After learning about my company and my love of Italy, the next question is usually – “Do you speak Italian?” This question is posed with the hopeful, dreamy expectation that I will say “Yes, of course.” Alas, my sister Divas, I do not speak Italian. I know enough to be dangerous.

I can order food, find a restroom, argue with a taxi driver and most importantly, ask the price? Quanto Costa? I am often stopped on the street and asked directions by locals and tourists. I can usually give them accurately and in understandable terms to each. I must look like a local or a frequent shopper. It’s a gift, I confess, I usually know where all the best shopping and clean restrooms are in most of Europe. The second item being one of the most useful talents a girl can have.

One of my top goals in life is to learn Italian. I have bought books, tapes and tried to take lessons – although I could never finish a course because of business travel. I took 2 years of Latin in high school, studied art history, mythology and consume book after book about Italy’s culture, food and history. All these things have helped me feel very comfortable when traveling throughout Italy. Still, I am determined to learn it.

As you read in the last post, Who is La Dolce Diva?, I started the company to share Italy with the rest of the world. Or at least, my known world. In order to make it accessible, I merchandised the scents into 3 categories: Bella Divina – Beautiful & Divine or Beautiful Diva, inspired by the gardens. Dolce Divina, Sweet & Divine or Sweet Diva inspired by the desserts.  Cucina Divina, Kitchen Diva, inspired by the aromas of Italian cuisine and botanicals.

The dessert inspired fragrances and names came easily, as you can imagine. The kitchen scents too. The garden scents were more difficult. I wanted to be sure to represent the essence of each city. Not a special concoction of an ethereal aesthetic, no,  an actual tangible, tactile relationship of the floral scent to the city. I am a purist this way. It comes after years of researching designs and themes for apparel lines.

My next hurdle was naming the scents. Should they be the English words? Italian? A mixture? Since America  has a long-standing love affair with Italy, we are familiar with many Italian phrases, words and cities already. However, I didn’t want to portray the company as being “from” Italy. I didn’t want to be too inaccessible and too foreign sounding. I wanted to convey La Dolce Vita – The Sweet Life…even if you had never heard the phrase, the feeling and aspiration are universal. I decided on a mixture of Italian and English. Still, I get questions on how to pronounce some of the cities.

And so, in the coming posts,  I will write more about each scent and it’s origins and pronunciation. I will try to convey all my enthusiasm and passion for  each scent and Italy itself. If you met me in person you would know that I would be continually using hand gestures to further articulate and punctuate my points.  Maybe that means I have picked up some of the local flavor?

Stay tuned, it will be fascinating!

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