Maison Francis Kurkdjian Captures the Lights of Paris in Two Scents
by Anna Barr
The Maison Francis Kurkdjian creates collections designed as a fragrance wardrobe, with olfactory silhouettes. Rather than trying on clothes, I’ve spent delightful hours sniffing beautiful scent blotters. Many of the hours were a journey into the Kurkdjian’s creations, having created more than forty perfumes for big houses including the iconic Le Male for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995. In 2021 he was appointed Perfume Creation Director at Parfums Christian Dior where earlier in the year we sported his New Look.
Emblematic scents of the Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s fragrance wardrobe, Petit Matin and Grand Soir are reminiscent of the deepest emotions of Paris which are at the core of the Maison’s aesthetic. Both are elegant and complimentary, capturing The City of Lights, from dawn to dusk, into two exceptional fragrance creations perfect for this transitional spring to summer-season’s sartorial mood.
Francis Kurkdjian
“The freshness of an early morning with Petit Matin and the radiance of a grand evening with Grand Soir. I live to the tempo of an enchanting and luminous Paris. These unique, most cherished moments inspired me to create a duo of perfumes that can be experienced like an olfactory getaway in the heart of the City of Lights…” stated Francis Kurkdjian.
Petit Matin has a blend of orange blossom implying the first hint of a radiant day ahead while the essences of litsea cubeba and lavender dominate the composition of this bright and radiant eau de parfum. Adding depth is the powdery sweetness of the hawthorn accord that creeps into the core notes as AmbroxanTM underlines the base notes implying the presence of the perfume without explicitly declaring its whereabouts in this musky – citrusy scent.
For staying power into the grand evening Grand Soir is a woody-amber irresistible affair, pushing the boundaries of what an evening perfume might be. With Paris as the stage, where the evening is tinged with a copper halo; gold sculptures and domes shine before surrendering to the mysteries of the night. Grand Soir is an olfactory bursting with sensuality. At first, the depth of an accord of cistus labdanum paired with lavender and cinnamon tree leaves is revealed, while the sweet warmth of a vanilla ambery accord with accents of benzoin prevails in the base notes.
Ann Demeulemeester unveils first Pre-Collection under Stefano Gallici for SS25
BERHASM FW24 Backstage!
Take a look at Drôle de Monsieur’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Tiago Pestana during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
PUMA is bringing back the early 2000s track spirit with its reimagined H-Street sneaker.
Take a look at SYSTEM’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Tiago Pestana during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
Dior has always been a cultural language. For Summer 2026, Creative Director Jonathan Anderson plays with that lexicon, stretching its history into new shapes.
Take a look at CAMPERLAB’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Rita Castel-Branco during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
For Spring/Summer 2026, Ouest Paris dives deeper into its love affair with workwear, this time pulling inspiration from an unexpected place: NASA’s 1960s office culture.
GR10K’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Cramp’d, doesn’t just reflect modern saturation but leans into it.
Junya Watanabe Man doesn’t chase trends but circles back to them, turning the past into something quietly surprising.
The names roll off the tongue like a trumpet’s lazy riff: Vedado. Miramar. Malecón. Three corners of Havana, three moods, three stages for Drôle de Monsieur’s Summer 2026 collection.
Ryota Iwai, Founder and Creative Director of AURALEE, presented his Spring/Summer 2026 collection during Paris Fashion Week.
IM MEN presented its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, inspired by the legacy of ceramist Shoji Kamoda, during Paris Fashion Week.
With sophistication, straps, and sleaze, Rick Owens presented his collection “Temple” at the Palais de Tokyo.
Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of the House, is preparing to present his first collection by Dior in one of the most emblematic places in Paris.
The collection speaks to those who know the weight of repetition but still hold space for possibility.
Take a look at BLUEMARBLE’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Tiago Pestana during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
The Spring/Summer 2026 collection isn’t about trends or rules; it’s about movement, play, and the simple thrill of existing without apology.
The collection takes military and workwear staples (timeless, functional) and washes them in something more fluid.
Mike Amiri builds his Spring/Summer 2026 collection like a perfect hotel stay, where different lives collide in sun-drenched harmony.
Tatras has always been about bridges, between Italy and Japan, between form and function, between the crafted and the everyday.
CamperLab arrived at Paris Men’s Fashion Week with the growl of an engine in a concrete garage.
When the world grows dark, Walter Van Beirendonck responds with glittering defiance.
For BLUEMARBLE’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, creative director Anthony Alvarez Graff found inspiration in the Mont Faron téléphérique of Toulon, a cable car bridging mountain and city.
For Spring/Summer 2026, Feng Chen Wang returns to her roots while pushing forward, a collection that feels like a conversation between memory and the present.
On a drowsy summer afternoon, between the pages of untouched books and the hum of cicadas, Sean Suen found inspiration for his Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
Take a look at EGONLAB’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Tiago Pestana during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
This exhibition marks the conclusion of Demna’s ready-to-wear work for Balenciaga, anchored by the Exactitudes collection.
During Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Christian Louboutin transformed the grand halls of the Hôtel de Crillon into a living showcase for its Sartorial line.
For Spring/Summer 2026, EGONLAB presents In Memoriam, a collection that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
For Spring/Summer 2026, Wales Bonner marks ten years with Jewel, a collection that feels like flipping through a well-loved wardrobe, one where every piece has a story.
