For any artistic experience to feel truly, madly deeply immersive, there are sensory elements that go beyond the visual and auditory. To evoke those visceral feelings, there must be a tangible emotional layer – one you can touch, taste, or smell. This idea lies at the heart of master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s work, where scent becomes a bridge to memory, emotion and storytelling. For Kurkdjian, who is also creative director of Dior perfumes, fragrance isn’t just an addition to an experience, it’s an art form that transforms and elevates.
Take, for example, the dazzlingly talented pianist sister act Katia and Marielle Labèque, who arrived in London this past summer for a one-night-only performance of the Cocteau/Philip Glass Trilogy at the Barbican Centre. While they interpreted two-piano suites from three of Philip Glass’ operas inspired by the works of Jean Cocteau – Orpheus, Beauty and the Beast and Les Enfants Terribles – a subtle veil of ethereal jasmine filled the air. Later, as the chandelier above glowed in rhythm with their melodies, a delicate, woody aroma emerged, each layer of scent mirroring the crescendos of sound. For some, the interplay of scent and sound drew tears; for others, myself included, it evoked an engulfing bittersweetness. The olfactory compositions, crafted by Kurkdjian, didn’t just accompany the performance – they transformed it into something sublime.
This merging of senses, often called “scentscaping,” (and what Kurkdjian calls “artistic conversations”) is nothing new in the creative world, but its popularity has flat out skyrocketed in recent years. At Saul Nash’s sand-swept SS24 show, for instance, scentscaping elevated the collection to a summer getaway in the heart of London. Courtesy of Olfiction head perfumer Pia Long and Ezra-Lloyd Jackson, the sweet yet salty smell of sea spray transported the audience to the beach. Major exhibitions have also embraced scentscaping, including MoMA’s Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and Saatchi Gallery’s Beyond Fashion, where scented environments added depth to visual storytelling.
From left: Cyril Teste, Katia Labèque, Francis Kurkdjian and Marielle Labèque
While many of these multisensory projects stem from performance or installation art, Kurkdjian takes the concept further. Renowned for his eponymous French label, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, which he co-founded in 2009 with Marc Chaya, Kurkdjian has long explored the power of scent in unexpected ways. Whether crafting scented Fendi bags, avant-garde installations or cult classics like Baccarat Rouge 540 and L’Homme À la Rose, Kurkdjian consistently redefines what fragrance can achieve.
At Dior, Francis Kurkdjian has reimagined the house’s rich history through fragrance, transforming iconic moments into olfactory masterpieces. His scents evoke the delicate freshness of a spring garden party, the smoky, intimate atmosphere of a couture atelier and the heady glamour of a Paris runway. Or, with each fragrance being a sort of sensory time capsule, he has captured the essence of the French houses’s most memorable creations from the Bar Suit to the New Look, and the bold innovation that has always defined the house.
Similarly, Kurkdjian revived the gardens of Versailles for an immersive event at the Château de Versailles. Drawing on historical records, he recreated the orange blossoms, jasmine and other floral scents that perfumed the air during the reign of Louis XIV. The result, dubbed Virtually Versailles, wasn’t just a multisensory history lesson – it was an emotional odyssey, dubbed Royal Delight, that invited visitors to imagine themselves walking through the Sun King’s opulent court.
His most recent display, Sparks of Roses, which was unveiled at the West Bund Art and Design fair in Shanghai, functioned as a “tribute to the prestigious exchanges of know-how between China and France, which are celebrating their 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2024.” This installation showcased Kurkdjian’s ability to blend cultural history with olfactory artistry. Visitors were immersed in an environment where the delicate, velvety scent of roses – a symbol of both French romance and Chinese beauty – filled the air whilst porcelain rose petals dangled from the ceiling in plentiful bunches.
Sparks of Roses
Kurkdjian’s ability to weave narratives through scent extends to other cultural landmarks. For the reopening of the Grand Palais in Paris, he curated bespoke fragrances for each room, from fresh floral notes symbolising rebirth to deep, soulful scents evoking timeless elegance. Even the CFDA Awards benefited from his touch, as he designed an exclusive scent experience blending ethereal white florals with hints of leather and spice with the aim of encapsulating the sophistication of fashion itself.
These creations underscore Kurkdjian’s vision: scent as more than a complementary thing, but as a vehicle for storytelling. At Versailles, the delicate aroma of jasmine didn’t just conjure a historical setting, it evoked a yearning for the past, a feeling of being tethered to something grand. At the Barbican, the interplay of sound and fragrance didn’t just set a mood, it wove an emotional tapestry that enveloped the audience.
Kurkdjian’s work reminds us that perfume isn’t just a product, but a full-bodied experience – a narrative and above all, a profound expression of humanity’s desire to connect with the intangible. By blending scent, art and emotion, the master perfumer redefines the boundaries of his craft, building expressive worlds that linger long after the moment has passed.
Photography courtesy of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
