For Salone del Mobile 2026, Valentino Beauty turned fragrance into an environment. From April 21 to 26 at Spazio Capelli in Milan‘s Porta Nuova district, between Piazza Gae Aulenti and Corso Como, the brand opened an immersive pop up conceived as a full sensory journey, anchored by the visual world of New York artist Tabboo! and centered on the new Born in Roma Purple Melancholia fragrance duo.
The Artist Behind the Space
Tabboo!, born Stephen Tashjian, is a New York based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, performance, illustration, and nightlife culture, with roots in the city’s downtown art scene stretching back to the 1980s. Known for his explosive, hand drawn visual language, Tabboo! is celebrated for bold colour, frenetic energy, and a graphic sensibility that sits somewhere between folk art and pop surrealism. For the Valentino Beauty pop up, he created a series of patterns designed specifically for the space, transforming every surface of Spazio Capelli into a vivid, character driven backdrop for the olfactive experience within.
Three Sensory Moments
The installation was structured as a journey unfolding across three distinct moments, mirroring the way a fragrance develops from opening note to dry down. Visitors were guided through coloured environments inspired by Tabboo!‘s patterns, past dedicated olfactive stations where the notes of both fragrances could be explored individually, and through experiential zones led by Valentino Beauty experts. The pop up was open daily from 10 am to 8 pm throughout the week, accessible to the general public as part of the broader Fuorisalone program.
Born in Roma Purple Melancholia
The fragrance at the heart of the installation is a duo: one version for women, one for men, each exploring melancholy as a creative force rather than a passive emotion. Born in Roma Donna Purple Melancholia is a warm floral Eau de Parfum built on key notes of juicy plum accord, osmanthus, jasmine, and rich vanilla, evolving on the skin with lasting warmth and fruity floral depth. Born in Roma Uomo Purple Melancholia is an ambery aromatic woody Eau de Toilette structured around spicy cardamom, lavender, creamy coconut accord, and ambery woods, evoking nostalgia and individual memory.
Beauty at the Design Table
Valentino Beauty, part of the L’Oréal Groupe, has been steadily building its presence in experiential marketing in recent years, using cultural events as platforms for launches that go beyond traditional retail. Choosing Salone del Mobile as the backdrop for Purple Melancholia is a deliberate act: it places fragrance in a conversation with architecture, craft, and contemporary art, reinforcing the idea that scent is as much a design medium as any other. In partnering with Tabboo!, a figure whose career has always occupied the space between art, fashion, and subcultural energy, Valentino Beauty brings an authenticity to the collaboration that elevates it beyond a simple pop up installation.
