Nina Ricci

Maria 'Nina' Ricci was born in Turin, Italy in 1883 and moved to Paris at thirteen where she would spend her entire career in fashion. She founded her couture house in 1932 at 20 Rue des Capucines at the age of 49 — remarkable late timing for a couture launch — partnering with her son Robert who managed the business side while she focused entirely on creation. Ricci's aesthetic was the antithesis of Coco Chanel's casual modernism: she celebrated an overtly feminine, romantic, and graceful approach to dress that appealed to women who found Chanel's liberation uncomfortable. L'Air du Temps, launched in 1948, became one of the greatest fragrances of the 20th century and remains in continuous production. Robert Ricci's grandson Romano later founded Juliette Has a Gun, continuing the family's fragrance legacy.

L'Air du Temps (1948) was created by Francis Fabron — who also created L'Interdit for Givenchy — with the extraordinary brief of creating 'a new era of peace after war.' The resulting composition — a neo-carnation of carnation, rose, iris, sandalwood, benzyl salicylate, and musks — achieved something unprecedented: a fragrance that smelled simultaneously of the relief of peace and the optimism of the future. The iconic bottle, designed by Marc Lalique with two doves on the stopper, has remained one of the most recognised and beloved fragrance flacons in history. The fragrance has never left the market in 75 years.

L'Air du Temps (1948) is one of the most historically significant fragrances ever created — among the ten compositions that genuinely changed the course of perfumery. Its carnation-rose-iris composition, created to celebrate peace after World War II, has been worn by more women across more generations than virtually any other feminine fragrance. Nina Rose (2016) and Nina Fleur (2018) are lighter, more contemporary interpretations for younger audiences. Nina (2006), an apple-orchid-wood composition, is the house's most successful modern launch.

Nina Ricci occupies accessible prestige — EDPs from €50-€85 — with a historical legacy that renders L'Air du Temps genuinely priceless in cultural terms, available at a price that reflects commercial access over artistic significance.

Every Nina Ricci fragrance at The Scent Stories® is 100% authentic, factory-sealed and brand-packaged — sourced from authorised channels and shipped worldwide.