The Rigati collection: ‘Rigati’ means ‘striped’ in Italian, referring to the old striped buildings made of marble and slate typically found in Genoa, where Nobile 1942’s warehouse is located
Nobile 1942: a legacy dating back to the Nobile family since the 1930s
Led today by the Neapolitans Massimo Nobile and Stefania Giannino, Nobile 1942 history started with Umberto Nobile, Massimo’s grandfather. His name became synonymous with fragrances when he started representing Nina Ricci perfumes in the 1930s.
It was in 1942, as the brand name suggests, that – in the middle of the Second World War – Umberto Nobile opened a perfumery in Rome for his wife. Since then, dedicating perfumeries to wives became a tradition among the Nobile family men. Massimo’s father opened one in Naples, and his brother – after falling in love with a Tuscan woman – one in Florence.
Due to his family tradition and the decade spent working at the Chanel Maison, Massimo Nobile decided to embark on a new venture with his wife Stefania Giannino in 2005, when they founded Nobile 1942. Therefore, the company emerged as a beacon of artisanal perfume-making, in a commitment to family traditions. What Umberto and Stefania aimed to do was creating fragrances that encapsulate the Italian cultural heritage and lifestyle in a brand for international outreach.
The first released fragrance was Pontevecchio, celebrating Florence with a scent based on the Iris, the flower symbol of the city. La Danza delle Libellule, still stands the test of time twelve years after its first release. Patchouli Nobile – from the same Rigati collection as Acqua Nobile – was praised by Luca Turin as one of the ten most interesting fragrances in the November 2009 Sunday Times.
The Nobile 1942 experience: working from raw materials to product distribution
Nobile 1942 is still producing and packaging their products by hand and in house, in the Genoa-based laboratory, ensuring care in every step of the process. Additionally, raw materials are at the heart of Nobile 1942 products, such as bergamot from Calabria and iris from Florence.
Italian craftsmanship remains at the center of the creation process, valuing national artists and artisans. Some of the raw materials used at Nobile 1942 include Damask silk from Lorsica, hand-blown glass from Altare, and leather from Tuscany, paying attention to quality materials and tradition.
Nobile 1942 has a commercial organization able to support, through a selective channel, both the distribution of its products and the exclusive national distribution of foreign products of value, personally chosen by Stefania and Massimo Nobile, during the usual research and updating trips.
Nobile 1942, the extracts collection and the work of craftsmen
The extracts line embodies Nobile 1942’s commitment to craft research. A meeting was carried out under the frescoed ceilings of the imperial palace of the city of Genoa. Costantino Bormioli, the glass-maker native of Altare (Savona) still works glass today with the techniques used by the Benedictines in the year 1000. His art is combined with the silver filigree culture dating back to the 12th Century in Zoagli (Rapallo). Also belonging to the Ligurian tradition is the processing, using 18th-century looms, of silk damask and silk taffeta.
In the chemical composition of fragrances, no aldehydes are used to allow preservation, as well as water, with an essence presence of 18%.
The extracts line is representative of Italian artisanal research that uses tradition and local materials to create products for a refined audience.
Acqua Nobile: the fragrance part of Nobile 1942 Rigati collection
Nobile 1942 Acqua (‘water’) was named like this not to merely recall a cologne but referring to the water of seas and lakes that erodes through rocks with its power. Acqua Nobile top notes of bergamot, Sicilian tangerine, neroli and cardamom leave way to patchouli, leather, and sandalwood in the dry-down.
The bottle and the box containing the fragrance were inspired by the name of the collection. ‘Rigati’ means ‘striped’ in Italian, referring to the old striped buildings made of marble and slate that are typically found in Genoa, where Nobile 1942’s warehouse is located.
Marie Duchene: the perfumier behind Acqua Nobile
Acqua Nobile was created by perfumer Marie Duchêne, whose philosophy centers around nurturing olfactory memory and emotional curiosity. Her approach to perfume creation cherishes the balance between technical craftmanship and art. Acqua Nobile is no exception. It is crafted in every detail.
Marie Duchene is a French perfumer. She studied chemistry at the Institute Supérieur International du Parfum, de la Cosmétique et des Arômes Alimentaires (ISIPCA) in Versailles, where she learned about raw materials, combinations, and fragrance chemistry. She later settled in the Grasse region, setting up her business, MD Fragrances. Since 2002, MD Fragrances has been collaborating with luxury brands, Nobile 1942 included.
Acqua Nobile
Created by Marie Duchêne, Acqua Nobile is one of the unisex fragrances from the Rigati collection by Nobile 1942. The silver details on the bottle recall the energy of water, that inspired the perfume, while the box portrays the traditional striped buildings in Genoa after which the collection was named.
Top notes include bergamot, Sicilian tangerine, neroli, cardamom, followed by heart notes of geranium, orange, blossom, myrrh, and base notes of labdanum, tonka bean, patchouli, leather, and sandalwood.
Nobile 1942
Nobile 1942 is an Italian-based perfume house that has been crafting since the first half of the 20th Century – 1942 refers to the year it was founded, in the middle of the Second World War – when Umberto Nobile opened his perfumery in Rome. The brand is committed to using raw materials and preserving local tradition.
Sofia Brizio
