Francis Kurkdjian on Crafting the Dior Cuir Saddle

Of the 5 senses, scent is arguably essentially the most primal and but essentially the most elusive. The physique’s olfactory system is intimately linked to the mind’s facilities of emotion and reminiscence, able to evoking the previous and subtly shaping the current temper. Francis Kurkdjian — the visionary fragrance creation director at Christian Dior Parfums — has mastered the artwork of translating creativeness into “olfactory poetry”, however what precisely does this imply? A graduate of the ISIPCA Worldwide Fragrance Institute in Versailles, Kurkdjian first style of success got here on the age of 25 with the discharge of Jean-Paul Gaultier’s “Le Male”. His profession has since been marked by a profound dialogue between scent and artistry — be it by way of collaborations with modern artists or by way of immersive olfactory installations in dynamic areas such because the Grand Palais and the Château de Versailles.

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Every perfume Kurkdjian creates for Dior is one other chapter on this legacy. His genius lies in treating perfumery as a couture craft, the place every scent is fastidiously sculpted like a bespoke garment. In “La Assortment Privée” — Dior Magnificence’s signature vary of fragrances — the olfactory “cloth” is thoughtfully chosen and artfully organized, merging the Home’s heritage with trendy sensibilities and sudden twists.

Enter the “Cuir Saddle” — Kurkdjian’s most up-to-date creation for La Assortment Privée. Impressed by the emblematic Dior Saddle Bag, the perfume transforms the basic leather-based accord — usually smoky, musky and animalic — into one thing luminous and sensual. Floral sides soften the leather-based, whereas suede-like textures and musky, woody undertones create a fragrance that feels each intimate, like a second pores and skin. In “Cuir Saddle”, Kurkdjian challenges the conventions of leather-based perfumery whereas celebrating the Maison Dior spirit of being unapologetically expressive.

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Kurkdjian’s place to begin was the saddle bag itself. “The form of the saddle bag may be very natural and really near the physique,” he explains. “For this reason I imagined a scent that principally melts on pores and skin and turns into a part of your self.” Leather-based, he notes, is an important component of the perfume portfolio and the beloved bag supplied a story bridge between vogue and fragrance. “After that, translating the saddle right into a scent was a fantastic story to inform,” he says.

“Cuir Saddle” is just not designed for a single gender or persona. Kurkdjian emphasises that fragrance doesn’t bestow character: “A fragrance is the extension of what you wish to convey about your self. It’s not since you’re carrying a fragrance that you simply change into horny or recent. Fragrance accompanies you, however you need to determine who you’re. As an alternative, the perfume captures an emotion and a tactile expertise, echoing the way in which the bag itself interacts with the physique.”

A key innovation of the “Cuir Saddle” is the modernisation of conventional leather-based accords. The place classical leather-based fragrances usually relied on heavy, smoky or spicy notes, Kurkdjian sought a lighter, softer expression. “Leather-based historically may be very darkish. My concept was to infuse the leather-based be aware with an overdose of musk, white clear musk and white summary floral notes,” he explains. These components create a way of luminosity and transparency whereas retaining energy and presence. The result’s a leather-based accord that’s without delay smooth, creamy and sensual, but distinct from historic templates.

Kurkdjian additionally highlights the function of expertise and craftsmanship. “Expertise is a part of perfumery due to the aroma chemical compounds we use. For the reason that Eighties, each fragrance has mixed pure elements with expertise. I reshuffled Dior’s IT programme to have one thing extra updated, virtually futuristic, concerning the potentialities to create a scent.” Past the instruments, nevertheless, the method is in the end about perspective and interpretation. “Innovation is just not essentially a couple of new ingredient. Innovation is the way you have a look at issues and the way you interpret them,” he says.

The perfume situates itself inside Dior’s heritage whereas responding to modern sensibilities. “We had been lacking a leather-based perfume inside La Assortment Privée and my concept was to fulfil that hole,” says Kurkdjian. He’s additionally clear so as to add that the perfume doesn’t comply with exterior traits. “We aren’t traits. We’re making traits at Dior. The Cuir Saddle story is related as a result of nobody else has a saddle bag. Making a leather-based be aware due to this story is a part of who we’re.”

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Cuir Saddle additionally displays broader shifts in how customers have interaction with fragrance. “Some purchasers search extra complexity as they change into educated in fragrances. It’s like classical music or ballet — the extra you realize, the extra you search nuanced experiences,” Kurkdjian observes. The fragrance is subsequently designed to be each accessible and elevated, interesting to connoisseurs whereas providing a brand new lens on a well-known class.

To handle the query posed earlier, Kurkdjian interprets creativeness into “olfactory poetry” — reworking summary concepts, feelings and reminiscences into tangible, wearable scents that unfold like a narrative on the pores and skin. At its core, the perfume is a translation of tactile and emotional expertise into scent. Kurkdjian describes it as “smooth, lukewarm, very sensual, but not too darkish, with a drive. It’s about one thing very near the pores and skin, one thing natural. Leather-based right here is now not heavy or authoritative; it’s intimate and supple.” The form, really feel and physique of the bag inform the olfactory structure of the fragrance, producing a novel leather-based language for Dior that enhances the present assortment whereas signalling a up to date evolution.

In Kurkdjian’s imaginative and prescient, “Cuir Saddle” is a bridge between custom and modernity, heritage and innovation, vogue and perfume. It reaffirms Dior’s capability to reinterpret its iconic codes and set its personal course in luxurious perfumery. “Fragrance may be very easy,” he concludes. “Folks put on it as a result of they get pleasure from it. The whole lot else is secondary.”

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