Né Il Giorno Né L'Ora, the twelfth fragrance of the monolithic UNUM collection, aims to address one of the deepest emotions: fear. Inspired by an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew that tells the parable of the ten virgins, this fragrance takes its name from the story of these women who, prudently, conserved oil for their lamps, waiting for the groom's arrival. Only five of them – the most prudent – will be admitted to the wedding feast, while the others, who went to seek oil, will find the door closed and hear the words: “Truly I tell you: I do not know you”. While waiting, all of them fell asleep but were ready to wake up to welcome the groom, with the warning: "Be watchful, then, for you do not know the day or the hour".
The fragrance seeks to go beyond the simple biblical quote, exploring fear in a more intense way. Here, contrasting emotions meet, attracted by the fascination of danger, an experience described by Nietzsche as "amor fati". This theme invades horror literature and others, dominating our feelings. However, fear does not equal a simple lack of courage, but the presence of what we ardently desire: freedom. The perfume embodies ideas of destruction and introspection, necessary to explore the most remote parts of our existence.
The attraction to controlled fear can even generate pleasure, sought and desired as a voluptuous experience. Man is often surrounded by a horrific aura, and contemporary society tends to deny the fundamental reality of Being-towards-death, as a constitutive element of existence. Only by recognizing this truth can the human being confront its darkest shadows and show its true nature, made of contradictions and primordial desires.
The packaging of Né Il Giorno Né L'Ora, conforming to the UNUM collection, is wrapped in a transparent film and a silver label. The bottle, also silver, is kept in a black velvet bag, sealed with a heat-shrinkable sleeve, which must be cut with the metal scissors provided inside the packaging. This detail makes the moment of opening a unique ritual.
In a world of fragility, after the fall into the realm of dust, man is inextricably linked to fear, forced to explore the dark sides of the soul. In this nocturnal exploration, he perceives a faint light that deforms the limbs, taking pleasure in suffocating conformity and seeking a form of salvation that is increasingly distant.
