Technical French perfumery with a pop sensibility, met a millilitre at a time.
Francis Kurkdjian builds compositions that are immaculately constructed and still easy to love, which is a rarer combination than it sounds. The house runs from airy and clean to the dense saffron and oud of the Mood series, and the famous ones behave very differently on skin than their reputation suggests.
- Origin Paris, France
- Founded 2009
- Known for Baccarat Rouge 540, Oud Satin Mood
- Here 1 fragrance
- Founders
- Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya
- Concept
- A fragrance wardrobe from a Paris perfumer
01
A perfumer and a business adviser
Francis Kurkdjian, born in Paris in 1969 to an Armenian family, trained at ISIPCA and composed Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, launched in 1995. He later opened an atelier making made-to-order scents for private clients. Marc Chaya, then a partner at Ernst & Young, met him at a dinner after a Jean Paul Gaultier show. Together they opened the maison at 5 rue d'Alger in September 2009. LVMH took a majority stake in 2017, and since 2021 Kurkdjian has also directed perfume creation at Dior.
02
A wardrobe of scents
The house is built as a fragrance wardrobe: a set of perfumes, each matched to a different side of the person wearing them. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 began in 2014 as 250 bottles for the crystal maker Baccarat's 250th anniversary, named for the 540°C at which its red crystal is fired with gold. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood, from 2015, sets oud inside a powdery rose and violet accord with vanilla. Kurkdjian has also scented a fountain at Versailles and released violet-scented bubbles.
03
Square facets and zinc stoppers
The flacon takes its shape from an antique crystal bottle made for a travelling toiletry case: square facets running from base to neck, with the house monogram at the back like an artist's signature. The first stoppers were cast in a zinc alloy, picked for the grey of Paris rooftops, so no two came out the same shade. Fred Rawyler handled the graphic design. The range now takes in candles and laundry detergent, and 54 red crystal bottles of Baccarat Rouge 540 Édition Millésime are made each year.
Who founded Maison Francis Kurkdjian?
Maison Francis Kurkdjian was founded by Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya.
Where is Maison Francis Kurkdjian based?
Maison Francis Kurkdjian is based in Paris, France.
When was Maison Francis Kurkdjian founded?
Maison Francis Kurkdjian was founded in 2009.
Who composed the Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances we carry?
Francis Kurkdjian.