About
In 1984, a niche fragrance from an elegant Long Island flower shop revolutionized perfumery. Antonia’s Flowers pioneered headspace technology.
Flowers growing in a garden smell quite different from the fragrant oil perfumers can extract. No matter the process, not all their volatile scent molecules can be captured.
Headspace technology solved the problem. It let perfumers analyze the tiniest components and recreate the scent. In its early development, a living flower was encased in a glass bell-jar apparatus for as long as twelve hours. As the flower breathed out its scent into the ‘headspace’ within the jar, its volatile molecules were captured and analyzed on a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. In effect, it produced an instant snapshot of the flower’s perfume. Practically, it meant that nature’s scents could now be identified, cloned and copied exactly.
Antonia Bellanca was headspace’s pioneer. She knew nothing about the technicalities of perfumery but everything about the scent of freesia. “I wanted a scent that really resembles a flower. To me, freesia is the prettiest. I looked for a perfume that truly captured the essence of freesia and found that there simply wasn’t one.”
Starting at the top, she bravely cold-called International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), the reigning American oil house. By coincidence, Bernard Chant, IFF’s chief perfumer, had long been intrigued by the scent of freesia. Introduced into Europe during the late 19th century, perfumers had tried without success to extract a perfume from the flower by means of enfleurage and volatile solvents. So, when Antonia asked about freesia, it just so happened that Bernard had the headspace analysis of the flower.
Antonia’s Flowers launched in 1984. Slowly, word of mouth created a legend. Floret followed in 1995, Tiempe Passate in 1999, Sogni del Mare in 2007 and Rokka in 2013.
Antonia’s Flowers closed temporarily while she went in search of new inspiration. Her passion remained and in 2025, a simple page on antoniasflowers.com announced “The wait is over”. Tiempe Passate, one of Antonia’s most successful fragrances, showcases her return.
Antonia's Flowers Redux is in the works. Stay tuned.
- Michael Edwards,
fragrance expert and author