Zaharoff

The story

Zaharoff is the house of George Zaharoff, son of fashion designer Mariana Zaharoff, who in the late 1970s began designing clothes in the basement of her Chicago home: her designs were praised in London, Paris, Milan and Athens, she was twice nominated for the Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards and she designed the wedding dress of Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter. In the 1990s George launched a successful fragrance and in the 2000s he devoted himself to tailored menswear: by 2015 his menswear line was in twenty Nordstrom stores.

At the end of 2018 he returned to perfumery with Signature Pour Homme, the perfume from which today's Signature Collection was born. The house defines itself as a luxury brand of modern American style rooted in the classic. “George Zaharoff is a global explorer”, reads its website: raw materials are chosen at the source, from Zanzibar black pepper to Provence blue cypress, from Florentine iris to Guatemalan cardamom, all the way to Australian sandalwood, which the house only uses from sustainable production.

Many fragrances are signed by Master Perfumer Claude Dir: CoCoLoCo, inspired by the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro; Aurum, born from one of the oldest desserts, baklava, with a honeycomb absolute as its star; Halfeti Black Rose, a black rose developed from scratch over three years of work. Signature Tabac pairs wet tobacco with warm boozy notes of cognac and rum. In 2024 came Seraphim Blue, inspired by the Greek islands, and Seraphim Red, its darker, nocturnal counterpart, designed to evoke the mystery of the ocean at night.

With the #ZedCreators series the house creates perfumes together with creators and reviewers: Evening Mystique, with TLTG Reviews, is a 25% Parfum Extrait made in a single batch. Zaharoff fragrances, the house writes, transcend gender; Signature Pour Homme and Halfeti Black Rose have a more masculine character. Among the most loved listed on the official website are Seraphim Red, Seraphim Blue, Halfeti Black Rose, Aurum and CoCoLoCo. Alongside the perfumes, the house also creates the Basileus Collection and a body line, with balms and shower gels in its best-loved scents.

The fragrances

• Signature Collection: Signature Pour Homme (2018, spicy amber with cardamom, lavender, black pepper, oud, myrrh and frankincense), Signature Tabac (2021, amber woody with cognac, rum, tobacco leaf, honey and vanilla), Signature CoCoLoCo (2023, fruity gourmand with red clementine, pineapple, coconut flesh and star jasmine), Signature Aurum (2023, gourmand amber with honeycomb absolute, cinnamon, hazelnut, almond and praline), Signature Halfeti Black Rose (2024, floral amber with black pepper, Turkish rose, black rose, oud and labdanum), Signature Seraphim Blue (2024, aromatic marine with apple, lavender, blue cypress, iris and marine notes), Signature Seraphim Red (2024, aromatic marine with pink pepper, Aleppo pine, a salty marine accord, red seaweed and sandalwood).
• #ZedCreators: Evening Mystique (2022, with TLTG Reviews, aromatic spicy with angelica, coriander, incense, orris, olibanum and myrrh; Parfum Extrait, limited edition).

The Signature fragrances are Eau de Parfum in 120 ml, Evening Mystique is Extrait de Parfum in 120 ml. OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Zaharoff retailer, online and in its shop in Nettuno (Rome).

Frequently asked questions

What brand is Zaharoff?
It is the perfume house of George Zaharoff, son of Chicago fashion designer Mariana Zaharoff: a luxury brand of modern American style rooted in the classic. After a successful fragrance in the 1990s and tailored menswear, he returned to perfumery at the end of 2018 with Signature Pour Homme.

What is the most famous Zaharoff perfume?
On Fragrantica the most rated is Signature Pour Homme, followed by Signature Tabac and Signature CoCoLoCo. Pour Homme is the perfume from which the Signature Collection was born; Tabac an amber woody tobacco scent with cognac and rum; CoCoLoCo a fruity coconut gourmand inspired by the Carnival of Rio.

What is the difference between Seraphim Blue and Seraphim Red?
They are a pair: for the house Signature Seraphim Blue is the lighter, daytime version, inspired by the Greek islands, with apple, lavender, rosemary and blue cypress; Signature Seraphim Red is the darker, nocturnal counterpart, with pink pepper, Aleppo pine, a salty marine accord and a base of sandalwood and amber.

Who creates Zaharoff perfumes?
The official website names Master Perfumer Claude Dir for Signature CoCoLoCo, Signature Aurum, Signature Halfeti Black Rose and Evening Mystique, the latter signed with MANE. George Zaharoff personally oversees the choice of raw materials.

Are Zaharoff perfumes for men or women?
The house writes that its fragrances transcend gender. Signature Pour Homme and Signature Halfeti Black Rose have a more masculine character; for a sweet, sunny perfume there are Signature Aurum and Signature CoCoLoCo.

Where can I buy Zaharoff perfumes in Italy?
At OUD Profumeria Artistica, an authorised Zaharoff retailer: online, with free shipping in Italy on orders over €60 and 10 free samples on orders over €100, and in our shop in Nettuno, near Rome.