Scent and the City

French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian takes us through his creative process in making fragrances for his eponymous brand, including the iconic gender-neutral scent, 724

- Maritess Garcia Reyes

Having travelled the world exploring its wonderful cities—Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles to name a few—it just follows that Francis Krukdjian’s creations draw inspiration from the diverse culture, art, fashion and people he has been exposed to. “My creativity thrives in cities. I grew up just outside of Paris; today I live and work in the French capital. I lived in New York for a while, just after launching Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier at the age of 25. All these metropolises, despite being so different from one another, share a magnetic, uplifting energy, something that makes you feel that everything is possible,” says the perfumer, artistic director and cofounder of his eponymous perfume brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Although proud of his Parisian roots and the ancient French tradition of fragrance-making, the perfumer believes that fragrance is part of every culture, and that perfumery evolves with taste and society. “The real difference, traditionally, has been in the choice of preferred ingredients and in the way fragrance is experienced personally,” he explains.