Date of birth: 2009.

Place: Sarzana, Liguria, Italy.

Mother: Maître Parfumeur Maria Candida Gentile.

Distinctive features:

Waldorf school. Alchemy. Nature. Neurology. Anti-commercialism. Connotations with the art world. A studio by the house, a house by the studio. Intuition. Passion. Integrity. Complete independence. The Vivienne Westwood of the perfume world.

"Nature is the key to everything and we owe everything to nature" — in line with this idea Maison Maria Candida Gentile offers exclusively natural fragrances, with the word 'natural' referring not only to the ingredients used but also to the character of the composition — expect forests, hills and the sea, herbs, freshly cut wildflowers and rare trees, the impression made by light not seen for a long time and the feelings a day spent outdoors leaves in the body and mind.

The perfumer sources rare and precious ingredients (resin from the magical trees of the Lankaran forests on the border of Azerbaijan and Iran or citrus from a Sicilian plantation of the Capua family, which has been producing essential oils for 120 years — and that's just the first example) not to "gimmick" the composition, but because she knows very well how to extract something truly exceptional from them — a magical element.

She also practices the spagyric method of harvesting and ancient maceration techniques, which allows extracting the most valuable properties from the ingredients. 

Professional experience:

Already as a child she macerated rose petals, from which she then made hydrosol. Talent and passion developed inevitably — deep within her and at the same time beyond her. It simply had to be that way, her intuition suggested it, her nose guided her. When she grew up, the direction was obvious — Grasse, where else. There, as the first Italian woman in history, she had the opportunity to try her hand under the watchful eye of the greatest, including the legendary Carol André. Fascinated by the enormous gift, as well as the drive and ambition of the new student, he revealed to her one secret after another — the secrets that, as a rule, are passed on within the narrow circle of Maîtres Parfumeurs. Strictly secret — at least at the time — details that make a significant difference. Was she lucky? Was she stubborn? Destiny? Call it what you will. Ultimately what matters is how she absorbed and used that knowledge. (So much so that obtaining the noble title held by her mentor was essentially only a formality, the cherry on top).

Today she is regarded as one of the most outstanding "noses" in the industry. She creates exclusively under her own label. She does not follow trends, she pays no heed to what happens on the market. She is completely true to herself and does exactly what she loves. She believes that the perfect perfume is one that works on the person who wears it. And she adds: "This effect can only be achieved through natural ingredients. They speak to the body and the soul. To our subconscious."

Successes and achievements:

"The greatest luxury is the ability to remain true to oneself" — that's what she says and that's how she lives. And that can certainly be considered a success first and foremost. And only then…

Made-to-measure perfumes for Madonna and Caroline of Hanover, Princess of Monaco, as well as dedicated scents for the interiors of luxurious Italian resorts.

Olfactory exhibitions during the Venice Biennale, at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, at the New Berlin Art Society and at the Museum of Modern Art in Bremen.