Mona di Orio photo courtesy of Jeroen Oude Sogtoen©️

“What I love about being independent is that I have the wonderful opportunity to use all the best and marvelous natural ingredients as I want, without any compromise, I don’t have any brief, no prices limit, I’m totally free and nowadays it is an incredible and rare privilege and a great luxury.” –Mona Di Orio from Michelyn’s interview August 23, 2011

Photo of Mona di Orio with Edmond Roudnitska July 1987, the first meeting when she was only 18 years old, courtesy of her sister Bernadette di Orio©

Throughout this series we have explored the “signatures” of  perfumers, who we believe have left their indelible scent imprint that will influence fragrance for generations to come.  It is rare for a perfumer to lay out a description of their signature. Mona di Orio did that from the start. After finishing her studies with Edmond Roudnitska, she chose to strike out in a different direction. She wanted to design perfume in the artistic style of chiaroscuro. In visual art it is defined as “use of strong contrasts between light and dark”. Many perfumers tend to choose one or the other by shading the opposite. Mona di Orio would see this, when applied to perfumery, as a design challenge. How do you give the light and the dark pieces of fragrance the right balance? Mona di Orio accomplished this throughout her too-short career.

Photo of Mona Di Orio Chammare, Jabu, Lux, Nuit Noire, Oiro original  “muselet” bottles Sandi Lundberg©

It was apparent from her earliest compositions the difficulty inherent in translating this process to scent. Her first releases defined the framework for what was to come. In the early stages of 2006’s Carnation there is a fleeting moment where a powdery veil overlays the spicy clove-like nature of the titular floral. Even now trying it in retrospect that corona of powder around the floral nucleus is that contrast of opposites she was looking for. Eventually the stronger ingredients take the foreground.

This would also hold true for the other two of her earliest releases, Lux and Nuit Noire. In Lux it was more of a descent from light to dark, from citrus through green into woods and resins. In the transitions there was chiaroscuro to be found. Nuit Noire was a more interesting take as she used some energetic ingredients like ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon to give a lightning-like sizzle to contrast the darker aspects. There is a moment before they get overwhelmed by the leathery amber base accord you can sense the crackle of electricity across it.

Mona di Orio Photo by Ermano Picco©️

It would become fully realized in the collection begun in 2010, Les Nombres d’Or. Those earlier releases feel like sketches leading up to her audacious conceptualization of aromatic chiaroscuro. It is particularly clear when you compare the earlier Nuit Noire and the Les Nombres d’Or Cuir. Where the former found a balance between energy and dark with spices and leather; Cuir finds a flow. Instead of spices it is a single spice, sticky cardamom floating on a pool of absinthe. A fabulous furry growling leather accord tries to push back before allowing the formation of a helix-like spiral. This is the precision of light and dark elements of chiaroscuro. Except now a new element is added. Mona di Orio adds motion. Instead of static balance it is now put on a carousel to delight our senses.

We began to appreciate that she had not only cracked the code of olfactory chiaroscuro, she had imposed her own evolution as defined by perfume. You find this in every one of the Les Nombres d’Or releases. We consider this among the most artistic collections of this century. Each of them a shining jewel. There is one which shines brightest.

In 2011 when Les Nombres d’Or Oud was released it stood apart. Oud had become a stale overused ingredient. Even Mona di Orio agreed. Michelyn interviewed her earlier in that year and she said, “The first time I smelt a sample of an oud essential oil, I was not convinced, there is also many different qualities and origins, as I was not seduced I was not really interested to work with it… Last year my provider called me, he just has received a new quality from Laos and this time when I smelt it, I was totally subjugated, intoxicated… Such an aura, such a essential oil, at this moment I realized deeply why this product was so mystical, intimate and secret for thousands of years and through many religions in the world.”

This Laotian Oud was almost tailor-made for her to use. Her choice as the contrasting keynote was an osmanthus absolute from China. This was also an ingredient with its own aura. She would have to find a way to have them co-exist. Her choice was to feature the two of them in concert, throughout. When you wear this perfume these two ingredients form such a compelling harmony there is no oud or osmanthus just Oud Osmanthus. A few years after it was originally released the name was changed to that.

We miss you Mona (July 19, 1969-December 9, 2011) photo apped by Michelyn 

This brings us to her signature. All the way through the Les Nombres d’Or she exceeded her desire for chiaroscuro with something more complex that only perfume could provide. Describing it as a visual term is needlessly self-limiting. Fragrance has its own vocabulary for this. We call it Monaesque.

Mark Behnke Editor of Colognoisseur and Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

all photos from the brand unless otherwise noted

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