Bottega Veneta Expands Its Fragrance World With Alta

Bottega Veneta has been quietly building a fragrance world that feels very much like the house itself: tactile, considered and a little unexpected. Now, it is expanding that universe with Alta, a collection of ten new Eaux de Parfum inspired by different moments of the day, states of mind and a broader interpretation of Italy.

The concept behind Alta takes its cue from one of Bottega Veneta's most recognisable signatures, Intrecciato. Each fragrance is constructed as an “Intrecciato duo”, pairing an ingredient connected to Italy with another sourced from elsewhere in the world. The result is less about creating a literal scent of Italy and more about imagining Italian ingredients in conversation with other places, cultures and memories.

Across the ten fragrances, that idea goes in very different directions. Always Now pairs Italian basil with vetiver Bourbon from Madagascar, while Montebello combines blood orange with North African neroli. Slow Rise moves into roses and French clary sage, while Ricordami might be the collection's most playful proposition, taking the nostalgic smell of stracciatella ice cream, with its milky vanilla and chocolate notes, and grounding it with oakwood.

Then things get darker. Night Sounds brings Italian saffron together with Vietnamese benzoin, Velvet Steps combines plum with Spanish labdanum, and Crepuscolo plays with the contrast between salty Fior di Sale and South Asian oud.

Our favourites came down to three: Crepuscolo, Balliamo and Bare Morning.

Balliamo feels like the fragrance equivalent of an Italian summer evening, built around lush Italian white fig and American cedarwood. Crepuscolo, meaning twilight, is more intriguing and unexpected, with that meeting of saltiness and deep oud creating something that feels warmer and moodier.  

But in the end, we went for Bare Morning.

There was something about its simplicity that kept pulling us back. It combines the powdery softness of an Italian talco accord with Oceania sandalwood, creating something intimate, soft and almost skin-like. It doesn't scream for attention, and perhaps that's exactly why we wanted to keep smelling it.

The fragrances themselves come housed in sculptural glass bottles inspired by Bottega Veneta's Intrecciato leather weave, finished with a wooden cap and gold-toned ring. Each is refillable and available in 50ml and 100ml formats, with recycled glass used for the bottles.

Alta will launch across Bottega Veneta boutiques and leading department stores worldwide, alongside a collection of woven leather fragrance accessories. It also marks the house's most expansive fragrance release to date.

Ten fragrances, three favourites, but only one came home with us (for now): Bare Morning.

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