Latest news with #FrancisKurkdjian
Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Master Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian On His Newest Scent, Kurky
Francis Kurkdjian Kurky is the latest release from the famed French-Armenian perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian, who's also the nose behind cult classics like Baccarat Rouge 540 and of course, founder of his namesake fragrance house, Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Since launching the brand in 2009, now part of the LVMH family, Kurkdjian has built a reputation for offering elegant scents, and creating what he calls a 'fragrance wardrobe' to suit every mood and occasion. Kurky by Maison Francis Kurkdjian The latest fragrance to join the family, Kurky is a playful, color-splashed scent that pays homage to his childhood (short for Kurkdjian), channeling the freedom and fun of one's inner child, tapping into the whimsical side of the Maison — the master perfumer tells us more. Francis Kurkdjian: Inspiration is the hidden part of creation. It is also the most difficult creative stage to explain for me as creative inputs may come from diverse sources. Kurky comes during a moment of my creative life when I want to introduce the idea of letting go. I wanted something that would make people smile, a scent that contrasts with the overbearing seriousness of an industry dominated by pompous adjectives. Kurky is beautifully simple, fun, lighthearted, and there to awaken one's inner child. 'All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it,' said Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince; it's an antidote to grey days, to pessimism. Instead, Kurky is an invitation to experience life through a rainbow of colors, and for grown-ups who dare to dream like kids. Maison Francis Kurkdjian carries this part of childhood within it, and has done since its earliest days; in 2009, Les bulles d'Agathe (Agathe's bubbles), was a5 nod to the olfactory education of the youngest children with scented soap bubbles. It's about the pleasure of simple things; there's nothing more chic. Francis Kurkdjian as a child FK: I always start with the name when I develop a fragrance. It gives me direction; it frames all the ideas I may have in mind. It works for me as a mood board. Since I can remember, people always had a hard time pronouncing my Armenian family name. So Kurky is a friendly nickname given to me by my very close friends, it's short for Kurkdjian, and some of them still call me that since I was little. I like the fact it resonates well with quirky and kooky, and sounds friendly. The name was born spontaneously, without too much deliberation, out of creativity and freedom. Like a sudden smile or a burst of laughter. FK: When creating Kurky, my vision was a mouthwatering scent that would feel juicy, fun and quirky, a little addictive but far from traditional gourmand accords. It needed to be sweet enough to make your mouth water like a sweet treat, but still maintain a light, freshness to it. Imagine a large bubble of musk, to which I attached a tutti-frutti accord with facets of peach and raspberry, with a subtle hint of creamy vanilla. Like a sweet, tangy candy. Kurky by Maison Francis Kurkdjian FK: In my mind, the Maison Francis Kurkdjian customer is typically someone who values quality, sophistication, and emotional connection through scent. I guess they follow my interest and my love for aesthetically driven ideas and/or products, appreciating art, design, and craftsmanship. I am emotionally intuitive, so fragrance is for me as a form of self-expression. I believe my wearers of my scents are curious and seek uniqueness beyond mainstream trends. I do not believe in a fragrance being perfect for only one type of person. To me, a fragrance, like how you dress yourself from day to day, should reflect your mood, your personality, or who you want to be in that moment. This philosophy is what I called the 'Fragrance Wardrobe'. Finally, I hope Kurky will touch all those who feel that insatiable desire for freedom, those who see life unconventionally, while bringing out a smile on their face. FK: All my creations are special and dear to me, and I treasure theirs behind the scenes stories. Kurky isn't about the past or nostalgia at all. On the contrary, it is resolutely contemporary. It reflects a form of surprise, that wonder that can be lost once we enter adulthood. Kurky is about awakening the child you once were, to break away from all the rules imposed on grown-ups. It means jumping into a puddle, allowing yourself to love candy…even when you're a grown-up! FK: Later this year, we will have an amazing brand-new activation for our iconic scent Baccarat Rouge 540, and this fall, we'll be hosting in Paris a very special celebration of my 30th career anniversary. Stay tuned!
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Meet Dior's Most Opulent Floral Fragrances Yet
Damask and May Roses meet to make another triumph for Francis Kurkdjian, Collection Privée and the Dior family of fragrances… Photography by Greg Adamski and Styling by Nour Bou Ezz
Fashion Network
14-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Elie Saab launches first men's perfume
The first men's perfume by luxury label Elie Saab is called simply L'Homme. Fourteen years after launching its first women's fragrance, Le Parfum, developed by Francis Kurkdjian, the Lebanese luxury label has commissioned its first men's scent to master perfumer Pierre Guéros of Symrise. Elie Saab's fashion and haute couture collections do not (yet) cater to men, with the exception of a few looks presented during a runway show in 2022, but on the fragrance front Elie Saab has now created L'Homme, a woody vetiver perfume full of intriguing contrasts. The refillable bottle has been designed by Sylvie de France, who had also styled the bottle of Elie Saab's Le Parfum. L'Homme is priced at €125 for the 100 ml bottle. In France, still a minor market for Elie Saab perfumes due to the predominance of French brands, L'Homme is available at the Elie Saab store on Avenue Georges V in Paris. 'The main markets for Elie Saab perfumes, which has 13 directly owned stores and is present in selective perfumery chains, are the Middle East and the UK. Italy, where we have advertised on TV, and Spain, are markets where we have also deployed a communication campaign, chiefly on digital media,' said Nathalie Helloin Kamel, managing director of the Prestige division at Italian group Give Back Beauty, Elie Saab's licensed perfume producer since 2020. Give Back Beauty was founded in 2017. It currently employs 500 people and is present in 130 countries, and has expanded its license portfolio in recent years. The group produces several product categories (fragrances, haircare and skincare), and its portfolio includes perfumes for Chopard and beauty products for Florence by Mills, the brand of US actor Millie Bobbie Brown. In 2024, Give Back Beauty generated a revenue of €300 million. Fragrance isn't the only category in which Elie Saab is diversifying. For the Milan Furniture Fair in April, the Lebanese label inaugurated the brand-new showroom of its home decoration line, Elie Saab Maison, inside an ancient palazzo in the heart of Milan. A new initiative that highlighted the rapid growth of Elie Saab Maison in the last five years. Elie Saab is also involved in a few real estate projects.
Fashion Network
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Elie Saab launches first men's perfume
The first men's perfume by luxury label Elie Saab is called simply L'Homme. Fourteen years after launching its first women's fragrance, Le Parfum, developed by Francis Kurkdjian, the Lebanese luxury label has commissioned its first men's scent to master perfumer Pierre Guéros of Symrise. Elie Saab's fashion and haute couture collections do not (yet) cater to men, with the exception of a few looks presented during a runway show in 2022, but on the fragrance front Elie Saab has now created L'Homme, a woody vetiver perfume full of intriguing contrasts. The refillable bottle has been designed by Sylvie de France, who had also styled the bottle of Elie Saab's Le Parfum. L'Homme is priced at €125 for the 100 ml bottle. In France, still a minor market for Elie Saab perfumes due to the predominance of French brands, L'Homme is available at the Elie Saab store on Avenue Georges V in Paris. 'The main markets for Elie Saab perfumes, which has 13 directly owned stores and is present in selective perfumery chains, are the Middle East and the UK. Italy, where we have advertised on TV, and Spain, are markets where we have also deployed a communication campaign, chiefly on digital media,' said Nathalie Helloin Kamel, managing director of the Prestige division at Italian group Give Back Beauty, Elie Saab's licensed perfume producer since 2020. Give Back Beauty was founded in 2017. It currently employs 500 people and is present in 130 countries, and has expanded its license portfolio in recent years. The group produces several product categories (fragrances, haircare and skincare), and its portfolio includes perfumes for Chopard and beauty products for Florence by Mills, the brand of US actor Millie Bobbie Brown. In 2024, Give Back Beauty generated a revenue of €300 million. Fragrance isn't the only category in which Elie Saab is diversifying. For the Milan Furniture Fair in April, the Lebanese label inaugurated the brand-new showroom of its home decoration line, Elie Saab Maison, inside an ancient palazzo in the heart of Milan. A new initiative that highlighted the rapid growth of Elie Saab Maison in the last five years. Elie Saab is also involved in a few real estate projects.
Fashion Network
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Elie Saab launches first men's perfume
The first men's perfume by luxury label Elie Saab is called simply L'Homme. Fourteen years after launching its first women's fragrance, Le Parfum, developed by Francis Kurkdjian, the Lebanese luxury label has commissioned its first men's scent to master perfumer Pierre Guéros of Symrise. Elie Saab's fashion and haute couture collections do not (yet) cater to men, with the exception of a few looks presented during a runway show in 2022, but on the fragrance front Elie Saab has now created L'Homme, a woody vetiver perfume full of intriguing contrasts. The refillable bottle has been designed by Sylvie de France, who had also styled the bottle of Elie Saab's Le Parfum. L'Homme is priced at €125 for the 100 ml bottle. In France, still a minor market for Elie Saab perfumes due to the predominance of French brands, L'Homme is available at the Elie Saab store on Avenue Georges V in Paris. 'The main markets for Elie Saab perfumes, which has 13 directly owned stores and is present in selective perfumery chains, are the Middle East and the UK. Italy, where we have advertised on TV, and Spain, are markets where we have also deployed a communication campaign, chiefly on digital media,' said Nathalie Helloin Kamel, managing director of the Prestige division at Italian group Give Back Beauty, Elie Saab's licensed perfume producer since 2020. Give Back Beauty was founded in 2017. It currently employs 500 people and is present in 130 countries, and has expanded its license portfolio in recent years. The group produces several product categories (fragrances, haircare and skincare), and its portfolio includes perfumes for Chopard and beauty products for Florence by Mills, the brand of US actor Millie Bobbie Brown. In 2024, Give Back Beauty generated a revenue of €300 million. Fragrance isn't the only category in which Elie Saab is diversifying. For the Milan Furniture Fair in April, the Lebanese label inaugurated the brand-new showroom of its home decoration line, Elie Saab Maison, inside an ancient palazzo in the heart of Milan. A new initiative that highlighted the rapid growth of Elie Saab Maison in the last five years. Elie Saab is also involved in a few real estate projects.
