At the end of the 19th century, Milan was a throbbing hub of activity: fashionable cafés, theatres and electric lights outlined a dynamic and lively city, home to clean-shaven men with handlebar moustaches and women who always styled their hair to be wavy. A business dedicated to beauty opened here: Cella offered everything required to satisfy the new aesthetic needs, including soaps, scents, hair lacquer and brilliantine.