BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 85
ENTREPRENEURS
By Sergio Momo
Sergio Momo is an Italian
perfumer and the founder
of the luxury perfume house
Xerjoff. He has a passion for
creating artistic fragrances,
which he began after a career
in design, and is inspired by
his family’s history, travel,
music, and other interests.
M
y father was a world
traveller, always
returning with small
treasures and raw
materials like incense and cedarwood.
Sometimes he would take me to
the mountains, point out a 昀氀ower
and simply say “Smell it.” He gave
me an awareness of scent, a subtle
sense that shapes memory, emotion
and imagination. That sensitivity
stayed with me, quietly in昀氀uencing
everything I would later create.
The day I graduated, I 昀椀nished the
exam and headed to the of昀椀ce: not
because I had to, but because I loved
it. I joined the company the moment I
turned eighteen.
“My life is design, art, music,
literature, 昀椀lm, vintage cars...
so many things, as is the brand
I created.”
When I was a bit older, I moved to
London and worked as a designer
for some important brands, and as
an illustrator for children’s books.
London shaped me a lot, and I moved
back to Turin a few years later a
changed man.
For me, there has never really been a
“work-life balance”. My mind never
differentiates the two. Something I
experience – whether it is a work of
art, a piece of music, a book I am
reading, or even some spices at a
market – if it sparks an idea, I will
start working on it straightaway, day
or night.
What I do is who I am, and I’m not
sure that everyone understands that.
My life is design, art, music, literature,
昀椀lm, vintage cars... so many things,
as is the brand I created. So Xerjoff
and Sergio really are the same thing.
Design has always meant openmindedness and creativity for me,
breaking boundaries and creating
things out of the ordinary.
The idea for Xerjoff emerged from a
desire to create a work of art within a
work of art; for me, perfume offered
the perfect medium. My idea was to
I grew up in Turin, a city immersed
in art, design and architecture. When
I was a child, drawing and creativity
wasn’t just a pastime, it was second
nature to me. I would literally just
draw all day: my mother even allowed
me to skip nursery to stay home and
draw.
When I was a teenager, I told my
father that I wanted to be a comic
designer: back in those days, many
fathers wanted their sons to follow
in their paths, but my dad told me to
choose something I wanted to do and
to do it well.
So, with my parents’ encouragement
and support, I ended up going to an
Italian design school, and there I met
some older guys who had opened
a small design agency. I was only
seventeen, and not legally allowed to
work, but I would 昀椀nish classes and
go straight to the agency.
Limited Edition Signed Crystal Tony Iommi Dei昀椀ed perfume for Xerjoff Blends
85
BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
