Ortigia products
Ortigia is an Italian fragrance and lifestyle company created in Sicily in 2006 by Sue Townsend. I love the luxurious range of soaps, scents, creams, candles and lotions. The problem is always which one to choose.
This is made even more difficult when confronted with the entire range in the beautiful Ortigia shop in Florence in Borgo San Jacopo, overlooking the Arno. Liz and I visited the shop on a recent trip to Florence. We were also delighted to go to the office to meet the lovely Eleanor, who gave us lots of information about the products.
the shop in Borgo San Jacopo in Florence
The scents and perfumes are made from natural essences. The glycerine soaps are made in Switzerland using olive oil, almond oil and vegetable glycerine. The perfumes have delicious names like Zagara (orange blossom), Melograno (pomegranate), Fico d’India, Ambra Nera (black amber) and other exotic delights.
Zagara - orange blossom
Melograno - pomegranate
The heavenly packaging, designed by Sue Townsend, is in exotic Mediterranean colours, taken from brightly coloured scraps of fabrics and images found in friends’ homes. The black Sicilian palm tree features in the packaging and in the shop decoration.
the beautiful packaging
from the inside looking out
Ortigia is available world wide. In Brisbane it is sold at Ollie and Lloyd at Emporium in the Valley and Absolutely Fabulous at 39 Logan Rd, Wooloongabba.
the view of the Ponte Vecchio from the shop
the steps to the office
Not quite a black Sicilian palm tree, but pretty just the same.
What a view from the shop huh… & what a shop indeed. Love it.
By: Anna Johnston on October 19, 2010
at 6:54 am
I love the Ortiga packaging. Zagara looks divine. What does Black Amber look like, consist of? I wonder if there is an Ortiga shop in Adelaide?
By: Sandra H. on October 19, 2010
at 12:34 pm
what ‘lifestyle company’ means???
there is no thing such lifestyle that companies try to pass to us. there is only money, marketing and bussiness, and they want us to buy, buy, buy till we die.
i prefer to keep the life and get rid of the style. because style is something u build alone, away from companies’ directions.
By: ilias/gl on October 19, 2010
at 5:57 pm
You don’t have to buy anything if you don’t want to. I think the products are lovely.
By: bagnidilucca on October 19, 2010
at 6:52 pm
i believe you that they are lovely. i also like some other firms (e.g. the Greek firm Korres).
but my message was about my tiredness with the ‘lifestyle’ issue that companies try to sell us. we have left ages ago the products and now most companies target in total our lifestyles. for example consider an italien fashion house. they produce clothes, parfums, furtniture etc… enough! this is what i want to tell them. i am so tired seeing my friends working hard in order to be able to acquire such products that will improve their lifesyle, while they don’t see they become slaves of the various firms.
p.s. i have a friend who makes her own soaps with herbs from the greek countryside and they are the best ever! oity they don’t fit in armani’s lifestyle standards…
keep up the good work with the blog.
xx
By: ilias/gl on October 21, 2010
at 4:47 pm
The scents sound lovely and I would gravitate towards the orange blossom!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on October 20, 2010
at 9:26 am
I agree with the comments concerning the beautiful packaging and no doubt (& no surprise given the prices ) the wonderful fragrances . A lot of time and hard talent has gone into creating a distinctive ‘heritage’ look that certainly entices and creates desire for the product. I had absolutely no idea that this company was only a few years old, not a classic Italian company with a long provenance. And therin lie the rub – the ability of clever marketing to create such Illusions and desire. I totally agree with the poster who questions the comment on ‘lifestyle’ …true ‘style’ cannot be bought by the way – true creative people & fashion mavericks know this. Equally life is so much more than the fetishisation of material products that seems to obsesses us so much. Friends ,Family, Love and the beauty of Nature come before I. phones,Diptique candles (or Ortigia!) or whatever products are the flavour of the month etc. Obvious maybe – but you wouldnt know it talking to some people! It’s all about priorities – and if the economic crisis has had one positive effect it may be about us reassesing just what is Really important in life and realising that material goods, are just so much …dust, ultimately.
BUT – a genuinely great looking product, and hats off to all involved! Next time I’m ‘Sloaning’ I will check out the shop…
By: John on December 5, 2011
at 8:44 pm
Thanks for your comments. You certainly don’t need money or eexpensive products to have style. These are luxury items for the lucky few who can afford them. The financial crisis has made people tighten their belts.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 6, 2011
at 5:51 am
[…] Image via Bagnidilucca […]
By: Capture your perfect day with Sicilian inspired fragrances from Ortigia on April 9, 2012
at 10:12 am