Zegna Colonia Ermenegildo Zegna (L'Oreal)
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday December 3, 2009
Zegna Colonia Ermenegildo Zegna (L'Oreal)Perfumer Antoine Lie, Daniela Roche-Andrier (Givaudan)Family CitrusKey notes Bergamot, neroli, cardamom, iris, violet, galbanum, cedarwood, musk, benzoinPrice $135 for 125mlRating: 3/5The perfumers behind this flanker extension of fragrance releases from Zegna, a high-end men's fashion house, have worked on this brand before but never together.They are two of the hottest, most talented noses in the business. Their portfolios span ultra-niche labels such as Comme des Garcons and L'Etat Libre d'Orange to prestigious brands such as YSL, Guerlain and Armani. Daniela Roche-Andrier is the creator of Prada's Infusion line.With such pedigrees, you'd expect them to come up with something good, even given the marketing restraints a large company such as L'Oreal might impose. But then, Zegna isn't a mass-market product.I held off writing about Zegna Colonia when it was released a few months ago and I've worked out why. This is a summer fragrance, done in the modern cologne style. Orange-infused top notes of bergamot and neroli blend with fashionable iris and cardamom, which have appeared in many men's perfumes recently.Add some winsome violet, the wry, dry undertones of cedar and other resiny accords and you have the traditions of masculine fragrances wound around current trends. Blokes who like a light, sophisticated scent will gravitate to this. Gals who fancy citrusy colognes should check it out, too.The scents of Sydney explained. Watch the video at smh.com.au.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald