Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian was born in Paris in 1969, to a family of Armenian heritage.
He had his perfume epiphany when he was 13 or 14, playing with his sister who, as teenage girls do, had a little collection of perfume sample bottles. [...] "She was into the bottles and I was into what was inside," he says. When Kurkdjian told his parents he had decided he was going to make perfumes for a living, they were greatly relieved. "Before that," he says, "I wanted to be a ballet dancer."1
Francis Kurkdjian trained at ISIPCA and Quest. His first big success was with Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Mâle, which he developed at the age of 25.
He was the winner of the Prix François Coty in 2001. In 2009, Francis Kurkdjian was named Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
In 2009, Kurkdjian launched his own line, Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
Fragrances by Francis Kurkdjian
Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile (2004, with Françoise Caron)
Armand Basi Lovely Blossom (2007)
Baccarat Rouge 250 (2014)
Bebe Bebe Eau de Parfum (2009)
Burberry Amber Heath (2017)
Burberry Antique Oak (2017)
Burberry Garden Roses (2017)
Burberry Hawthorn Bloom (2017)
Burberry Her (2018)
Burberry High Tide (2017)
Burberry Mr. Burberry (2016)
Burberry My Burberry (2014)
Burberry My Burberry Black (2016)
Burberry My Burberry Blush (2017)
Burberry Tudor Rose (2017)
Burberry Wild Thistle (2017)
Carven L'Eau de Toilette (2014)
Carven L'Eau Intense (2016, with Jérôme Di Marino)
Carven Le Parfum (2013)
Carven Pour Homme (2014, with Patricia Choux)
Caudalie Zeste de Vigne (2011)
Christian Dior Eau Noire (2004)
Christian Dior Cologne Blanche (2004)
Custo Barcelona Custo Man (2009)
Davidoff Cool Water Wave (2017, with Antoine Lie and Jean Jacques)
Davidoff Silver Shadow (2005)
Demeter Holy Water
Demeter Pruning Shears
Elie Saab Cuir Absolu (2016)
Elie Saab Cuir Bourbon (2016)
Elie Saab Cuir Patchouli (2016)
Elie Saab Cuir Ylang (2016)
Elie Saab Essence No. 1 Rose (2014)
Elie Saab Essence No. 2 Gardenia (2014)
Elie Saab Essence No. 3 Ambre (2014)
Elie Saab Essence No. 4 Oud (2014)
Elie Saab Essence No. 6 Vetiver (2015)
Elie Saab Essence No. 7 Neroli (2015)
Elie Saab Essence No. 8 Santal (2016)
Elie Saab Essence No. 9 Tubéreuse (2016)
Elie Saab Le Parfum (2011)
Elie Saab Le Parfum In White (2018, with Jérôme Di Marino)
Elie Saab Le Parfum L'Eau Couture (2014)
Elie Saab Le Parfum Resort Collection (2015)
Elie Saab Le Parfum Resort Collection 2017 (2017)
Elie Saab Le Parfum Rose Couture (2016)
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea (1999)
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Summer
Elizabeth Arden Spiced Green Tea
Emanuel Ungaro Apparition (2004, with Francoise Caron)
Emanuel Ungaro Ungaro by Ungaro (2007)
Escada Lily Chic (2000)
Gianfranco Ferre Ferre Rose (2007, with Alexandra Jouet)
Giorgio Armani Mania for men
Gloria Vanderbilt Reverie (2001, with Christine Nagel)
Guerlain Eau de Lit (home fragrance, 2006)
Guerlain Rose Barbare (2005)
Guess Night (2013, with Antoine Lie)
Indult C16 (2008)
Indult Isvaraya (2007)
Indult Manakara (2007)
Indult Reve en Cuir (2008)
Indult Tihota (2007)
J Del Pozo In White (2007, with Violaine David)
Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Intense (2014)
Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male (2007)
Jean Paul Gaultier Fragile (1999)
Jean Paul Gaultier Gaultier2 (2005)
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Male (2013)
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (1995)
Jean Paul Gaultier Ma Dame (2008)
Jean Paul Gaultier Monsieur Eau du Matin (2008)
Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male (2015)
Joop Muse (2003)
Juliette Has A Gun Lady Vengeance (2007)
Juliette Has A Gun Miss Charming (2007)
Kenzo Eau de Fleur de Magnolia (2008)
Kenzo Eau de Fleur de Prunier (2009, with Jean Jacques)
Kenzo Kenzoki Lotus Blanc
Kenzo World (2016)
Kenzo World Intense (2017, with Maïa Lernout)
Lancaster Aquasun (2005)
Lancaster Aquazur (2004)
Lancome Miracle Homme (2001)
Lanvin Rumeur (2006)
Le Sillage de la Reine (2005, reformulation of a Jean Louis Fargeon scent)
Lolita Lempicka LolitaLand (2018)
Narciso Rodriguez For Her (2003, with Christine Nagel)
Narciso Rodriguez For Him (2007)
Nina Ricci L’Extase (2015)
Nina Ricci L’Extase Caresse de Roses (2016)
Nina Ricci Rose Extase (2017)
Parfums MDCI Enlevement au Serail (2006)
Parfums MDCI Promesse de l'Aube (2006)
Parfums MDCI Rose de Siwa (2006)
Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier (2013)
Salvador Dali Purplelight (2007)
Salvatore Ferragamo F de Ferragamo (2006)
Ted Lapidus White Soul Gold & Diamonds (2013)
Versace Jeans Couture Glam (2003)
Versace Versus Time for Pleasures (2002)
Yves Rocher Cerisier en Fleurs (2014)
Yves Rocher Collection Été (2014)
Yves Saint Laurent Kouros Eau d'Ete (2002)
Selected quotes
My style is about having no style. Other fragrance houses tailor their creations, even the customized scents, to fit their brand’s identity. I don’t have those limitations. — quoted in Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian Goes Bespoke at Paris By Appointment Only.
Being a perfumer is a bit like being a magician, it's about realising your vision of someone else's emotions. It took all my energy for six months to come up with the right formula for Rumeur because for me it's not just about mixing raw materials, it's about creating a memory that will last. — from "Fragrance focus.(Francis Kurkdjian)" at Cosmetics International, 8/18/2006.
Website
Further reading
See all articles on Now Smell This tagged Francis Kurkdjian.
Read Perfume is such an easy subject to lie about ~ an interview with Francis Kurkdjian, part 1.
Watch Francis Kurkdjian talk about the Maison Francis Kurkdian line, or listen to him talk to NPR about the Sillage de la Reine fragrance.
Read a portrait of Francis Kurkdjian (in French) on Parfums et Aromes.
1. From "Winner by a nose", The Independent on Sunday, 9/28/2003.