Interview: Roberto Drago - founder of Laboratorio Olfattivo & Kaon

Welcoming Pitti Fragranze with Roberto Drago

Mister Roberto Drago

I remember well my first attendance to Pitti. That was Pitti in 2013 when I drove like crazy from Zagreb because I thought Florence was closer than expected. It was my first big networking in a perfume world. I will particularly remember the first evening - it was a dinner before a big table, around 20 people, with creators of Jul et Mad, Olivier Durbano, Pierre Guillaume from la Parfumerie Générale and my friends from Sens Unique, the best Parisian perfumery. I was amazed. On the head of the table was a discrete gentleman with glasses, stick and charismatic smile. Day later I realized, that was Roberto Drago, the founder of Laboratorio Olfattivo and Kaon, distribution company. I noticed that he speaks several languages, he behaves like a gentleman and has captivating charisma. I am very honoured that he is here now, making an interview. Please, enjoy in this interview about perfume world, his beautiful brand Laboratorio Olfattivo and his fragrant life! 

1. To begin with, can you please tell something about yourself? How would you describe – who is Roberto Drago? 

Wow. Complicated to describe… I’m an entrepreneur that has done all his professional life in the world of perfumery. I try to work to be alive and not to live for work. I’m grown up in Turin and my parents had a small perfumery there since when I was child. So my life has always been surrounded by perfumes. Now I live near Rome and I share my life and my business with my wonderful wife Daniela.

2. Do you have your daily routine that you practice for years or you let your day go spontaneously?

I let my day go spontaneously apart the fact that I try every day to find some minutes for me, to do what I want, not thinking at work. Just to open my mind. When I try to do plans for a day, it arrives always something to destroy them. 

3. You are 15 years now in perfume business, as long as I know. Kaon was founded in 2001. What did you do before in your life?

My professional life has been all in the perfumery world. In 1986 I’ve started as sales rep. A job that I’ve loved and I’ve done for 11 years. My last company as agent, Lancaster Group (Lancaster, Davidoff, Chopard, Joop, etc etc) has offered to me the position of Trade Marketing Manager of Lancaster Group in Milan. I’ve accepted so for 3 years I’ve done it. Then Orlane has offered to me the position of General Manager. There I’ve found Daniela, my wife and together in 2001 we’ve created the Kaon. 

4. Why did you invest in perfume business?

I’ve decided to invest in the niche market because I was bored by the discount strategy of the commercial perfumery. I love the product and I want to talk about it, not about discounts, marketing contribution and so on… 

Laboratorio Olfattivo Décou-Vert

5. Who has stronger culture and awareness of perfume, France or Italy?

I’ve always thought that we’ve a big culture in perfume but we’re less able than France to communicate it. One thing is true, the niche market of Italy is huge and the French one almost doesn’t exist if we don’t consider the flagship stores. 

6. When the recession crisis begun in 2008/2009, did the demand was lower for beauty products? 

Well, in the niche market no. All the distributors have had an increase of sales. Our market has not been touched by the crisis. 

7. Kaon is a family business, more or less, if I am not mistaken. Would you leave one part of business, distribution, retail, production to someone outside of your close circle? What competitions that person should have? 

Well, difficult to answer. It’s a family business and it would be difficult to give the business in other hands. Especially the distribution and the creative aspect of production. We’ve already delegated the most part of the production to other companies.

8. How to become good strategy builder in perfume business? 

I don’t know if I’m a good one. You need time and a clear vision of your target. Seneca said “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable”. The other important thing is always to respect the consumer and to be coherent. Coherence is very important.

9. How would you describe niche perfume world? Is it layering? How does it change in recent years? 

The niche perfume world is arrived at a turning point. It’s almost born a new niche, that two years ago I’ve called niche 2.0 . There are too many brands and too many stores so this will become the commercial perfumery of tomorrow and a new niche will raise or is raising. 

10. Do you enjoy more distribution, which is pure business model, or perfume brand building, which is more creative? 

Both. I’ve two souls, one is commercial, perfect for the distribution, and the other is creative that fits with the production. Then I love to find new interesting brands to present in the market….

Laboratorio Olfattivo Noblige

11. I like a lot Laboratorio Olfattivo, especially Nirmal. You didn’t have recent launch of a new perfume. How come? 

In 2015 no launches. Only because we had nothing ready to be launched. We don’t launch because we need to do. We present a new perfume when is what we were looking for, when is finished and we love it. This year we’ve launched Nun and Mylo in june. Two new fragrances created with Luca Maffei and a new scent will be presented at Fragranze…. Small secret…

12. How the process of creating Laboratorio goes? Who gives the idea, how do you realize it? 

I’ve the idea generally. This can come from many inspirations: a picture, a name, a trip, an exercise. Never are perfumes created starting from a marketing process. We never make a perfume thinking “what people like now ?” We do our perfume and hope that people will love it. When the idea is clear, normally I write an evocative test and this is the brief that I give to the perfumers. Then we work together to finalize the project.

13. What is the message that Laboratorio tries to communicate with a buyer? 

We always try to create a link with the consumer, respecting them, offering to them coherent products, well done, with a minimal but elegant image. We think is possible to do it for around 100 euro… 

14. Can we expect future releases soon? 

One in few days….

15. What inspires you in life and what when making new perfumes for your brand?

It’s an attitude. To be attentive at everything. Every day we can take inspiration it depends if we’re on or off with our perception. Is a different approach at life. I’m very focused in some daily aspects and zero in others. This give me the opportunity to let the idea grow in my mind. Patchouliful for example, is born when I’ve found, surfing in the web, the word patchouliful in the Urban Dictionary.

16. Could you name the best all-time perfumers in your opinion? You can choose as many as you want. 

Uuuh complicated. Apart the one I work with now (I love all them), I love the J.C. Ellena creations and the elegant signature of Olivia Giacobetti. If I look at the past.how not mention E. Beaux, Guerlain.but are too many….

I would like to thank to Mister Roberto Drago for his time and for sharing these informations with me. I feel honored and I am very happy to had him at BL'eauOG. 

Juraj, BL'eauOG