I met Julia Zangrilli in her intimate studio just a few weeks ago, and one thing that resonates is her knack for making sophisticated custom fragrances that are perfectly tailored for her clientele. Together we smelled not only her first retail release, Chakra, (read my review on CaFleureBon-tomorrow) but we also smelled a few of her customs, and as we did this she effortlessly described what held her interest about each person and formula. She has carved out a solid brand that speaks fluently to the personal and now with Chakra, she will speak to a broader public. Enjoy, and thanks Julia. VV
VV
Where did you grow-up? Is
there an olfactive memory from that time and place that you can share with us?
JZ
I grew up in State
College, PA. If I had to pick a childhood smell it would be the smell of the
soda gun in my dad's restaurant The Deli. I used to hang out there every day after school.
Syrupy, a little metallic, with those wafts of alcohol that emanate from wooden
bars.
VV
Can you share any
daily rituals?
JZ
Everyday I
drink a kombucha - it's cleansing and energizing. I have a miniature Australian
Shepherd named Osa, who jumps on my bed to cuddle every morning. I have a chill
dinner with my fiance most nights - it's my favorite way to unwind and shake
off the day.
VV
How did you come to perfumery?
JZ
I guess I was looking
for a creative outlet. I'd recently taken my friend to this voo-doo store
in the east village to peruse oils for fun - and she noticed that I had a
strong ability to talk about what we were smelling. We weren't smelling
"fine" materials, but she saw a penchant that I'd never noticed or
thought about. At any rate, a few weeks later she forwarded me a 101 raw
materials class she'd seen in NYMag, taught by Anne McClaine. I took the course
and instantly became obsessed with the world of perfumery.
VV
It was great to spend
time in your studio, it's intimate and perfect for the custom fragrance
experience. What is the concept behind NOVA, and is there a person or an idea
that has been an influence?
JZ
NOVA was influenced by
many things. Mainly I found the astronomical definition to be a perfectly
subtle and poetic way of describing fragrance. From a type perspective, the
word itself is beautiful - the way the N, V and A sit together creates a
symmetrical effect. Through the manufacturing process, the Do family at Delbia
Do Manufacturers has been hugely helpful. Specifically Darryl Do - number one
mentor.
VV
I am so fond of the
chair you were sitting on in your studio, you mentioned it was your mother's. I
love how family objects can be grounding, and add wabi sabi to our home/work
space. Can you speak to us about your Chinese/Italian heritage, I believe you
are first generation Chinese/Italian American, has this significantly shaped
your world, if so how?
JZ
My mother was born 1945
in Shanghai, a toddler around the start of the Communist Revolution. It's a
long story but her parents and sister went to the U.S. and left my mom behind
with the intention of having her naturalized immediately. The naturalization
process ended up taking eight years, so she was raised by her grandparents.
When she finally arrived she was "Americanized" and in a few
years and became fluent in English and a star student across the board. To this
day she's a renaissance woman who never stops learning/doing. My father was
born 1941 in Altoona, Pennsylvania - one of the youngest in a 12-person family
who had recently immigrated from Pontecorvo, Italy. His family was too
impoverished to provide for everyone, so he was taken in by a neighboring
Italian family who was less poor and with only 1 daughter. Shortly after, both
of his parents died and he/his siblings were officially orphaned and separated.
He started working when he was a kid, first doing paper routes, then flipping
pizzas at 13- which began his currently 50-year career as a restauranteur. He
and my mom built a restaurant empire, which at its peak consisted of 18
establishments - restaurants, bars and music venues. And raised 4 kids.
Total rugged individualist American dream. That heritage makes me exceedingly
proud and lucky. Their entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity and lightness of heart
have hugely influenced me. (a picture from their early marriage is below).
VV
Are there raw
materials that you are drawn to more than others, can you name them here?
JZ
It really depends on my
mood, though I have a special place in my heart for strange and abstract
synthetic oils.
VV
Chakra, NOVA's first
signature scent recently launched, how does creating a signature scent differ
from creating a custom fragrance for a single client? Do you have a preference?
JZ
I take price-point into
account much more when working on a formula for retail. With custom fragrances,
I can create with higher amounts of precious ingredients. With custom work I'm
creating for a specific person's skin, and tweak to their specifications. In
developing a retail scent, I still test on a number of people but it's less
pointed. The pressures to please are different, there are always more customers
with retail, but with a custom formula there's nowhere to run! Both processes
are rewarding in different ways, I don't have a preference.
VV
Do you pack
fragrances when you travel, if so, which ones?
JZ
I save testers, and pick
a few at random. I always have a roll-on of a light/therapeutic fragrance oil
that I've made - recently I've been loving just french neroli diluted with
jojoba and coconut oil.
VV
What is your
favorite flower?
JZ
I don't have one. I've
been making a marked effort to buy flowers for my apartment every week...I like
to mix it up! I never make the same arrangements.
VV
Do you have a
favorite cocktail, can you share the recipe?
JZ:
Summers, it's Campari
and orange juice with an orange slice. 1 part campari, 2 or 3 parts orange
juice depending on how you like it, ice.
