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Acqua di Parma marks 110 years of Colonia with a rare celebrity campaign, as clean citrus fragrances reinterpret its enduring appeal.
For a house long defined by discretion and an almost private understanding of luxury, the Italian brand Acqua di Parma has stepped briefly into the spotlight, enlisting Academy Award–nominated actor Michael Fassbender and Sabrina Impacciatore to front a campaign marking its 110-year anniversary. Historically, Acqua di Parma has avoided known faces, opting instead to let citrus, craftsmanship, and understatement do the talking.
Set for release this week, the campaign imagery was photographed by Brett Lloyd, with short films directed by British filmmaker Talia Collis. Both unfold in Parma, the northern Italian city where the brand was founded, and where its idea of elegance has always been rooted.
Titled The Art of Living Italian, the campaign frames Acqua di Parma’s philosophy as something portable rather than provincial. The intention, according to the company, is not to sell a lifestyle as fantasy but to translate a way of moving through the world that privileges slowness, attention, and human connection.
“We wanted to emphasize the fact that not only Italians or those who live in Italy can embrace this philosophy,” Giulio Bergamaschi, chief executive officer of Acqua di Parma, said in a statement. “It’s not a matter of geography but of values, of bringing attention to what matters and what makes a difference… And oftentimes those are the small, everyday things. Details matter and are a source of pleasure for us.”
Bergamaschi described the effort as “a campaign of cultural narrative,” stressing that the appearance of well-known actors should be read as an exception rather than a strategic pivot.
“Having celebrities is not part of our recipe for selling products. It’s neither part of our background nor our future,” said Bergamaschi. “But for this cultural narrative and to show the universality of the message, we picked two people who perfectly fit with this message.”
“In an increasingly noisy world, creativity is key — that is, being original and unexpected, but always staying within a framework that’s consistent with your values,” he continued. “We will never betray who we are to follow the hype, but it’s important to always find an original, unexpected language to accurately express your values.”
The pairing itself was designed to feel slightly off-script. Bergamaschi characterized Fassbender as “one of the greatest actors of his generation, an icon of timeless elegance, charisma and discretion, who has never done a beauty campaign before,” while describing Impacciatore as embodying “Italian authenticity and lightheartedness.” Together, the two move through Parma guided by curiosity. They’re seen cycling through quiet streets, sharing coffee, and lingering over lunch, with Impacciatore gently correcting Fassbender’s pronunciation of espresso “with the S.”
“Here lunch isn’t just a break. It’s an event, where a conversation can last much longer than the meal,” she notes in one vignette, before closing the film with a line that distills the campaign’s intent: “It’s not about being Italian. It’s about caring for what matters. And in doing so, living well becomes an art.”
Bergamaschi says that message is increasingly resonant. “The ability to combine craftsmanship and creativity, refinement and simplicity, and finding beauty in the ordinary moments resonate not only with our values but more and more universally. In such a fast-paced world… there’s a need to rediscover a human dimension and slow living.”
That sensibility carries through to the product at the center of the anniversary. The campaign spotlights a limited reinterpretation of Colonia, the fragrance that launched Acqua di Parma in 1916 when Baron Carlo Magnani commissioned a local artisan to create a citrus cologne unlike anything on the market. By the 1930s, the scent had become a calling card of Italian elegance, and by the 1950s it had achieved international cachet, with bespoke tailors reportedly spritzing it onto made-to-measure suits before delivering them to elite clients.
Named Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, the new fragrance was created by perfumer Alexis Dadier and built around a single harvest of ylang-ylang white from Nosy Be, Madagascar, cultivated in tropical conditions and distilled within 24 hours of picking. The millesimato concept, borrowed from wine, anchors the scent to a specific year rather than an endlessly repeatable formula. The bottle is presented in an Art Deco–inspired glass design and housed in the brand’s signature yellow hatbox, marked with a gold medal commemorating the 2024 harvest and the anniversary year.
Why Acqua di Parma’s scent language endures
Colonia’s longevity is rooted in its clarity of purpose. From its earliest formulation, the fragrance was designed around bergamot, citrus, and aromatic botanicals arranged to feel deliberate and legible on skin. It is a profile that has proven remarkably durable across generations, largely because it avoids sweetness, heaviness, or theatricality in favor of brightness that holds its shape throughout the day.
That same clarity has become newly relevant as fragrance consumers grow more attentive to formulation standards, ingredient sourcing, and what exactly sits behind the word “fragrance” on a label. Its architecture has shaped how many contemporary brands approach freshness, even though it’s not a “clean” perfume (phthalate-free, paraben-free, or fully transparent).
What Colonia does offer is a sensory reference point. Its citrus-forward construction demonstrates that freshness does not need to rely on laundry metaphors, sugary accords, or aggressive projection to feel modern. Instead, it presents freshness as something social and intentional.
Clean fragrance brands frequently echo its balance of citrus, neroli, and light aromatics, reinterpreting those notes using updated ingredient policies that explicitly exclude phthalates, parabens, and other compounds of concern.
Colonia’s influence in the clean fragrance sector is indirect but substantial. It demonstrates that freshness can signal confidence and adulthood without leaning on density or sweetness, a lesson that has become particularly useful as consumers reassess what “clean” should smell like. Rather than chasing neutrality or sterility, newer non-toxic fragrances increasingly aim for brightness with dimension, offering citrus profiles that feel lived-in and human rather than antiseptic.
Clean Fragrance Alternative to Acqua di Parma Colonia
Colonia’s historic framing also helps explain why the scent still resonates culturally even as the fragrance market fragments into niche, clean, and wellness-adjacent categories. The scent may not meet today’s clean standards, but it helped define a way of smelling fresh that many clean fragrances are now refining, updating, and, in some cases, correcting at the formulation level. The following fragrances bring the spirit of Colonia in non-toxic formulations.
Clean Reserve Acqua Neroli
Clean Reserve’s Acqua Neroli channels citrus and orange blossom through a modern, transparency-driven framework. The fragrance emphasizes neroli, bergamot, and soft musks, delivering brightness without sharpness. The brand publishes full ingredient disclosures and positions its Reserve line around responsible sourcing, aligning freshness with a more contemporary definition of clean perfumery.
Henry Rose Jake’s House
Founded by Michelle Pfeiffer, Henry Rose has built its reputation on radical transparency, with all formulas disclosed and independently verified. Jake’s House blends neroli, marine notes, and citrus into a composition that feels breezy and architectural, echoing the Italian cologne tradition while translating it for a skin-forward, modern wearer.
Ellis Brooklyn Sci Fi
Ellis Brooklyn approaches freshness with a slightly softer hand. Sci Fi pairs citrus and green tea with vanilla, creating a luminous scent that nods to classic colognes without mimicking them. Founder Bee Shapiro has spoken publicly about fragrance as one of the last beauty categories to embrace transparency, a gap the brand was created to address.
Dossier Citrus Marine
While it is positioned as a dupe of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, its citrus-aquatic structure makes it relevant as a budget-friendly, Colonia-adjacent option. Dossier markets this fragrance as vegan, cruelty-free, and free from phthalates and parabens, though it does not publish full ingredient disclosures across all products.
Phlur Tangerine Boy
Tangerine Boy is a sharp, unapologetic citrus built around tangerine, lemon, and ginger. It is brighter and more playful than Colonia, but it carries the same sense of freshness as a mood rather than a trend. Phlur fragrances are phthalate-free, paraben-free, vegan, and allergen-conscious, with ingredient lists available.
Skylar Capri Summer
This is lighter and more casual than Colonia, but it belongs here because of its transparent citrus construction. Capri Summer leans into bergamot and citrus peel with a skin-scent dry-down that avoids sweetness. Skylar fragrances are marketed as hypoallergenic, phthalate-free, paraben-free, and vegan, and the brand publishes ingredient standards clearly.
Maison Louis Marie No.13 Nouvelle Vague Fragrance Oil
For those drawn to the intimacy of Colonia rather than its projection, Maison Louis Marie offers an alternative with this fragrance oil designed to sit close to the skin. No. 13 is inspired by the Italian coast, sparkling citrus accord and soft florals, layered with creamy coconut, Tuscan fig, and agave. Tonka and golden woods offer a warm, skin-close finish — bright, dreamy, and effortlessly transportive.
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