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When Zegna announces a new fragrance, I pay attention. They stick the landing every time, especially with their Essenze EDP Collection (I’m a Florentine Iris guy myself). That’s why I pulled a metaphorical muscle in my neck, from craning it too fast after receiving news of three (three!!!) new Zegna EDPs launching this season.
The EDP trio arrived in October, as part of Zegna’s XXX collection. For the uninitiated, XXX is the brand’s contemporary label, helmed, as all of its excellent clothing is, by artistic director Alessandro Sartori (think neutral tones, striking geometry and essential wardrobe pieces). These scents all harbor metallic notes, and fall nicely in line with the crisp modernity the clothes express. After wearing each of them for a while, I’ve found they could each be a year-round signature scent—none of the three would feel too polarizing for a winter night or a summer day, and they manage to plumb the line between office and cocktail bar. And that can be a good thing: They succeed in that they blend in enough to be worn daily, yet stand out enough to be definitive.
Here is a brief overview of each new scent, perhaps to help you home in on one for wearing. That said, note that the three play well together, too, so it wouldn’t be outlandish to get the trio and swap them out for different attitudes and occasions. And while each is a stellar perennial pick, I’ll do my best to distinguish when they each shine brightest.
All three come in a “melted” cube bottle, and each costs $180 for 100 ml.
Zegna XXX Charcoal
Zegna
Even listing these notes gets me excited: Carbon, graphite, black pepper and saffron. It’s the most sophisticated of the bunch (in a trio that rightfully advertises itself as sophisticated). If I had to pick an optimal season, Charcoal’s is winter. You’d be lucky to get this in your stocking.
Buy Now (Bloomingdale's): $180
Zegna XXX Verdigris
Zegna
Metallic aldehydes, titanium, cardamom essential oil. It almost smells “clean” and optimistic. If relegated to a season, it’s spring with both shoulders, that February-through-June sprawl of vibrant growth and progressively sunnier days. (Zegna says it’s got an icy winter accord, but I think it’s springier, more aromatic.) It’s the most playful of the trio.
Buy Now (Bloomingdale's): $180
Zegna XXX Cyprium
Zegna
Cyprium wins gold as the most sultry of the three. Cedarwood, smoke, charcoal and copper notes fuel its fire, though it still feels less wintry in nature than the Charcoal EDP above. Instead, Cyprium is primed for evening wear year-round, or the waning days between September and December when beards grow fullest and coziness is encouraged.
