Mona di Orio

Mona di Orio was a shining light in niche perfumery. As a young girl with no family connections to the fragrance industry, she wrote a letter to legendary master perfumer Edmond Roudnitska (the creator of Eau Sauvage and Diorissimo, amongst many other all-time classics) which began a lifelong friendship. Roudnitska recognized her passion but told her she had none of the foundational education necessary to train as a perfumer. Undaunted, Mona completed years of schooling (she was originally studying architecture) and returned to Roudnitska, who saw her determination and took her on as an apprentice. The two were inseparable until his death in 1996. In 2004, Mona founded her own house, using her passion for classic, full-bodied fragrances, the wealth of knowledge passed down by Edmond Roudnitska, and even her own architecturally-imbued fascination with ratios and balance to create fragrances that sing with love, artistry, and immaculate construction. Mona di Orio tragically passed away in 2011, but she leaves behind the legacy of a uniquely gifted perfumer who always stayed true to her own enchanting vision.