Fragrance house

Antica Farmacista

Antica Farmacista was founded in Seattle in 2003 by friends and business partners Susanne Pruitt and Shelley Callaghan. The pair began developing the brand in 2002 after Pruitt’s cancer diagnosis, combining her finance background with Callaghan’s marketing and creative-design experience. Inspired by Italian apothecary culture and reed diffusers encountered in Florence and Tuscany, they created an Italian-inspired home-fragrance identity; the name refers to an antique pharmacy in Italian. Antica Farmacista is credited with being the first brand to introduce the home-ambiance diffuser to the U.S. market. Its range later grew to include candles, room sprays, bath and body products, fine fragrances, and hospitality amenities. Callaghan shaped the brand’s creative direction through products and fragrances inspired by Italian art, fashion, food, landscapes, interiors, and personal memories. On August 30, 2024, SFERRA, a portfolio company of Highlander Partners, announced its acquisition of the brand. Prosecco, an early creation, is identified as Antica Farmacista’s most popular fragrance and was previously referred to as Champagne.