The scent of memory: A conversation with Francis ‘Kurky’ Kurkdjian of Maison Francis Kurkdjian

From childhood nicknames to crystalline masterpieces, Francis Kurkdjian’s journey through fragrance is anything but ordinary. In this intimate chat with Tatler, the visionary behind Maison Francis Kurkdjian and creator of the iconic Baccarat Rouge 540 reveals how his Armenian heritage, ballet training and love of candy shaped his approach to perfumery. This is fragrance as storytelling—where art, memory, and emotion collide.

Your new fragrance is called Kurky. We understand this is a personal nickname from your childhood. Can you share the story behind this name and why you chose it for a fragrance?Since I can remember, people have often struggled to pronounce 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 that it resonates with the words “quirky” and “kooky”. It sounds friendly and intimate. The name was born spontaneously, without too much deliberation, out of creativity and freedom.

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The perfume Kurky is inspired by Francis Kurkdjian’s childhood nickname, Kurky

What specific memories or feelings from your childhood inspired the creation of Kurky?Kurky comes during a moment of my creative life when I want to introduce the idea of letting go. I wanted to create a fragrance that would awaken one’s inner child. It’s an invitation to dare and not to take life—or yourself—too seriously. Why should everything be so serious when we are adults? Why can’t we do silly things when we grow up? Why shouldn’t we love candy anymore? When you are a child, it’s cute to eat candy, but once you are an adult, it’s frowned upon. I own up to it, I like to eat candy, even if it seems odd.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian carries this essence of childhood since its inception. As early as 2009, with Les Bulles d’Agathe (Agathe’s Bubbles), we offered a playful way for children to discover fragrance. It was completely unexpected for a fragrance house. Similarly, Kurky is also a joyful celebration that keeps the playful spirit alive.

Beyond the scent itself, the packaging of Kurky is said to be inspired by childhood memories. How does the packaging’s visual and tactile nature connect with the fragrance?I wanted a fun and whimsical outer packaging, something that would resonate with childhood, and particularly my childhood memories. The pattern is taken from French school notebooks. There’s also a nod to the misspellings of my last name, and I personally doodled little images on the packaging. For the colours, I chose orange and green, two distinctive colours from my memory of growing up in the 70s (I was born in ’69).

Kurky is an ode to Francis Kurkdjian’s memory of Paris from his childhood days

You have previously stated that your inspiration doesn’t stem from raw materials, they stem from ideas or stories. Can you explain how you build a fragrance from a story?You’re right, my inspiration is not driven by raw materials. Classic and modern art, couture and lifestyle inspire me, but I always try to focus on a universal feeling. Therefore, it’s important to be connected to the real world to stay relevant.

Once I have envisioned that idea, I give it a name. To me, the name is very important. It defines a frame for me to work within. A name is unswervingly tied to a fragrance. Once I have it, I dream about the actual scent, and imagine the scent that goes with that name. I only start writing the formula after that stage. Because if you don’t know what you want to say, you don’t know what raw materials to blend.

A perfect example of this is my work for Gentle Fluidity, two eaux de parfum created with the exact same 49 ingredients but with two completely different identities that address the question of gender fluidity.

Tell us about how you created Baccarat Rouge 540, perhaps the most iconic perfume of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.For Baccarat Rouge 540, one of our most successful fragrances, I wanted to pay homage to Baccarat’s 250th anniversary, so I encapsulated the essence of crystal in a bottle. Looking into Baccarat’s heritage, I focused on the creative process of its “golden red” crystal—“rouge à l’or” in French. I first chose a relevant and relatable name. This is how I came up with the name “Baccarat Rouge 540”, evoking the metamorphosis of clear crystal mingled with 24-carat gold powder and gradually brought to fusion at 540° Celsius. Through this very precise process, the transparent crystal turns to the iconic Baccarat red. A great perfume, made by unsurpassable emotions and above all a great story.

Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian has reached a cult status

You have been a ballet dancer, an aspiring fashion designer and you have a history of creating artistic olfactory installations. What do you see as the relationship between perfume-making and other arts?Any form of art is a language, aimed at telling a story and create emotions, while expressing the artist’s vision. Scent is the language I use to express mine, to tell my stories.

However, I believe perfume in a bottle is not art, as it is not entirely the process of a free expression. Perfume is meant to be pleasant and please. It is supposed to evoke nice, beautiful emotions and convey seductiveness, pleasure, glamour and positive attitude. Art is not about that only. Art is about the whole spectrum of emotions, positive and negative. This difference is very important to me. Beauty in art can be conveyed through dark thoughts or even ugliness or misery; the opposite of what beauty (in commercial products) is about. This is why I believe olfactive installations can bring a total new field in the world of smell, real art and new emotions. It’s a territory where I can freely explore feelings that I would not be able to express in the context of a commercial scent.

I had the chance to have a family that got me into the world of arts at an early age, so I grew up curious about everything and developed a love of art, music, ballet and couture. My career as a classical ballet dancer was short-lived but I can assure you that ballet and perfume are more similar than you might think. A dancer must know how to master a stage with their movements, in the same way that a good perfume fills up the space with its trail. The mastery of the space, the concept of balance, the fluidity of movement which must be seamless… these elements are like the sequence of the ingredients in a formula, they have to be mastered to get the desired result.

I have worked with my friend, art director Cyril Teste on scenting the Cocteau / Philip Glass Trilogy interpreted by pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque, with three accords diffused over the course of the concert. We conceived a beautiful show mixing music, light and fragrance for a poetic experience at the Paris Philharmonic and the Barbican Theatre, in London.

Our artistic installation at West Bund Art & Design, a prestigious art fair in Shanghai, explored the cultural ties between France and China, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. We achieved that through scented rose petals, handmade at the Manufacture de Sèvres, the very best of French porcelain-making. You see, both the rose and the craft of porcelain come from China and became some of the finest symbols of French lifestyle around the world, showing how cultural influences and exchanges can beautifully influence our world.

Francis ‘Kurky’ Kurkdjian of Maison Francis Kurkdjian

You are known for not following trends and creating timeless scents. What does “timelessness” mean to you in the context of fragrance?Timelessness means crafting scents that are not bound by fleeting trends but resonate across generations. A timeless fragrance evokes enduring emotions and memories that remain relevant despite changing fashion. A great perfume is built on a great idea, and can withstand the test of time. It must also be an idea that everyone around the globe can understand. For instance, Baccarat Rouge 540 is a multi-generational scent that can embrace any age or any gender.

For someone just starting to explore the world of fine fragrance, what advice would you give them on finding scents they love and building their own fragrance wardrobe?Explore freely and trust your instincts. Fragrance is deeply personal, and it’s essential to find scents that resonate emotionally. Experiment with different fragrances on your skin, observing how they evolve.

Building a fragrance wardrobe should be about expressing your identity and feelings, rather than simply following trends. Perfume is deeply connected to culture and emotion. That’s why, at Maison Francis Kurkdjian, I embrace total freedom of expression for those who choose to wear my creations.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work as a perfumer?The most rewarding part of my work is the ability to create emotional connections through scent. When people wear my fragrances and share their stories and memories associated with them, it reaffirms the purpose of my craft. Knowing that my creations can evoke joy, nostalgia or comfort in others is incredibly fulfilling. My mission is to create beauty, to bring glamour and joy into people’s life, and perfume is incredible in the way that it can give one incomparable feelings and emotion. Knowing that so many people are moved by what I do gives me a sense of great satisfaction and happiness. I am so deeply proud and happy when I receive feedback of affection and appreciation from people who experience my products and share my vision of perfume. Someone you don’t know is wearing something you have created, thought about and spent time with. You imagine their life, who they’re in love with, the kind of compliments they get. It’s very moving, I have to say, I feel a certain pride for it.

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