Mona di Orio Perfumes

Mona di Orio Parfums

Niche fragrance house Mona Di Orio Parfums was founded by Mona Di Orio and Jeroen Oude Sogtoen in 2004 to celebrate their love of art and artisanal craft. Di Orio received her training in classical perfumery under famous perfumer Edmond Roudnitska over six years, while Sogtoen was a designer who unexpectedly ventured into the beauty industry.

Mona di Orio’s fragrances are deeply influenced by the perfumery traditions of the past, but they also defy conventions in meaningful ways. Her olfactory creations combine the golden heritage of perfumery with spirited modern practices. The website states:

“In the spirit of Haute Parfumerie, Maison Mona di Orio perfumes bloom on skin revealing a harmonious orchestration of light, art and nature.”

A native French woman, Mona had a penchant for art and literature from a young age, and they continued to influence her work for years to come. When she met perfumer Edmond Roudnitska in Grasse, her destiny veered her towards the world of fragrant elixirs.

“When I met Edmond Roudnitska for the first time in July 1987, it was far from my mind to imagine where this decisive encounter would lead me… Amazingly it was the beginning of a great adventure.”

She became enamored with the delicate play of scents, essences, and absolutes, and nature was her playground. She drew inspiration from the flora around her, and her formulations evolved into “distillations of the radiance of light.”

Mona was particular about olfactory Chiaroscuro, playing with light, highlights, and shadows when constructing her fragrance. She readily accomplished her goal of capturing the quintessence of certain ingredients in her perfumes while also building a characteristic scent profile for her brand. Her style of contrasting the light and the dark — juxtaposing sparkling, airy notes with sensual nuances and dramatic base notes — has enamored perfume enthusiasts. Mona often operated like a composer, creating fragrances as timeless melodies.

After Mona di Orio’s unfortunate death in December 2011, the perfume house is now under Jeroen Oude Sogtoen’s leadership. Frederik Dalman, the present in-house perfumer for the brand, is also heavily influenced by nature and storytelling for his olfactory compositions. He says:

“As the in-house perfumer at Maison di Orio, I ensure that all our perfumes are born from originality and composed from the very best materials sourced from all parts of the world, taking you to beautiful places or memories that you love.”

Accords et Parfums, located in Grasse, France, manufactures pure concentrates for the brand using the best raw materials in the world. Each perfume is housed in a striking signature flacon, whose design reflects the splendor of Art Deco aesthetics. Just like Mona’s perfumery, the curved glass bottle is characterized by an intricate play of light and shadow.