Cartier Coco

Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian explains how he created his new rose-scented fragrance for men.

A Rose Perfume That Smells Like a Man

Francis Kurkdjian, co-creator and creative director of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and the world-renowned perfumer behind classic scents—most notably Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male—tells us about his latest creation: 

“Rose is one of the most common ingredients in the perfumer’s palette. However, it remains an ingredient: a tool to express a feeling and idea in the exact same way notes, colors, or words are tools to a music composer, a painter, or a writer. To make another parallel, silk as a fabric is neither feminine nor masculine. But the way it is shaped by the designer, and the convention linked to that object, gives it a gender, as you can have a tie or a dress.

Historically, rose has never really had a prominent place in men’s fragrance. In many fragrances, rose is included, but plays a smaller role and can’t necessarily be distinctly smelled. It is hidden behind other notes or blended with darker ones—patchouli, oud, leather—that blur it. I wanted to create a rose scent for men that was truly recognizable as a rose, defining my interpretation of what masculinity means right now. I blended different types of accords so the final scent would be this floral, woody 

. Today, men are wearing perfumes more and more and buying them themselves. They are more confident in wearing perfumes than before. This is why I brought this kind of modernity.

When I had l’Homme À la Rose in mind a couple of years ago, it defined everything: 

—“with a rose.” The name speaks for itself. It’s universal and yet very open, so everyone can project their own meaning [onto it]. I knew I wanted something that was vertical in terms of smell. Something bold and uplifting—not for your mind, but for your body. Something that straps you back and opens your torso like you’re proud.

I studied ballet intensively from age 7 until 14 at the Paris Opera; I stopped dancing when I was 25. There is a relationship between dance and perfumery, and music—that is my other passion. It’s the notion of space, air, and body: A dancer must occupy the space if he wants to stand out on the stage, just as music needs air to vibrate and enter your ears. A perfume needs both.

I am not sure if there are recipes to create iconic scents. Success is always unpredictable. That’s the magic of the craft. Afterwards, it’s easier to identify what makes a fragrance successful: a mix between a timeless element, a contemporary element, and an element that is avant-garde.”

Katy Bowman on Why “Movement Nutrition” Matters

Phaidon’s Emilia Terragni on the Media That Satiates Her Roving Curiosity

With “Open Questions,” Helen Molesworth Opens Up New Ways of Seeing Art

Stefan Sagmeister Finds Optimism in the Long View

How Stoicism Can Cultivate Joy

Spike Lee’s Prolific Career Gets the Spotlight, Naturally, in Brooklyn

Roxane Gay Balances Her Content Intake Between the Real and the Imagined

The Gossamer Glow of Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Roman Stories”

5 Exhibitions You Can’t Miss This Fall

Lindsey Bro on the Cathartic, Humanizing Effect of Bathing Rituals

At New York’s Climate Week, a “Climate Science Fair” Cultivates Optimism and Future-Forward Thinking

David W. Orr on the Inextricable Links Between Climate and Democracy

William Hanley on Media That Adds a Bit of Whimsy to the Everyday

A Dynamic, City-Defining Riverfront Park Grows in Memphis

The Vibrant, Kaleidoscopic Color Theory of Christopher John Rogers

Desiring Beauty, Even If It Kills Us

Eddie Stern on the Physiological and Spiritual Power of Pranayama

vanessa german on Art as a Way of Life and Love as a “Human Technology”

The Go-To Routines and Rituals of Daphne Javitch

Beverly Nguyen’s Highly Tactile Taste in Media

In “Look,” Christian Madsbjerg Celebrates the Slow, Patient Act of Observation

Sara Auster on Fine-Tuning Your Life Through Sound Therapy

A Herzog & de Meuron Exhibition Emphasizes Architecture as Collective, Not Egocentric

Priya Khanchandani on the Media That Inspires Her Curatorial Work

Vivian Rosenthal on the Profound Power of Holotropic Breathwork

Pedro Gadanho on How Architecture Must Adapt to Our Ecological Emergency

In “Ordinary Notes,” Christina Sharpe Weaves a Profound Portrait of Black Life

The Alchemy of David Adjaye’s Architecture

Millana Snow’s New Well-Being Plan

5 Exhibitions You Must See This Summer

Jaé Joseph on Broadening Notions of Luxury and Well-Being

The Poetic, Humanistic Architecture of Lina Ghotmeh

Chris Impey on the New Space Race and Exoplanet Habitation

Norman Teague on How He Keeps His Finger on the Pulse

With His Monumental Bronze Sculptures, Thomas J Price Honors the Everyday Features of Black Life

In “Not Too Late,” a Vital, Kaleidoscopic View on the Climate Crisis

From “WET” to “Wabi-Sabi”: Leonard Koren’s Adventurous Aesthetic Journey

Rachelle Robinett’s Science-Backed Approach to Herbalism

An Intellectual African Revolution Comes to the Venice Architecture Biennale

A Breathwork Practitioner Making Space for Black Women to Feel Free