Thomas de Monaco

Founded by Swiss photographer and creative director Thomas De Monaco, the house grew from his more than two decades working in the worlds of art, fashion, and luxury, including projects for houses such as Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Armani. Fascinated by fragrance as an “invisible” counterpart to photography, Thomas began exploring perfume as another way to create images and emotions, only this time within the imagination of the wearer.

The story began with Raw Gold, originally created in 2019 as a personal gift for friends rather than a commercial perfume. The response convinced Thomas to release it publicly in 2020, where it developed a cult following before Thomas De Monaco Parfums officially launched in 2022. The house established itself in Zürich in a historic studio designed by Gustave Eiffel, where its fragrances are crafted locally with an emphasis on patience, rarity, and small-batch production.

Thomas works closely with perfumers rather than acting as the nose himself. The original collection was developed with perfumer Maurus Bachmann, while the newer Flowers for Future Artist Collection gives emerging perfumers Ugo Charron, David Chieze, and Augustin Lemière creative space to explore more experimental ideas. Across both collections, the philosophy remains remarkably consistent: perfume should provoke emotion and imagination rather than simply follow a formula. For Thomas De Monaco, craftsmanship is the foundation, but emotion is the signature.