Sergio Momo, founder and creative manager of Xerjoff, was born in Turin in 1964, where he took an Arts diploma with a specialisation in graphics and design.
After attending the European Design Institute (IED) in his hometown, he moved to London where he worked for a number of design and advertising agencies.
Sergio Momo’s interest in the world of perfumes was neither a matter of chance nor a sudden passion. On the contrary, it was deeply rooted in his own childhood.
Momo recollects: “I was born into a perfume-loving family. One of my earliest memories is that of my grandmother showing me her exclusive Lanvin and Coty flacons. My parents, too, owned a carefully selected collection of perfumes. My father was a world traveller and used to spend long periods of time in Eastern countries, where he discovered a passion for natural essences like incense and sandalwood.”
The decision to turn Momo’s passion into an elite brand took shape first in 2005, when he made a trip to Grasse, the international capital of perfumery, in order to attend classes on perfume creation and on the cultural-historical foundations of modern perfumery since the 19th C.
He was also introduced to natural perfumery and distillation techniques. Hence the Xerjoff brand was born, a name that brings together “Joff” (the nickname given to Sergio Momo by his maternal grandmother) and “Sir”, the form of address used by his London colleagues.
“Of all the five senses, smell is the most stimulating from a creative point of view, because perfumes are a means to reach out to places, situations, people, a means to bring back memories and sensations. Despite being so intimate and personal, perfumes let everyone get in touch and share emotions with anyone close by.”
Xerjoff’s founder has turned this approach into reality thanks to his precious collections, always evocative and appealing to all the senses.