, a fragrance from the 2014 Collection by the Italian niche house, we follow Gabriella Chieffo’s inspiration to a domestic and peaceful ambience where childhood memories are indissolubly intertwined with an inner purification ritual symbolized by ash – the main component of lye (hence the name chosen for the scent) but also the accord that provides a mystical and slightly sensual aura to the composition.

An aromatic citrusy opening tinged with spicy and herbal undertones invites the wearer to immediately immerse into a familiar and serene setting – perhaps an ancient house’s garden in the countryside – where senses are soon captured by the thick yet impalpable presence of incense representing the pale greyish shade of ash and its faint clean smell left on the immaculate linens: “Eyes closed. A green meadow. Grandmother‘s laundry wash tub. The smell of the sun drying the clothes just hung out. The skin breathes wholesome air”.

At least on me, the smoky aspect is not that pronounced, which I really appreciate, and that impression of white pureness so captivatingly described in the press material never leads the fragrance to a markedly clean, airy and ethereal territory thanks to an efficacious balance of luminous accents (the hesperidic/green top notes) and deeper nuances (the incense and iris middle accord). A delicate undercurrent of feminine carnality seems to pervade the central phase of Lye’s development – where the soft, suffused veil of floral powder blends with the warm touches of vanilla and the austerity of leather and opoponax – reminding us of the mature perspective from which the olfactory landscape is observed through the lens of nostalgia and acquired knowledge. The last whispers of Lye, a cosy and subdued combination of earthy and ambery/balmy hues lingering tenaciously on the wearer’s skin, embody the slow but unavoidable awakening from a reverie that enriches and nourishes the soul – finallypurified by “a scent that tells of dreams of children and of a lifetime”. 

Notes: Top notes: bergamot, lemon Heart notes: iris, incense Base notes: vanilla, patchouli, opoponax, leather

Reviewed by: Lucia Remigi

 

Gabriella Chieffo fragrances can be found in the concentration of Eau de Parfum at Indigo Perfumery and LuckyScent in the US ($165-180). The whole line can also be purchased via the brand’s official website (140-160 Euro), where an elegant sample set is available for 35 Euro.

The perfumer has been kind enough to share sample sets for our US-based readers; please leave a comment below by 5/5/2016 and the winners will be randomly selected by an editor and notified via Fragrantica message system.
 

Introduction of the article by Lucia Remigi.