Gold Rush

For his first foray as Dior's perfume creation director, Francis Kurkdjian goes to the golden heart of a much-loved icon.

- Sally Hunwick

Re-creating an icon is, by definition, a challenge. Doing it for one of the world’s best-known fashion houses after stepping into the shoes of a prominent predecessor could well make the task daunting.

But when I meet Dior’s new perfume creator, Francis Kurkdjian, at the Hotel Le Majestic in Cannes while it’s fizzing with A-listers for the film festival, he seems to have taken the project in his stride.

“I applaud François Demachy,” says Kurkdjian of his predecessor. “He was the first perfumer to work in-house at Dior Parfums [and] the work he’s accomplished is immeasurable. He is leaving me a beautiful legacy and I intend to see it live on and flourish.”

In case you haven’t registered the name, Kurkdjian came to Dior already a rock star in the fragrance world. His eponymous brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, has had worldwide success, thanks to the perfumer’s unapologetically bold concentrations and minimalist style.

Needless to say, Kurkdjian was doing very well before Dior came knocking. But, he admits, the house of Dior had an allure that was impossible to refuse.

“I had my own domain; I was as free as a bird,” he says in his to-the-point way so reflective of his fragrances. “I was fine. I had no need [to join Dior] in a way. But I had the envy, which is different.”