Born out of a desire to express the innate pleasure women feel when wearing a beautiful scent, La Mia Perla, the new fragrance from Italian intimates brand La Perla, is both hypnotic and cocooning - a tribute to unashamed femininity.
La Mia Perla is an olfactory celebration of female sensuality and strength
The scent itself, crafted by master perfumer Honorine Blanc and overseen by Julia Haart, the brand's recently appointed creative director, is a captivating melange of elegant white peony and jasmine sambac on a silky-smooth sandalwood base. Encased in a strong yet sophisticated glass vessel, it's certainly dressing table-worthy, though it's the message within the elixir that's important here.
When spritzed onto the skin, it has an alluring warmth that almost seems to melt in rather than sit on the surface, and there's a delicious lightness to it - it's not too much, nor does it fade into nothing. Blanc chose to eschew the rigid structure present in most fragrances in favour of a smooth, pearl-shaped composition, making for an infinite symphony of divine scent. "In the modern world we are surrounded by noise," she says. "We have to have a fragrance that makes us feel good."
Annika Krijt, the star of the La Mia Perla campaign, personifies the powerful yet feminine La Perla woman
Having worked with the brand on accessory collections in the run up to the 2016 shows, Haart was no stranger to La Perla's long-standing principles, though she had big plans for the label before her role had even been announced. "One of the greatest displays of freedom is choosing what you wear on your body," says Haart. "Women are multifaceted. Some days we're playful and some days we want to be kick-ass and serious - my goal in life is to enable women to do their own thing and feel beautiful doing it."
Creative director Julia Haart strives to empower women through her exquisite yet thoughtful creations
Coming to be in 1954 in Bologna, La Perla was named such after the founder, Ada Masotti, drew comparisons between the beauty of the female form and the mysteries that surround the iridescent gems found in the depths of the sea. The brand has since become a byword for expertly crafted, luxurious lingerie and serves as a gentle reminder that femininity is not something to be apologised for.
To wear La Mia Perla is to embrace the very things that make you who you are. And that's a rather wonderful thing to do, is it not?
La Mia Perla is available in selected La Perla Boutiques and in the UK exclusively to John Lewis now. It will be available at other retailers from 1st July 2017.