Prada

Prada traces back to Milan, where Mario Prada and his brother Martino opened the leather and luggage shop Fratelli Prada in 1913. The business passed through the family to Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada, who took the reins in 1978 and reshaped the house into the fashion power it is today, expanding from bags into shoes, womenswear, menswear, and the Miu Miu line. Prada moved into scent in 2003 with a numbered set of artisan fragrances, each centered on a single note, before launching its first wider release a year later. The fragrances are produced in partnership with Puig.

On the masculine side the signature runs crisp and refined, balancing fresh spice and lavender against an amber base, with bergamot and pepper sharpening the top. The effect is clean and self-assured rather than loud. Luna Rossa Carbon captures that approach well, a polished, metallic-fresh take on a modern men's fragrance. It is tailoring translated into scent, exactly what you would expect from a house that started with fine leather.