Paisley

Paisley unfolds like a silk scarf drenched in spiced tea, where bergamot's sharp citrus edge collides with cardamom's eucalyptus-green warmth and the frosted-leaf bitterness of blackcurrant. This is Etro at their most overtly floral yet somehow restrained—ylang-ylang's custard-like richness threads through jasmine's indolic sweetness whilst pink pepper adds a fizzing, almost metallic counterpoint that prevents the composition from sliding into cloying territory. The patchouli here isn't the head-shop variety; it reads as finely milled powder, almost iris-like in its dryness, whilst ambergris lends a saline minerality that keeps the vanilla from becoming confectionery. There's something distinctly Italian about this—the same hand that embroiders intricate patterns onto fabric translating into olfactory detail, where each accord overlaps without muddying the next. It's for those who appreciate floral scents but bristle at anything overtly feminine, who want jasmine with its edges intact rather than smoothed away. Wear this to gallery openings in converted warehouses, or whilst reading on a sun-drenched balcony overlooking ochre rooftops. The powdery quality gives it an almost vintage bearing—imagine rifling through your grandmother's scarves and finding they still hold the ghost of her Guerlain, mixed with cardamom pods from the kitchen drawer.