In this Chromato episode, Nicolas Cloutier, co-founder of Nose, presents the Fornasetti collection — a selection he had been waiting to bring in since the boutique opened in 2012. A personal attachment, a family story, and a house that embodies the permanence of beauty like few others.
Fornasetti: a long-standing obsession for Nose
Some brands impose themselves as self-evident. Fornasetti is one of them. As early as 2012, Nicolas Cloutier was certain that this Milanese house should join the Nose selection. A conviction nurtured long before the boutique opened: his mother, an architect and interior designer, passed on to him her passion for design and Italian taste. Fornasetti motifs have adorned his own living room for years.
This is therefore no ordinary editorial choice. It is a personal story that ended up joining a brand story — and the two hold together seamlessly.
Piero Fornasetti: painter, sculptor, decorator
Piero Fornasetti opened his studio in 1940. Painter, sculptor, decorator, he developed a visual universe where surrealism, neo-classicism and fantasy intersect. From porcelain to furniture, painted papers to accessories and scented candles, each piece is handmade in the Milan studio. In 1951, he took part in the grand interior design project of Casa Lucano, known as "Casa Fantasia".
In 1952–1953, he began reproducing the face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri. This founding gesture would never stop: since then, the studio has rendered this face in over 400 variations. Lina Cavalieri has become Fornasetti's absolute muse — present everywhere, always recognisable, never identical.
The three perfume extracts
The Fornasetti olfactive collection comprises three extracts, each carrying a distinct universe. Frutto Proibito is a spiced oriental floral: liquorice, white flowers, tuberose, ylang-ylang and vanilla. Immaginazione leans towards the aromatic and spiced woody, with thyme, lavender, incense and a touch of patchouli — which Nicolas Cloutier describes as one of his favourite ingredients.
The third, Giardino Segreto, is the greenest and fruitiest of the three. A garden impression, with blackcurrant in the top and myrrh in support to bring the necessary complexity and sophistication. Three extracts, three atmospheres — the same standard of artisanal craftsmanship.
Fornasetti candles
Beyond the fragrances, three candle collections embody the house's visual universe at Nose. The Architecture Collection offers three candles in the shape of houses. The Soli Collection revisits Fornasetti's iconic sun stopper codes. The Frutto Proibito Collection, meanwhile, plays on the motif of the serpent and original sin — with the muse Lina Cavalieri at the heart of the visual.
Objects to display, to give, to burn — which retain their character well beyond their use. Discover the Fornasetti collection and the house's universe in our selection below, or directly in boutique at 20 rue Bachaumont, Paris 2e.
