Francis Kurkdjian

Francis Kurkdjian (born 14 May 1969) is a French perfumer and businessman of Armenian descent. Born in Paris to Armenian parents, he was exposed to music and dance at a young age and initially aspired to become a ballet dancer, but failed the competition to enter the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1983. Having held an interest in perfume making since the age of thirteen, he decided in 1985 to pursue a career in perfumery. In 1990, he entered ISIPCA, the perfume school in Versailles, graduating in 1993 and joining Quest International in Paris the same year. He continued his studies and obtained a master's degree from the Paris Institute of Luxury Marketing. At the age of twenty-six, Kurkdjian created Le Male for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995, which became one of the world's best-selling men's fragrances and his first major success.

Kurkdjian co-founded the fragrance house Maison Francis Kurkdjian with Lebanese-French businessman and former Ernst & Young partner Marc Chaya. The brand was purchased by LVMH in 2017. In 2015, he released Baccarat Rouge 540 under his own house, which has become one of the most recognizable niche fragrances in the world. He later created Narciso Rodriguez for Her with Christine Nagel in 2003, as well as Burberry Her. His other notable creations include Absolue Pour le Soir, Absolue Pour le Matin, 754, A La Rose, and Amyris Femme. Kurkdjian was awarded the Prix Francois Coty in 2001 and has also lent his talents to artistic projects, including re-creating Marie Antoinette's favorite perfume for the Palace of Versailles.