‘Fragrance has become one of the most powerful ways to tell stories because it’s invisible,’ says Réservation Parfums founder Francesco Ragazzi. ‘Unlike fashion, where you immediately see the product, perfume lives in memory, emotion and imagination. That fascinated me.’
Ragazzi knows very well the difference between creating clothing and perfume, having made his name first as creative director of Moncler and then as the founder of Italian streetwear brand Palm Angels. Working with celebrated French perfumer Yann Vasnier and backed by Pietro Ruffini, son of Moncler Group’s Remo Ruffini, Ragazzi made seven luxury, unisex perfumes designed to conjure the ambience of an imaginary California hotel, each scent a different room, a different guest, a different moment.
For those unfamiliar with Réservation, the best starting place is Suite 909, a blend of light woods, leather and lemon that manages to be both clean and animalic, or, in Ragazzi’s words, ‘captures the intimacy of a hotel suite... the feeling that the best moments happen behind closed doors. It’s elegant, sensual and understated.’ It is the perfect olfactory balance between Réservation’s two modes – pure and hedonistic, pristine and grimy, sun-soaked and noir – which is also, no coincidence, the modes of California, too.
For those who prefer their fragrances to stay entrenched in the clean and pristine category, the fragrance Bleu Piscine is a standout, with an almost chemical cleanliness that echoes the scent of chlorine or sunscreen. To make those notes appealing as a perfume, Vasnier tempered them with the addition of the naturally fresh mandarin and lime oil, as well as earthy notes of cypress and vetiver – creating a fragrance that poetically captures the feeling of a day spent lounging by the pool.
While for those who prefer fragrances on the darker side, there are scents like Chambre Secrète, which aims to conjure the feeling of night unfurling into the early morning hours with a potent shock of sweet vanilla mixed with incense, spicy olibanum oil and cigarette smoke. There is also, on a similar end of the spectrum, Late Night, which blends spices like cardamom and saffron with creamy sandalwood and vetiver, designed to evoke the scent of night that is only just about to begin.
It is not only the concept behind Réservation that makes them stand out, but the fact that they carry the stamp of Ragazzi’s fashion past. ‘Fashion taught me that brands aren’t built through products alone. They’re built through culture, emotion and consistency. That philosophy became the foundation of Réservation,’ he says.
‘Working with Yann Vasnier was fundamental in this process because he helped translate ideas, places and feelings into scent. We weren’t starting from ingredients, we were starting from narratives. We’d talk about a room after midnight, the feeling of arriving at a hotel after a long flight, or California light meeting French elegance. The fragrance came afterwards.’
Réservation also sees Ragazzi return to his enduring fascination with blending European sensibilities and California style. Just as Palm Angels mixed Italian and Californian influences, Réservation sees the French tradition of fine perfumery fused with the essence of the Sunshine State. Asked why he keeps returning to that theme, Ragazzi says: ‘California represents possibility. As an Italian, I grew up surrounded by history and incredible craftsmanship. California offered something completely different: optimism, freedom and the confidence to reinvent yourself.’
‘I’ve always been inspired by that tension between European refinement and Californian ease. That’s exactly what Réservation represents. It’s crafted in France but infused with California, not literally, but emotionally.’
As Réservation enters its first full year on the market, it's proving a strong contender in a market that is becoming more and more saturated. According to Ragazzi, this is down to the brand’s story-first approach. ‘I never wanted to create another perfume brand. I wanted to create a world,’ he says. ‘Today, many brands focus on performance or trends. We focused on building a universe. The fragrance is only one part of the journey.’
