On October 22, 2026 AURA returns for its second edition at ASPIRE, within the One World Observatory in New York, presenting 30 selected brands of Made in Italy niche perfumery. After the success of the inaugural edition of 2025, called ITA x Esxence: The Art of Perfumery, which had received over 300 buyers, journalists, influencers and industry operators, along with 23 Italian niche perfumery brands, this year presents itself with the new name AURA and an expanded participation to 30 selected brands.
Together, these brands will celebrate the olfactory geography of Italy: Mediterranean landscapes, historical cities and regional traditions, combining distinctive ingredients with creativity, technology and craftsmanship for which the country is internationally recognized.
The 2026 edition of AURA, reserved for guests, will bring together qualified US buyers, distributors, retailers, journalists, content creators and Italian perfumery professionals for an afternoon dedicated to the discovery of brands, to the comparison between industry operators and networking opportunities.
The evening session will open with a welcome cocktail dedicated to the celebration of Italian brands of niche perfumery and the successes achieved by the industry.
The event hours are as follows:
14:30 – 18:30 (ora di New York): sessione pomeridiana B2B riservata agli operatori del settore.
18:30 – 21:30 (ora di New York): cocktail di ricevimento.
AURA arrives at a particularly important time for the sector. The Italian market of niche perfumery has an estimated value of 450 million dollars and represents about one third of the national market of high-end perfumery.
In 2025 Italian perfume exports totalled approximately $3.17 billion, recording an increase of 6.4% compared to the previous year. This result follows the exceptional expansion of 2024, when perfume exports increased by 26.3%.
The United States continues to represent a fundamental market for Italian perfumery. In 2024 they were the main international destination of Italian perfumes, with exports for approximately 503 million dollars, pairs approximately 18% of the total Italian exports of perfumes in the world.
“These numbers reveal a significant cultural change and AURA offers the American public the opportunity to preview some of the most original voices of contemporary Italian artistic perfumery. Many of these independent realities are not yet widely present in the United States. Putting in touch their vision with buyers, distributors, journalists and industry leaders, we are creating concrete opportunities in the market that occupies the first place among the destinations of Italian perfume exports: the United States”, said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Italian Trade Commissioner and executive director of the Italian Trade Agency.
Not by chance, AURA will literally be “top the world”, on the 102° floor of the One World Observatory, inside the tallest building not only in New York, but the entire western hemisphere.
More than just an exhibition showcase, AURA tells an emerging movement that represents a new chapter of Italian luxury, lived through what we perceive with smell, remember and try.
One of the most significant moments of the event will be the performance of the dancers of the Joffrey Ballet School, each of which will be characterized by one of the fragrances protagonists of the event. The dancers will enter the ASPIRE space to create, in real time, a living perfume, through movement and stage presence.
With a refined choreography, dancers will interpret the evolution of Italian niche perfumery, transforming AURA into a multisensory experience.
To complete the multisensory program of the event will be Scent in Bloom, an immersive sensory installation presented by Esxence in collaboration with the Italian Perfumery Institute, which will transform the perfume into a living landscape.
Visitors will be invited to enter an olfactory garden where nature, fragrances and perception intertwine, in a space designed to awaken the senses and accompany the public on a journey through essences and evocative atmospheres.
More than just an installation, Scent in Bloom will be an exploration of the invisible power of perfume: its ability to transform spaces, awaken memories and arouse emotions.
AURA is organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the ICE Agency, in collaboration with Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event.
«This initiative offers a collective portrait of contemporary Italian artistic perfumery of luxury, drawing a map of the main protagonists, the ateliers and emerging trends that are contributing to the evolution of the sector. It brings together people, places and ideas that are defining the future, each with its own contribution to a vision of perfume as a form of art,” said Maurizio Cavezzali, co-founder of Esxence, adding: “The data speak for themselves”.
At its second edition, with the participation of 30 Italian brands of niche perfumery, AURA has established itself as an exhibition showcase and an observatory on the fragrance market.
To participate as representatives of the press or the professional community of perfumery, interview a trade mark or expert or request information about the event, you can contact the representatives of the press office below.
I 30 marchi partecipanti ad AURA
Abaton Exceptional Luxury Brands, Accendis, Elba water, Julietta water, Portofino water, Sardinian water, Agarthi, Carthusia The scents of Capri, Casamorati, Coreterno, Devertere, Farmacia SS. Annunziata 1561, Gianluca Gariboldi, Giardini di Toscana, In Astra, Ischia Ritual, Jusbox Perfumes.
Informazioni sull’Italian Trade Agency (ITA) – Agenzia ICE
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), ICE Agency, is the government agency that supports the commercial development of Italian companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investments in Italy.
Through a modern and dynamic organization and a network of offices around the world, the ICE Agency offers information, assistance, advice, promotion and training to Italian companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them to get in touch with international markets.
Informazioni su Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event
Founded in Milan, Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event is an international landmark for artistic and niche perfumery.
By bringing together the world’s most innovative perfumery brands, creators, distributors, buyers, media and professionals, Esxence promotes cultural dialogue, commercial development and the continuous evolution of perfumery art.
L’articolo AURA brings to New York the art of Italian perfumery proviene da IlNewyorkese.
