Translated by Bethszabee Garner
With the arrival of spring, the perfume industry is often characterized by an explosion of sweet and floral fragrances, which, although pleasant, tend to resemble each other from one season to the next. With his new creation, called “Kurky,” Francis Kurkdjian is taking a gamble to stand out from the crowd. Far from the usual predictable codes, it plays on a balance between fruity freshness and creamy sweetness, without falling into the trap of overly heavy or sweet scents.
Beyond its tender and comforting accents, the latest addition to the collection also embodies a true ode to childhood, carefreeness, and freedom. Through this fragrance, the nose seeks to reawaken in adults a lost spontaneity, a pure pleasure, that of wonder and lightness. Between inspiration and symbolism, let's take a look back at the genesis of a creation that brings a welcome breath of fresh air.
OniriQ: Kurky plays on a subtle balance between fruity freshness and creamy sweetness, while avoiding the excess and heaviness of classic sweet fragrances. How did you manage to make this interaction both light and harmonious?
Francis Kurkdjian: It takes a lot of trial and error and determination to think outside the box. And I believe that creation is really about seeking new avenues, a new path. Otherwise, it's just repetition. It's less interesting and, above all, less rewarding. So, when I imagined Kurky, I wanted a fragrance that would bring happiness, a smile to the lips, like an inner joy that comes out.
I translated this idea by working on my olfactory accord around a mouth-watering delicacy that brings a smile, joy, and light. I moved away from the classic gourmand accord, which is too sweet, sticky, and dripping, while remaining mouth-watering, like the sensation of candy melting on the tongue.
Kurky is mouthwatering, it’s a colorful, textured, creamy, and round treat. The comforting, musky base evokes the sweetest part of childhood, an enveloping tenderness – like a kiss on the neck. Kurky is an olfactory comfort blanket, vitamin C in perfume form, a comforting caress.
OniriQ: Kurky brings a breath of fresh air with its childlike and spontaneous side. How did you manage to reconcile this playful side with the elegance that is so characteristic of the Francis Kurkdjian house?
Francis Kurkdjian: To think outside the box is to seek another path, but the intrinsic values of the house always remain the same. You can reference childhood while remaining elegant and chic—Parisian, in short! Or at least the idea we have of Paris... That's what I call the French spirit, a delicate balance between multiple, diverse inspirations and that certain je ne sais quoi nourished by expertise, history, and culture.
At Maison Francis Kurkdjian, our fragrances are part of what I call the Olfactory Wardrobe, a collection of fragrances that represent women and men as they are, according to their moods, their desires, the different facets of their personality, because we are not the same at work, with our loved ones, when we go out in the evening, or when we travel.
In this wardrobe, Kurky is like the sneakers or white T-shirt you wear under a suit: it doesn't detract from the elegance of the look, but conveys a certain letting go, a relaxed attitude. Kurky is a bit of a thumbing of the nose (no pun intended!) to the current trend. It embodies the irreverence, freedom, and boldness that are at the heart of the brand.
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OniriQ: If Kurky had to be summed up in a moment in life, what image or memory would immediately come to mind?
Francis Kurkdjian: A moment of joy and poetry, because Kurky is not linked to the past or nostalgia. On the contrary, it is a form of surprise and wonder that we can lose once we reach adulthood. Following the clouds across the sky, marveling at the moon rising over the horizon, or a flower blooming. Kurky is the ability to reawaken the child we once were, to break free from all the rules imposed on adults. Kurky is also jumping in a puddle even when you're grown up!
OniriQ: In your creative journey, have you ever felt the need to reconnect with your childlike side to unleash your creativity?
Francis Kurkdjian: I think the child in me is still there. Above all, I am guided by two quotes. First, there is one by Charles Baudelaire: “Genius is childhood regained at will.” And then there is one often attributed to Marcel Proust: “Creation is childhood regained.”
Very early on, I was aware and lucky enough to know what I wanted to do “later,” as we used to say when I was little. That guided me constantly, even if I often had to be patient.
The brand has carried this part of childhood within it since its creation. In 2009, Les bulles d'Agathe, a nod to the olfactory education of little ones with scented soap bubbles, began to tickle our childhood. After all, what were scented soap bubbles doing in a high-quality perfume brand.
So yes, of course, that's the very idea behind the creation of Kurky! To challenge our adult mind with its childlike soul. Why does everything have to be so serious when we're adults? Why can't we do silly things when we're grown up? Why should we stop liking candy? When you're a child, it's cute to eat candy, but as an adult, it's frowned upon. Me, I accept that, I like eating candy, even if it seems incongruous.
OniriQ: What values or attitudes from your own childhood do you think are important to revive today?
Francis Kurkdjian: Generosity and kindness, two values that were passed on to me from childhood by my parents and grandparents. These are values that may raise a smile in the world we live in, but for me they are fundamental, because they enable us to form a society and live together.
OniriQ: Kurky invites us to embrace a form of freedom of spirit and creativity. What advice would you give to those who want to rediscover this carefree spirit and reconnect with their inner child?
Francis Kurkdjian: I always say : dreams are meant to be fulfilled so that new ones can take their place! So we must seek out the dreams we have abandoned and bring them to life!
