Perfumer: Luca Maffei
A bold smoky perfume to join the ranks of Tonnerre, Bois d'Ascese and A City on Fire...
Mendittorosa add a novel material to the smoky palette beyond birch tar, gaiac and cade: mysterious sarcocaulon (or bushman's candle). In Archetipo it is combined with labdanum, oakmoss and spices to evoke the smell of a camp fire at night in dry desert air.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Archetipo suits a wearer who likes their presence to arrive quietly but leave a trace: dry smoke, resin and shadow rather than sweetness or sparkle. It feels most natural in an intimate, low-lit setting where the air is still and the fragrance can unfold like embers cooling in stone.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, where its smoke and resins can breathe without turning dense. Apply sparingly, as the extrait concentration and woody-smoky structure can project with authority; one or two sprays are enough to create a close, persistent aura that reads best on skin and clothing in still air.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky woods, incense, labdanum and dry mineral resins, especially those who prefer contemplative, artistic fragrances with a ritual feel. It will appeal to readers drawn to dark, textured compositions with a desert-fire character rather than sweet or polished woods.
Release year
2017
The nose
Luca Maffei is an Italian perfumer known for precise, atmospheric compositions that often balance texture, contrast and a strong sense of place. His work ranges across niche and artistic perfumery, where he is valued for turning abstract briefs into scents with clear emotional architecture. For Archetipo, Maffei translates Stefania Squeglia’s idea of archetypes, silence and primordial memory into a smoky, resinous woody composition. The result feels controlled rather than heavy: fire, shadow and dry earth held in a lucid, almost ritual frame.
Collaborators
Stefania Squeglia shaped the creative brief and concept, guiding the fragrance toward archetypes, silence, moonstone and marble as symbols of a pre-verbal, inner memory. Artist Mauro Carrazza contributed the hand-twisted metal cap, extending the perfume’s idea of order emerging from chaos into the object itself.
Mendittorosa’s story
Mendittorosa treats perfumery as an art form rooted in research, sensibility and personal philosophy. The house favors handcrafted, collectible objects, close collaboration with artisans and artists, and compositions that feel symbolic, intimate and emotionally charged rather than conventionally commercial.
Archetipo’s concept
Archetipo belongs to Mendittorosa’s Odori d’Anima project, launched in 2017 as part of the brand’s “Time Without Time” vision. The fragrance was conceived from Stefania Squeglia’s fascination with Jungian archetypes and the idea of a scent that could evoke absolute silence, flickering flame and memories before birth. Its smoky core uses Bushman Candle, labdanum, incense, vetiver and moss to suggest a campfire in dry desert air.
Extra info
Archetipo is part of Mendittorosa’s Odori d’Anima collection and is presented with a hand-twisted metal cap designed as a symbol of order from chaos. Its signature smoky note comes from Sarcocaulon, also known as Bushman Candle, a distinctive material rarely used in perfumery.
Perfumer: Luca Maffei
A bold smoky perfume to join the ranks of Tonnerre, Bois d'Ascese and A City on Fire...
Mendittorosa add a novel material to the smoky palette beyond birch tar, gaiac and cade: mysterious sarcocaulon (or bushman's candle). In Archetipo it is combined with labdanum, oakmoss and spices to evoke the smell of a camp fire at night in dry desert air.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Archetipo suits a wearer who likes their presence to arrive quietly but leave a trace: dry smoke, resin and shadow rather than sweetness or sparkle. It feels most natural in an intimate, low-lit setting where the air is still and the fragrance can unfold like embers cooling in stone.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, where its smoke and resins can breathe without turning dense. Apply sparingly, as the extrait concentration and woody-smoky structure can project with authority; one or two sprays are enough to create a close, persistent aura that reads best on skin and clothing in still air.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky woods, incense, labdanum and dry mineral resins, especially those who prefer contemplative, artistic fragrances with a ritual feel. It will appeal to readers drawn to dark, textured compositions with a desert-fire character rather than sweet or polished woods.
Release year
2017
The nose
Luca Maffei is an Italian perfumer known for precise, atmospheric compositions that often balance texture, contrast and a strong sense of place. His work ranges across niche and artistic perfumery, where he is valued for turning abstract briefs into scents with clear emotional architecture. For Archetipo, Maffei translates Stefania Squeglia’s idea of archetypes, silence and primordial memory into a smoky, resinous woody composition. The result feels controlled rather than heavy: fire, shadow and dry earth held in a lucid, almost ritual frame.
Collaborators
Stefania Squeglia shaped the creative brief and concept, guiding the fragrance toward archetypes, silence, moonstone and marble as symbols of a pre-verbal, inner memory. Artist Mauro Carrazza contributed the hand-twisted metal cap, extending the perfume’s idea of order emerging from chaos into the object itself.
Mendittorosa’s story
Mendittorosa treats perfumery as an art form rooted in research, sensibility and personal philosophy. The house favors handcrafted, collectible objects, close collaboration with artisans and artists, and compositions that feel symbolic, intimate and emotionally charged rather than conventionally commercial.
Archetipo’s concept
Archetipo belongs to Mendittorosa’s Odori d’Anima project, launched in 2017 as part of the brand’s “Time Without Time” vision. The fragrance was conceived from Stefania Squeglia’s fascination with Jungian archetypes and the idea of a scent that could evoke absolute silence, flickering flame and memories before birth. Its smoky core uses Bushman Candle, labdanum, incense, vetiver and moss to suggest a campfire in dry desert air.
Extra info
Archetipo is part of Mendittorosa’s Odori d’Anima collection and is presented with a hand-twisted metal cap designed as a symbol of order from chaos. Its signature smoky note comes from Sarcocaulon, also known as Bushman Candle, a distinctive material rarely used in perfumery.