A lifelong dream, rooted in childhood, memory, and an intuitive connection to scent.

Zuzi is the childhood nickname given to me by my mother. A name she has called me for as long as I can remember. She also called me “the nose,” because from a very young age, I experienced the world through scent.

I was endlessly curious about smells and the way a scent could transport me somewhere, awaken a memory, or completely change the way I experienced a place.

Some of my strongest childhood memories are scents.

The salt in the air from the Mediterranean Sea when we travelled to southern Italy for the first time. The distinctive smell of naphthalene in my grandfather’s wardrobe, where he carefully stored his coats. The dusty scent of old books discovered in the attic. The smell of the boxes where my grandmother kept her hats.

And the first perfume I ever received, around the age of eleven, from a neighbour, a delicate fragrance with notes of lily of the valley.

My mum used to tell me, “Your nose knows.”

Long before I understood what this sensitivity might mean, she recognised it as something special. Through her eyes, scent was never simply something invisible in the air. It became a language I instinctively understood.

That curiosity eventually shaped the direction of my life.

When it came time to choose my university studies in the Czech Republic, there was no path dedicated to perfumery available to me, so I studied Food Science. Chemistry and Sensory Analysis quickly became my favourite subjects. Although it wasn’t perfumery, those studies gave me an invaluable foundation and an understanding of ingredients, compounds and the way our senses perceive them. Alongside my studies, I began teaching myself about fragrance and experimenting with natural aromatic materials.

Years later, my journey brought me to Australia, where I briefly worked with an essential oil company and became immersed once again in the world of natural raw materials. But I wanted to understand perfumery on a much deeper level, so I began searching for someone who could guide me.

That search led me to Samuel. He became my mentor in perfume creation and a dear friend. Under his guidance, my understanding of fragrance evolved. I learned, experimented and discovered new ways of working with materials and translating ideas into scent. I was already making candles, and I began creating candles for Samuel’s brand as well. Another opportunity to work with my hands.

But the flame for perfume creation never disappeared. With Samuel’s guidance, I eventually began developing the first signature fragrance for ZUZI called Fields of Gardenia. I wanted it to feel deeply personal: fresh and elegant, filled with some of my favourite florals, yet unmistakably centred around gardenia. I have always been drawn to the flower’s softness and quiet presence , the way its scent can fill the air without needing to announce itself.

And in many ways, that is the spirit of ZUZI Perfume .

A brand born not from a single moment, but from a lifetime of exploring , remembering, learning and creating.

ZUZI Perfume is dedicated to my mum. It carries her belief in me, her encouragement, and her quiet certainty in a dream I sometimes doubted myself. The name holds something deeply personal a childhood voice, a bond between us, and a sensitivity she recognised in me long before I knew where it would lead.

What began with “Your nose knows” became ZUZI.

A childhood nickname, A lifelong fascination with scent, A dream finally brought to life