It’s a question of timing because what is ‘masculine’ today may not have been ‘masculine’ a decade ago and it may not be ‘masculine’ two or three decades from now. The idea or ‘masculinity’ and ‘feminity,’ they are conventions and they are concepts that evolve with society.

When I started working in perfume 25 years ago, fruity notes were not appealing for men. What I mean by fruity notes- it could be pineapple or pear or apple, which are very commonly used in male perfume now but were not popular in male perfumes 25 years ago.

— Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian talks about gender and fragrance and his new fragrance, Maison Francis Kurkdjian L’Homme À la Rose. Read more in Francis Kurkdjian on creating a rose perfume for men at Wallpaper.