Discover Florentine Masterpieces: Roberto Ugolini Perfumes
A bespoke shoemaker from Florence who makes perfume? Sounds odd at first – until you smell a bottle with a hand-punched leather label. Roberto Ugolini has been making made-to-measure shoes for more than twenty years in a small workshop near Piazza Santo Spirito. His fragrances are named after shoes, gardens and Florentine landmarks – and that is exactly how they smell: of craftsmanship, leather, citrus and the Renaissance.
- Roberto Ugolini is a Florentine bespoke shoemaker; the fragrance line grew out of his friendship with German fragrance connoisseur Herbert Stricker.
- The perfumes are named after shoe styles (Oxford, Derby, Loafer, Kitten Heel) or places in Florence (Marzocco, Giardino di Boboli).
- Bottles with hand-punched leather labels and horn caps – unisex scents as eau de parfum and extrait.
- Available at 4D OUTFITTERS in Bregenz and online – with a free sample with every fragrance order.
From shoe last to bottle: how the brand began
Roberto Ugolini has collected unusual fragrances since his youth. One of his long-standing clients and friends is Herbert Stricker, a German fragrance connoisseur with many years of experience in perfume distribution. Their friendship sparked the idea of a fragrance line of their own: Stricker is the collection's artistic director, and the compositions are realised by perfumers Cristian Calabrò and Maurizio Cerizza.
The bottles are clean-lined and honest – with hand-punched leather labels and fine horn caps. Anyone who knows the workshop will recognise it: wooden lasts, fine leather, waxes and care oils. The fragrances themselves are all designed to be unisex.
Marzocco: the lion of Florence in a bottle
Marzocco pays tribute to the city's heraldic animal: the seated lion resting its paw on Florence's lily shield. The scent pairs mandarin, lime and lemon with orange blossom and jasmine; vanilla, patchouli, cedarwood and musk anchor the base. Fresh, sunny, elegant – an Italian summer you can spray on.
The collection: shoe styles, gardens and a house number
- 17 Rosso – named after the workshop's address (see the curiosities below). An extrait de parfum with 30% perfume oil: white peach, saffron and mint, a heart of Damask rose, pink pepper and peony, plus styrax, ambrette seed and cedarwood.
- Azzurro – rose, davana and blackcurrant with hints of champagne and magnolia; amber, woods and musk in the base.
- Oxford – subtle fruit and geranium over cedar and sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli and benzoin.
- Derby – cinnamon bark, caraway, myrrh, patchouli and cedarwood: spicy, deep, elegant.
- Kitten Heel – apricot with ylang-ylang and geranium, rounded off by patchouli, amber, sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean.
- Giardino di Boboli – green and floral with a high oil concentration: mint and apple, rose and jasmine, cedarwood and musk.
Can't decide? The Roberto Ugolini Discovery Kit is the most relaxed way into the collection.
Curiosities about Roberto Ugolini
Things you probably didn't know
- 17 Rosso is an address
Florence has two house-numbering systems: red numbers for shops and workshops, black (or blue) ones for homes. Roberto Ugolini's workshop is number 17 R – “R” for rosso. Hence the name.
- Same street, two number 17s
Because red and black numbers run independently, a “17 rosso” can be quite a way from “17 nero”. If you want to find Ugolini, tell your taxi driver “17 Rosso” explicitly.
- Florence kept real lions
The Marzocco wasn't just a symbol: from the Middle Ages until 1771 the city kept live lions at public expense. Donatello's famous Marzocco (1418–20) now stands in the Bargello; the one on Piazza della Signoria is a copy.
- A court dwarf on a tortoise
In the Boboli Gardens – namesake of Giardino di Boboli – Cosimo I de' Medici's court dwarf Morgante has sat since 1560, naked, as Bacchus, astride a tortoise. The gardens were originally laid out for Eleonora di Toledo.
- Oxford or Derby?
It's all in the lacing: on an Oxford the eyelet tabs are stitched under the vamp (closed lacing); on a Derby they sit on top (open lacing). A shoemaker who names his scents like this knows exactly what he's talking about.
How to wear Roberto Ugolini
- Occasion: fresh scents like Marzocco or Giardino di Boboli for daytime, spicier ones like Derby or 17 Rosso for the evening.
- Dosage: these are highly concentrated. Around four sprays on pulse points such as wrists and neck are enough. Spray clothing with care – some perfume oils can mark light fabrics.
- Storage: cool, dry and away from direct sunlight.
- Skin test: try a scent on a small patch of skin first to see how it develops on you.
Read more in 10 tips for applying perfume properly – and if you like to combine scents, take a look at our 20 tips for perfume layering.
Roberto Ugolini at 4D OUTFITTERS
Presented by perfume.gio, you'll find all Roberto Ugolini fragrances in our boutique in Bregenz and in our online shop. Every fragrance order comes with a sample of the scent you ordered; you can request up to four more free samples in the order note in your cart. Shipping is free from €200, and as a member of the 4D Insider Club you collect stars with every purchase.
FAQ about Roberto Ugolini
Who is behind Roberto Ugolini perfumes?
Florentine bespoke shoemaker Roberto Ugolini, with German fragrance connoisseur Herbert Stricker as artistic director. The scents are composed by Cristian Calabrò and Maurizio Cerizza.
What does the name 17 Rosso mean?
It's the workshop's house number in Florence: 17 R, with “R” standing for the city's red business numbers.
Are the fragrances for women or men?
The collection is designed to be unisex – what matters is which scent suits you, not the label.
Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
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