Acampora's Olfactory Lounge among the best places according to Donna Moderna

Thanks to Donna Moderna for this intervew available on their website.

Here's an extract:

"A forty-years long olfactory journey. That's how far the story of the Neapolitan laboratory goes. Today it's under the leadership of Brunello and Sonia Acampora, and continues to handcraft fragrances inspired by the values of Southern Italy, according to the ancient method used by French master perfumers in an alchemy of unmistakable notes of craftsmanship, experience and high quality. A luxury to wear in drops to stand out and never go unnoticed.

Acampora's Values

Choosing one of the 19 fragrances is like immersing yourself in an intensive and emotional experience that ultimately results in an aromatic identity of great class.

Since 1974 the laboratory of the Acampora family, based in Naples, carries on an artistic and quality perfumery that chooses craftsmanship over industrial processes.

A laboratory founded by Bruno Acampora, an influential figure of Italian fashion, whom after his meeting on a beach in Saint Tropez with Giovanni Varon, an established nose, began his olfactory journey that continues today with the direct heirs, Brunello and Sonia Acampora, son and daughter-in-law of Mr. Bruno.

«From the first sensory experiences we had in the seventies when the fragrances were only seven, our production has evolved and today we propose 19 fragrances - explained Sonia Acampora - but, during these forty years, the common thread of our productions has always been the same, the values of South, from its luxuriant and polychrome nature to the ornamental richness of Italian historical architecture. The fragrances, in fact, are made only with raw materials transformed into pure essential oils. Today we use them just as we did in the 1970s».

Today, just like back then, Acampora perfumes are born from a slow and meticulous process, made of care and attention to details and a minimalist production, which looks at quality rather than quantity. The basic essential oils of the fragrances of the Acampora perfumes flow together in small lots, about 30 kilos each, for a constant maturing process in the laboratory that lasts about five months.

The old method of production thus relives in the current one: "Only the formulations change - Sonia pointed out - that today they are more minimalistic and contemporary". Once ripe, the Acampora perfumes are bottled, one by one, by hand and closed with a cord and cork stoppers and, finally, secured with sealing wax. "The cork stopper allows an oxygenation of the essence - the chairman of the company revealed - that from year to year makes it grow rather than degrade, if kept at the ideal temperature of 15 degrees".

The Acampora Staff

The Bruno Acampora Profumi laboratory in forty years of activity has maintained the family management with few but truly valuable contributors: "It's ten of us, without counting the external creatives who share our ideas - said Sonia - The family management allows us to have a total control over every single step of the production chain, from the selection of raw materials to packaging and the relationship with the customer, guaranteeing our historic high quality".

Nowadays craft production is a real challenge that continues to bring made in Italy all around the world, with an absolute and unparalleled value, and Acampora perfumes are a good example. An alchemy of craftsmanship, professionalism and quality that speaks of a tradition and an authentic history, that of a family that has been able to create a very specific olfactory identity and has been able to make it a flywheel made of unmistakable notes. «We maintain intact over time the value of Made in Italy with our craftsmanship - the founder of  the daughter-in-law specified - for us it means being able to transmit our culture and our identity with each product, and we have been proud to have done so for forty years handing down a true story and not a marketing invention, with niche products and above all with exclusive skills that really make the difference».

The company know-how of the Bruno Acampora Profumi laboratory has its roots in essential oils, the Pure Essences, that today also applies to the Extrait De Parfum, Eau De Parfum, Body Wash and the Home Fragrances Collection. The Classic Collection, created by Bruno Acampora, contains all the original fragrances of the laboratory with timeless notes like Musc - dedicated to Valeria, his first companion, Iranzol, the perfume he always wore and that today is chosen by Brunello who stole it as a child to the father, and Blue dedicated to one of the Master of the Fashion Design, Walter Albini. To this historic collection, later was added the more modern 7 Rules Collection, inspired by the classics of perfumery such as cologne, leather, sandalwood and vanilla but in a modern and refined key and, finally, the latest evolution of Acampora Profumi: Ruby, a gourmand that in recent years has been much re-evaluated.

And for an olfactory experience and discovery of niche fragrances, in Naples stands the flagship store, the Olfactory Lounge of Acampora Profumi where every customer can live an olfactory journey. In addition to the Neapolitan boutique, Acampora fragrances can be purchased online at brunoacampora.com and in over one hundred independent stores throughout Italy, from niche perfumeries to fashion stores. But Acampora Profumi is also abroad: in London at Richard Ward and Prince Pharmacy and in distribution in South Africa, Los Angeles and Germany.