Domenico Caraceni - new manufacturer

[the_good_life]

I wrote Forrester Milano asking about any information they'd be willing to share about DC - like who the nose is. Got a friendly answer and they're sending the promo leaflet, but most importantly: they are no longer producing it. I wonder whether that will lead to a change in the perfume formulation. I do not know yet who is making it now. Anyone?

[Rockford]

The_good_life,
Thanks for doing this research and for bringing it to our attention.

My bottle of Domenico Caraceni came from the German online retailer Aus Liebe zum Duft (First in Fragrance), and the bottle and its box both say “Forester” and “Milano”, and the box says “Made in Italy”. Here is what the bottle looks like at the Aus Liebe zum Duft web site:
http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/kosmet...oducts_id=1781

I noticed that the Domenico Caraceni bottle pictured on the Luckyscent web site looks different than the bottle on the Aus Liebe zum Duft web site. Here is what the bottle looks like at the Luckyscent web site:
http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/detai...0600&section=1

The bottle pictured on the Aus Liebe zum Duft web site has the sprayer covered by the cap, but I can affirm that the sprayer on my Aus Liebe zum Duft bottle looks very different than the sprayer on the Luckyscent bottle.

I wonder if the different bottle design also indicates a different producer and/or a different perfume formulation.

A question for anyone who has purchased Domenico Caraceni from Luckyscent --- Does it say “Forester” and “Milano” on both the bottle and the box, and does the box say “Made in Italy”?
.

[Omega Man]

The bottle I purchased from Luckyscent was almost black. The box was black also. I will look into it more once I get home.

[Sorcery of Scent]

I received a sample recently of DC from Ausliebezumduft (purple bottle). Mikeperez and I were having this black/purple bottle conversation a few days ago. Its unlikely it has been reformulated, to my mind... but not having smelled the black bottled variety, its anyones guess.

[mikeperez23]

The bottle pictured on the Aus Liebe zum Duft web site has the sprayer covered by the cap, but I can affirm that the sprayer on my Aus Liebe zum Duft bottle looks very different than the sprayer on the Luckyscent bottle.

Rockford - does your bottle (that you say you got from ALzD) look 'black' like in the Luckyscent pic? Or 'purple' like in the ALzD pic?

[Rockford]

Rockford - does your bottle (that you say you got from ALzD) look 'black' like in the Luckyscent pic? Or 'purple' like in the ALzD pic?

Mike, I will try to be as accurate as possible in my description. It is my hope that I can be helpful and not cause confusion.

My bottle came from the German online retailer Aus Lieb zum Duft. In short, except for the color of the glass, my bottle is similar in every way to the ALzD bottle pictured on the right.

The color of my bottle is closer to the color of the black bottle pictured on the left, but my bottle is not quite that dark, although it could be that dark if photographed in the right way. It should be noted that the color and darkness of glass bottles in photos can vary a lot depending on how they are photographed. A photo of a glass bottle can be made to look darker or lighter, or tending more toward one color or another color, depending on the lighting, the background color, and other factors.

The shape of my bottle is exactly like the shape of the ALzD on the right. Notice that the edges of the bottle on the left are more bevelled than the ALzD bottle on the right.

The cap of my bottle is exactly like the cap of the ALzD bottle on the right.

My bottle and box both have a red letter "C" placed between the open blades of the scissors, exactly like the ALzD bottle and box on the right. Notice that the letter "C" is white on the bottle on the left.

My box looks like the ALzD box on the right except the color of my box is slightly less purple and slightly more navy blue.

The sprayer on my bottle looks very different than the sprayer of the bottle on the left.

My bottle and box both have the words “Forester” and “Milano” (referring to the Forester perfume manufacturing and distributing company located in Milan, Italy), and my box says “Made in Italy”. If anyone is interested, here is the Forester web site: http://www.askforester.com/eng/index.htm

Since the bottle design seems to have changed and the manufacturing and distributing company has changed, does this mean that the Domenico Caraceni perfume formula has also been changed? Frankly, I don't care if the bottle design has changed and I also don't care which company does the manufacturing and distributing. The only thing I really care about is whether the DC perfume formula has changed and whether the fragrant character and behavior of the juice has changed. Still, at this time, it is useful to gather any evidence of external changes such as the bottle and manufacturer changes. These kinds of external changes might indicate that the perfume formula has also been changed.

A question I have for anyone who has purchased DC from Luckyscent is this --- Does it say “Forester” and “Milano” on both the bottle and the box, and does the box say “Made in Italy”? The answer to this question might tell us that we have some "different" DC bottles for which we can compare the fragrant character and behavior of the juice. Either I will want to do a side-by-side skin test of the juice of any "different" DC bottles, or I will want someone else whose judgement I really trust to do such a test.

Domenico Caraceni Pour Homme is one of my top favorites, and I have to know if this magnificent fragrance has in any way been defiled. I like being optimistic, and I will be very happy if we discover that the perfume formula is unchanged, but I want to know for sure.
.

[Jock_With_Scents]

I have bought two bottles from luckyscent. Both bottles indeed say Made in Italy and say also
Forester Milano. The boxes also have this same designation. Good news I guess!

[Rockford]

I have bought two bottles from luckyscent. Both bottles indeed say Made in Italy and say also
Forester Milano. The boxes also have this same designation. Good news I guess!

Hi Jock_With_Scents,

What does your Domenico Caraceni bottle and box look like?

Does your bottle and box look like the ALzD bottle and box on the right?

Or, does your bottle look like the bottle on the left?
.

[trumpet_guy]

Mine (from Luckyscent) looks like the one on the left, and it smells great.
I suspect there is no change in the formula. A really fine scent!

[Rockford]

Mine (from Luckyscent) looks like the one on the left, and it smells great.
I suspect there is no change in the formula. A really fine scent!

Hi trumpet_guy, Thanks for the information.

Does your bottle and box indicate that it is made in Italy by Forester Milano?
.

[trumpet_guy]

Hi trumpet_guy, Thanks for the information.

Does your bottle and box indicate that it is made in Italy by Forester Milano?
.

Yes, the box is a dark blue/purpule, almost black in color, and on the back it says

Made in Italy
FORESTER - 20138 Milano
Art. DC01

The bottle has a sticker on the bottom, which, among other things, says
Forester Srl - Milano

The cap on the bottle is tall and slender, and it has fine grooves running at an
angle.

[nsamadi]

I thought the pic of the bottle on Luckyscent was actually for the tester bottle...that's why it's different. Isn't it?

[Sorcery of Scent]

I thought the pic of the bottle on Luckyscent was actually for the tester bottle...that's why it's different. Isn't it?

The tester bottle I used at a perfumery in Vienna over Xmas was the purple one. The packaged stock on shelf was also identical to the purple box pictured.

[trumpet_guy]

I thought the pic of the bottle on Luckyscent was actually for the tester bottle...that's why it's different. Isn't it?

No, that's actually how my bottle looks, but with a cap, of course.

[nsamadi]

Thanks for the quick response, guess I was thinking something else...

[Jock_With_Scents]

Hi Jock_With_Scents,

What does your Domenico Caraceni bottle and box look like?

Does your bottle and box look like the ALzD bottle and box on the right?

Or, does your bottle look like the bottle on the left?
.

Just what trumpet_guy said. My bottle is the one on the left from luckyscent.

[jdemetre]

The bottle I have has the C above the open scissors in white.
The box has the C above the open scissors in red.
Both have the Forester id.
I've forgotten where I bought it. I'd have to check bills.

[Sorcery of Scent]

Perhaps the_good_life who already has a contact, may be able to email or pass on the details for someone else to email and find out for sure about the bottle/packaging issues.
And save us pages of speculation?

[fredricktoo]

Perhaps the_good_life who already has a contact, may be able to email or pass on the details for someone else to email and find out for sure about the bottle/packaging issues.
And save us pages of speculation?

I've looked at the Domenico Caraceni site and it features the purple bottle.
At the bottom of the site is a web address for www.classic-parfums.com
on their site the bottle is purple.

at the link for contact there is a PDF catalog that's to big for me to attach (978k) here. It's all in German.

[pluran]

A small sample for Luckyscent would tell me all I need to know. I bought my bottles from Europe. They're the purple-ish ones and the juice is prime. I doubt they changed the juice, just needed to make more bottles to distribute and found someone to make them cheaper or something.

[Omega Man]

Yes, the box is a dark blue/purpule, almost black in color, and on the back it says

Made in Italy
FORESTER - 20138 Milano
Art. DC01

The bottle has a sticker on the bottom, which, among other things, says
Forester Srl - Milano

The cap on the bottle is tall and slender, and it has fine grooves running at an
angle.

Mine says the same thing. I purchased it from Lucky Scent.

[narcus]

I am next to certain that something is cooking, but details may still have to be defined. As of now, I have not been able to find all the pieces of that puzzle. It is absolutely clear that the brand 'Domenico Caraceni 1913' is an active brand (and company) primarily engaged in making deluxe men's wear (suits). Website [inactive]: www.caraceni.it. This company is owned by Gianni Campagna who achieved both fame and wealth as a talented and ambitious mens tailor in Milano . Best background story (English): The man with the Golden Needle .

It seems that it was actually Campagna's idea to also have a couple of signature fragrances for Caraceni's customers. And the set-up reminds me of Knize Ten, or the tailoring shop of ‘Hannes B.’ in Zurich.

(1) Eau pour Homme (also seen as ‘Atom Man’ or 'Classico' recently)
(2) ‘Ivy League’,
(3) ‘Loren’ (Sophia).

Maybe we have already arrived at level two where fragrances are not just seen as a nice gesture to please customers but as diversification of the main business. The recently added support products seem to confirm that step. Website: www.caraceni.de . This site is in German, but you can’t miss the P enclosed by the C as a new brand symbol, copyright Classic-Parfums. Now, Classic Parfums is a trading entity located in Neully sur Seine / France. It belongs to the group PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), second only to the LVMH empire of luxury brands. If you visit the Classic Parfums website / Brands You’ll suddenly discover some new or familiar perfume brands with resounding names like - - Gianni Campagna (with delicious fragrance descriptions).

First conclusions: Campagna's new empire and good old ‘Forester SARL’ were just no match any longer. I don’t think you need to worry much about the quality of the colognes in the short run, but a price increase and nobler points of sale can perhaps be expected. It may be wise to now grab what you want. And hopefully we are seeing one or two new Italian lines of quality products emerge on the horizon.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________
Classic Parfums advised me to purchase all of their products listed from ALZD, Germany. They know where I live, and I had asked for a shop in Milano also.
Earlier I had sent the same questions directly to DC Milano directly. They never replied. p.s.: would it be unthinkable that C&S 88 and DC have the same perfumer?

[the_good_life]

I was astonished back when I first tried a Campagna scent that there wasn't more marketing, or, provided, they were indeed aiming at a very high end profile, the perfumes didn't cost twice as much. Nobody really talks about Campagna on blogs or anything and I think this forum provided the only major PR for Caraceni.

In terms of changing formulations - I'm wondering whether even if the formula remains the same, just the fact that a different producer will likely be using oils from a different provider could have an impact on the fragrance - it may not be worse, just slightly different. Or will they get the/a nose to tweak it into shape (which would cost again, though)? Just my speculative ramblings...

[narcus]

Somebody recently asked a good question: When was Domenico Caraceni 1913 launched? I myself hadn't really thought about it. It seems to have emerged out of nowhere, and I initially assumed that it was perhaps an older brand. Now I would say it is younger than C&S 88. Maybe it was a sleeper in the Caraceni tailoring shop. But as I think that Campagna had something to to with that, it probably hasn't existed before 1999. Putting all known bits together I would guess: between 2000 and 2003. Does anybody have a better guess?

I came across more interesting details relating primarily to Caraceni 1913 on another men's blog: ShaveMyFace Naturally, perfume isn't the main topic of the gentlemen over there. But they do mention Brodie, John Stephen, and Forester. They also speculate how close Caraceni 1913 and C&S # 88 could perhaps be. Someone in BN seemed to be skeptical about Caraceni Sartoria a couple of weeks ago. But I would second the advice from SMFace that Caraceni Sartoria should by no means be underestimated. I hope Magnifiscent sees this and has more input. After all this is all about profumi Milanesi .

The description of the shaving cream is mouthwatering. And my perhaps naive question is: can I use shaving cream together with my Gilette Mach3 ? For once in my life I would like to try something more exotic than Nivea or Gilette foam. I hope that isn't too off topic for you guys.

[the_good_life]

I believe it was launched in 2003, when Forester took up production of it, as they wrote me.
There are four Caraceni tailoring companies in Italy these days and B. Roetzel in "The Gentleman" (p. 109) only gives highest marks to the one in Rome and "A. Caraceni" Milano - Domenico Caraceni/Campagna is not mentioned and is equally ill-considered on askandyabout clothes. That does not mean their not a serious company, just that they are not considered the highest of high end in some quarters. As long as rhey make good perfumes...

[narcus]

Doesn't this remind you of the competitive battle of the Farinas, fake perfumers included? Even the importance of a certain date in the (registered) brand name does! Caraceni father had about 13 sons. I have no reason to doubt that any of these would be qualified tailors and honest business men. It could easily be that they are not competing in exactly the same markets, though. I am not at home in the fashion world, but I haven't seen any Forbes report yet that wasn't well informed. It's their business! (The man with the golden needle, linked to above). The article is a bit old, and there may be newer developments, of course. The main point, however is that Campagna has obviously entrusted a reputed French giant with the future perfume production and expansion of the line. That gives me hopes concerning the future quality of these products. But I also suppose, that products under PPR control will not be sold at the same (low) prices much longer.

[TwoRoads]

1. The www.caraceni.de website is no longer active.

2. Luckyscent does not seem to be able to obtain new product.

3. Caraceni has recently had quality issues - some bottles have leaked in transit causing the outer layer of colored tinting to peel off.

4. Aus Lieb zum Duft has Caraceni in stock. Are they receiving new shipments or are they just selling from existing inventory?

When I discussed this with Luckyscent a month or so ago, I came away with the belief that Domenico Caraceni had stopped production of their fragrances. Whether it is a temporary or permanent cessation, I do not know.

Can anyone update this thread with information as to the current status and future of the house of Caraceni?

P.S. I emailed Classic Parfums and will update this thread whenever I receive a response.

[everso]

1. The www.caraceni.de website is no longer active.

2. Luckyscent does not seem to be able to obtain new product.

3. Caraceni has recently had quality issues - some bottles have leaked in transit causing the outer layer of colored tinting to peel off.

4. Aus Lieb zum Duft has Caraceni in stock. Are they receiving new shipments or are they just selling from existing inventory?

When I discussed this with Luckyscent a month or so ago, I came away with the belief that Domenico Caraceni had stopped production of their fragrances. Whether it is a temporary or permanent cessation, I do not know.

Can anyone update this thread with information as to the current status and future of the house of Caraceni?

P.S. I emailed Classic Parfums and will update this thread whenever I receive a response.

this company is starting to fascinate me. almost feels like a 'modern' company created with the feeling of KNIZE.

try this: http://www.caraceni.it/

[fredricktoo]

this may appeal to your interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caraceni

Maybe it was another thread but I remember asking where this stuff was 5 years ago, 10 years ago. It seemed to appear without any patina of age to it. Unlike Knize which was discuseed in the 20's and 30's as the hip new fragrance to go with the rest of the leather in your life.

[TwoRoads]

this company is starting to fascinate me. almost feels like a 'modern' company created with the feeling of KNIZE.

try this: http://www.caraceni.it/

I have been on that site, it doesn't mention their fragrance line at all.

I agree, the company fascinates me as well.