There was a moment during dinner when I realised we rarely stop to smell anything anymore.

Luxury brand launches usually move at the speed of social media: cameras flashing, champagne poured, a few speeches, everyone chasing the perfect photo before rushing to the next event.

Azzaro did something different. To celebrate actor Kwenzo Ngcobo becoming its new South African ambassador, the brand invited media alongside the people who knew him long before the campaigns, billboards and award shows.

That changed everything because instead of introducing us to “the ambassador,” they introduced us to the man over a beautifully curated three-course dinner, where conversation flowed as effortlessly as the drinks, the evening became less about selling a fragrance and more about understanding why Kwenzo was the right person to represent the Azzaro Wanted man.

Speaking to Kwenzo after dinner, his excitement about joining the Azzaro family was unmistakable.

“I’m incredibly excited to partner with Azzaro. The brand has a unique, daring energy and a sophisticated character that really matches my personal style and journey always moving forward but staying true to where I come from.”

As our conversation continued, it became clear that, for him, fragrance is far more than the final step before leaving the house.

“For me, fragrance is part of my outfit. It completes the look. It gives me confidence and makes me feel like I belong in every room I walk into.”

It’s a simple thought, but one that perfectly captures why this partnership feels so authentic. The confidence isn’t performative, it’s rooted. The ambition isn’t about becoming someone else; it’s about becoming more of yourself.

Like many people, I’d always unconsciously placed perfume into two boxes: his and hers.

That assumption disappeared over dinner.

For the first time, I found myself learning about unisex fragrance which was a reminder that scent doesn’t really belong to gender. It belongs to identity. To memory. To emotion.

Then came another revelation. One of the fragrance notes is crafted from gin. Yes, gin.

The same ingredient more commonly found in a cocktail than a fragrance bottle somehow becomes part of a scent that is rich, luxurious and undeniably sophisticated. It’s one of those unexpected details that reminds you perfumery isn’t simply beauty it’s craftsmanship, chemistry and storytelling bottled together.

At the centre of the evening was Forever Wanted Absolu, Azzaro’s newest addition to the Wanted collection. Intense yet refined, mysterious yet inviting, it’s designed to leave an impression long after you’ve left the room.

Much like Kwenzo himself but perhaps that’s what made the evening memorable.

Luxury today isn’t about excess. It’s about authenticity.

In a world where campaigns are becoming increasingly polished, Azzaro chose something far more difficult to manufacture: sincerity.

By surrounding Kwenzo with the people who helped shape him, the brand reminded everyone in the room that success is rarely an individual achievement. Behind every campaign image is a family, a community and a journey that made it possible.

As the evening drew to a close and the final conversations lingered around the table, one phrase continued to echo long after dessert had been cleared.

“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.”

For all the conversation about fragrance, confidence and luxury, that might have been the most unforgettable note of the night.