Last week I was invited to Armani/Privé counter at Stuttafords Rosebank for a private consultation. When I arrived I met with the lovely Nina who made a special effort to come down I was then Introduced to Sandile (who I could see was very passionate and knowledgeable) who would pass all his knowledge about the collection to me.

In summary this is what he said while I experienced the scents via scented stones:
 
The collection is a private collection of fragrances that are created from the especially curated ingredients that are inspired by Giorgio Armani’s personal life experiences and travels. It is said he initially created these scents just for himself and his friends, so one can say these fragrances are a little trip into his life. All fragrances are made from the finest ingredients and I can safely say you will never find another scent that smells the same all very unique with 1 dominating scent each.

There are four collections and each fragrance has a special story and inspiration. Les Eaux, inspired by the purity and freshness of gardens like Eden and Babylon and has ingredients like fig, roses and fresh vetiver. My favourite of the collections I especially loved rose alexandrie. These are the EDTs.

The La Collection, inspired by materials like semi- precious stones and fabrics and contain amongst others; jasmine, bergamot and leather notes. When crafting this scent he wanted to recreate his childhood and the smell of smoky incense against the damp cool stone walls of the Italian churches he often visited.

The third collection is the Les 1001 Nuits (1001 Nights) inspired by the famous Arabian tales. With ingredients like Turkish rose, Oud, Myrrh and Saffron. Consists of 4 fragrances. Can be identified by the gold tops moving into the more walmer scents great for winter or men. Rose d’Arabie which has a sensual Turkish delight scent. Cuir Noir which is the perfect male scent captures the oriental night using smouldering black birch with warm leather and a hint of rose, nutmeg and vanilla.

There is a fourth very special, very limited Les Editions Couture. These fragrances are created in celebration of Armani’s fashion collections and draw inspiration from the clothes. Only a thousand numbered bottles are made. And really prestige to own 1 of these only 3 are available in SA (in Stuttafords rosebank mall, Stuttafords sandton city  and luminace in hyde park) retailing at R8000. This year there is the OMBRE ET LUMIERE, an ode to the gentle light of Spring further emphasized by the use of the rich, floral notes of iris and Sambac jasmine. They shine together with the help of freesia water, musk and bergamot. The bottle is the luminescent purple, a nod to the clothes in the collection. OMBRE ET LUMIERE is difficult to describe I got a subtle burst of floral with a hint of spice.

Pop into those 3 stores to experience the collection yourself.