Born in 1883 in Turin, France, Maria Nielli became an apprentice dressmaker in France at the age of just 13, and quickly became known for the attention to detail and quality that she brought to her work. Throughout her teenage years she apprenticed to a number of the leading fashion houses of the day, and quickly developed a reputation for having a good eye for style, and became quite sought after as a designer and maker amongst many of the smaller houses of the time. By the time she married Luigi Ricci in 1904, she was established as a designer, and after the birth of her first son, Robert in 1908, she took up the post of designer at the French fashion house Raffin, where she remained for 20 years.

In 1932, Maria Ricci and her son founded the Nina Ricci house of design, where Madame Ricci could finally express her true intention in fashion in the way that she had always wanted to.

What was most important to Ricci was that her creations came fully formed. She designed on the manikin rather than on a pad, and created her clothes to fit the models. This gave them a much more organic feel than was possible otherwise, and ensured that Nina Ricci clothes had a very distinctive look that was filled with promises of romance, and femininity.

Maria Ricci had a very specific idea of couture as an expression of creativity, and a form of art rather than being something that was just to be worn, and as a result, following the war, she, along with a number of other designers of the day created an exhibition of clothing that traveled the world, and laid the groundwork for the world fashion weeks that are still celebrated to this day.

As with most other designers, Nina Ricci perfumes were launched in order to complement the clothing produced at the heart of the company, and Maria Ricci took the same method of creation in her fragrances. She would start with an idea of what she wanted to achieve, and then begin to blend the fragrance from ingredients such as spices, oils, and essences, paying close attention to the exact mix until she was satisfied with here creation. Nina Ricci perfumes to this day are characterized by their natural and complex aromas that lend themselves well to being worn in the evening.

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