Francis Kurkdjian: 24/7 Scents

24/7 Scents

Francis Kurkdjian, one of France's most sought-after noses who has created best-selling fragrances for the likes of Guerlain, Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Lanvin, has just opened his first signature store near the Place Vendôme. Kurkdjian is renowned for taking an imaginative approach to perfumery—he created the "scent of money" for French artist Sophie Calle, and in the summers of 2007 and 2008 he filled the fountains at the Château de Versailles with the fragrance of strawberries, melon and pears. Now working on his own, the innovative "nez" has created a range of enticing new scents intended to infuse daily life 24 hours a day. There's an explosive citrus duo, Cologne pour le Matin and Cologne pour le Soir. His new Aqua Universalis can be sprinkled around the house or used as a laundry detergent, and Les Bulles d'Agathe, a line of children's bubble liquids scented with pear, mint or cut grass, is designed to awaken the senses of budding parfumeurs at an early age. Kurkdjian's monogrammed leather wristbands, perfumed with a fragrance of the wearer's choice, are a clever nod back to the 17th century when the perfume industry got its start with scented leather gloves.

5 rue d'Alger, 1st, 01.42.60.07.07. website

Originally published in the February 2010 issue of France Today

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