Eau Extraordinaire

It’s tradition for perfumers to have a ‘trophy’ wall in their office: a shelf with all their creations. It starts out bare, of course – but as their career progresses, fills up with beautiful bottles and extravagant boxes, a testament to their talent.

Always dressed in a sharp white shirt, Francis Kurkdjian is the face behind - Le Male by

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Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rose Barbare by Guerlain and Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez. Being a creative scion, he was stuck between the piano and the world of paint in his early years, but the perfume industry chose him, for what he is now called - Nez; French for master perfumer.

An eloquent and expressive interviewee, Kurkdjian is a storyteller to begin with: just as his perfumes transform chemistry into alchemy, so do his words bestow coherence and compelling metaphors to the world of fragrances. Edited excerpts...

What is your origin story? Why did you choose to be a perfumer?

Perfume chose me at an early age. I was fascinated by the world of craftsmanship and mostly the world of couture. At age 14 I read an article about perfumers on the glossy pages of a French magazine. I had a revelation which awoke something within me, a fire that still remains. I studied perfumery at the perfumery school in Versailles - ISIPCA; I then pursued my master’s in marketing while being an intern as a trainee perfumer in a fragrance corporation based in Paris.

What is your greatest source of inspiration? Have there been any mentors or cultural and personal influences that have influenced your work as a perfumer?

I believe inspiration is the invisible part of one's creation. It’s by far the hardest part of what I do and the most challenging one as time goes by. My sources of inspiration are wide and varied, they range from ancient, modern to contemporary art, fashion, couture and of course the time we live in. It’s all about mixing them with my first hand experiences of life as we call it.

What is your creative philosophy?

Each scent of my collection is designed to fit a certain mood and match one's aura and sensuality at a specific occasion. I create from the perspective of the modern man and woman, who have different needs and are confident. Our collection of fragrances have been created in the same spirit, as that of a wardrobe; it is an invitation to choose which olfactory silhouettes to wear, as I like the idea of expressing one's emotions through perfume.

What is brands method of crafting fine notes?

I prefer saying that it comes with 25 years of crafting fine scents. The more you learn, the more you understand, that you know a little. Humbleness is key, as if you want to innovate and be creative, you have step out your comfort zone, which is very hard to do, as it seems easier to stay in a well-known environment.

How do you come up with the idea of a new perfume?

The name of the fragrance always comes first. It sums up what I want to say, the emotion I feel, the vision I have. All my fragrances are linked to a story. The name of my scent could be seen as the title of a book, the name of a painting or of a song. Once I have found the name, then I start writing the formula using the raw materials I need. The story drives the ingredients.

It's very rare for me to be ingredient driven. According to me, ingredients are at the disposal of an inspiration and not the contrary. When I create a fragrance, I am not inspired by raw materials. I first focus on a general feeling, thereafter I envision the final image for the fragrance. I dream it after which I start writing the formula. As painter uses colours, musicians use notes, therefore as a perfumer I use smell. At Maison Francis Kurkdjian, each fragrance I have created is linked to a special story, has its own emotional world.

Do you feel that you have a specific style which shows through all your perfumes?

I think my style is about balance, audacity and sensuality. I am a story teller, with my vocabulary being the ingredients, and grammar translated by my technique.

Do you rely on similar ingredients?

Absolutely not, I believe the range of ingredients have to be wide opened. I don’t want to restrict myself using the same words all the time. I want the largest vocabulary possible. I want to explore all of what the perfume world has to offer.

How much value do you think Indian ingredients hold true in a fragrance?

I have great respect for Indian perfumery. The technics between India and French perfumery are very different but there is a common passion for floral notes. As far as I am concerned, I use jasmine, tuberose, jasmin sambac, sandalwood oil and many other oils from India. My suppliers respect environmental trade agreements and laws. Sustainability and quality go first in my choice.

For me, India has been a perfumers’ leitmotif for many years. And I would love to be able to capture the spirit of India in one single scent, but I am convinced it is impossible. India and its cultures offer so much diversity, in so many fields, be it the landscapes, colours, odors, sounds, music and of course people. And I must tell you, that without India, the world of perfume would have a dent that would never be filled.

Fragrances and perfumes exude a romantically seductive spirit and oriental mysticism about them. How would you describe the modern face of perfumery?

I get my inspiration from today’s world. The world we live and interact with. Perfume is like music or fashion and it’s connected to now; what happens in the future, is yet to be unraveled.

In terms of technology and the accessibility of capturing other senses, olfaction feels very behind. Where do you think olfaction and technology are heading for the future?

I have partnered with a Japanese high-tech start up to create the very first olfactive VR movies. Virtual Reality connected to odors offer an unparalleled experience. These movies have been developed with the help of the French artist, Hugo Arcier and director Cyril Teste.

In an even more distant future, machines, technologies and programmers would be able to translate the idea of a fragrance that I have in mind into the real scent without the need of any formulas and composition processes. We can even think further by imagining the scent that will be directly plugged into the brain and the olfactive memory without being physically present.

That would be more than a major innovation, I say. That would be a true revolution and evolution. But in any case, we must never forget that the human vision and imagination have no limits compared to machines and innovations.