Francis Kurkdjian, Dior’s nose, faces the biggest challenge of his career: The relaunch of Sauvage perfume Perfumery star welcomes the media to a luxurious Utah wilderness Calling Francis Kurkdjian detail-oriented is an understatement. A self-described creative director with a mathematical mind, before working at Dior, the perfumer carried out an extensive investigation of the French luxury house. It seemed like he was the one that was going to hire the brand, not the other way around.
He spent a month preparing a 12-page guide to its main points of interest, from its most famous perfumes to its boutiques. “I also bought things online, to see how the process worked. In Paris, I went to stores, a secret shopper,” he recalls, seated between immense rocks in the Utah desert.
More than three years have passed since he turned that booklet over to Dior’s president, full of suggestions and requests, including a list of everything he wanted to change if he was hired. They hired him. And he has largely made good on those proposals.
Now, he is facing one of the house’s greatest challenges: the relaunch of Sauvage, the best-selling perfume not only of the brand, but in the world, including women’s and men’s scents. This month, he will release his Eau Forte version. It will be a challenge in terms of sales, its sector, and the company itself.
Is he worried that people won’t like it? “I don’t care,” he says, loud and clear. “Is it good for Dior, is it what it needs.