A distinguished and diverse group bringing together established names and new voices from the independent Italian perfumery sector is transforming landscapes, art, memory and innovation into scent — and capturing the attention of the world’s most-important fragrance market, the United States.
On October 22, 2026, AURA returns for its second edition at ASPIRE at One World Observatory in New York City, presenting 30 selected Made in Italy niche-fragrance brands. Building on the success of its inaugural 2025 edition called “ITA x Esxence: The Art of Perfumery” — which welcomed more than 300 buyers, editors, influencers, industry leaders and 23 Italian niche-fragrance brands — the rebranded event is now called “AURA”, and it has expanded to 30 selected niche-fragrance brands. Altogether, these 30 brands will celebrate the olfactory map of Italy: Mediterranean landscapes, historic cities and regional traditions combining distinctive ingredients with the country’s widely-recognized creativity, technology and artisanal touches.
The invitation-only 2026 AURA event will bring together qualified U.S. buyers, distributors, retailers, journalists, content creators and Italian fragrance professionals for an afternoon session of brand discovery, industry dialogue and networking. The evening session kicks off with a cocktail reception celebrating these Italian niche fragrance brands and the sector’s success. The trade preview start times are 2:30pm – 6:30pm ET (B2B afternoon event) and 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET (cocktail reception).
AURA arrives at a defining moment for the industry; Italy’s niche-fragrance market is valued at an estimated $450 million and represents approximately one-third of the country’s fine-fragrance market. Italian fragrance exports at large reached approximately $3.17 billion in 2025, increasing 6.4% over the previous year. This follows exceptional growth in 2024, when fragrance exports surged 26.3%. Meanwhile, the U.S. remains a critical market for Italian fragrance. In 2024, the U.S. was the leading international destination for Italian perfumes, receiving approximately $503 million in exports, or about 18% of Italy’s perfume exports worldwide.
“These figures reveal a significant cultural shift, and AURA gives America early access to some of the most original voices in Italian artistic perfumery today. Many of these independent houses are not yet widely available in the U.S. By connecting their vision with fragrance buyers, distributors, editors, and industry leaders, we are creating real opportunities in Italy’s No. 1-ranked fragrance market, the U.S.” said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian Trade Commissioner and executive director of the U.S. network.
Fittingly, the AURA event will be held “on top of the world” on the 102nd floor at One World Observatory in the tallest building not just in New York City, but the Western Hemisphere. More than a showcase, AURA captures an emerging movement as Italy’s next chapter in luxury is experienced through what we smell, remember and feel. To that point, an event highlight will be when Joffrey Ballet School dancers — individually scented with featured fragrances – enter ASPIRE to create a living, breathing perfume in real time. Through exquisite choreography, the dancers will reflect Italy’s evolving niche-perfumery and transform AURA into a multisensory event.
Complementing the event’s multisensory program, Scent in Bloom, an immersive sensory installation presented by Esxence in partnership with the Italian Perfumery Institute, will transform fragrance into a living landscape. Step into an olfactory garden where nature, scent, and perception intertwine, a space designed to awaken the senses and invite visitors on a journey through essences and evocative atmospheres. More than an installation, it is an exploration of scent’s invisible power: its ability to reshape space, stir memory and evoke emotion.
AURA is organized by the Italian Trade Agency (“ITA”) in collaboration with Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event. “This initiative offers a collective portrait of contemporary, luxury, Italian artistic perfumery, mapping the key players, ateliers, and emerging trends that are shaping the sector’s evolution. It brings together the people, places and ideas defining its future, each contributing to a vision of scent as an art form,” said Maurizio Cavezzali, Co-Founder of Esxence, adding, “The data speaks for itself.”
In its second year and with 30 Italian niche-fragrance brands now participating, AURA has grown into a showcase and fragrance market observatory. To participate as a member of the press or fragrance community, interview a brand/industry leader, or request event information, please contact the below PR representatives.
