Smell of success

Renowned for his work with Armani, Kenzo, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, Francis Kurkdjian has made a name for himself as a perfumer who dares to be different. The French winner of a Prix Francois Coty (the Oscar of the perfume world) launched Maison Francis Kurkdjian (MFK) in 2009.

"Even before having my own company and brand, I always tried to be different; not just to be different but to bring new ways to look at things, new ways of doing perfume," he says. "For so many years, perfume has been restricted to being bottled, the work of the perfumer restrained to the art of blending."

Kurkdjian is talking about past collaborations such as scenting the fountain of Versailles, creating the smell of money for French artist Sophie Calle and a dessert for the Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris, and his infamous perfumed bubbles that featured in the Shanghai Expo in 2010. Visit his Paris atelier and you'll also find scented incense paper, his popular Tour Atour perfumed leather bracelets and scented bubbles designed for children.

"Installation is a great way to give people the beauty of perfume," he says. "When you look at the numbers, not that many people use perfume on a daily basis, especially bespoke fragrances, which are more than niche."

Despite his laments about the size of the market, the perfumer has become synonymous with contemporary fragrances, creating an array of MFK perfumes such as Aqua Universalis, APOM (A Piece of Me), Lumiere Noire, OUD, Pour le Matin and Pour le Soir. He has even been knighted Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.

Kurkdjian's latest creations, Amyris Femme and Amyris Homme, debuted this year. Dedicated to his sister, this is his third "couple" fragrance.