On 1 May 2021, venerated French fragrance house Maison Francis Kurkdjian is releasing three new scents.
The new Cologne forte collection is a continuation of Kurkdjian’s Aqua Universalis catalogue, a range of light and breezy scents that offer a modern reinterpretation of traditional cologne.
‘I wished to reconnect with the tradition of the Eau de Cologne,’ says Kurkdjian, ‘which, in its original form, was also drinkable, creating a visible “inside-outside” effect. What is good for my body is also good for my mind.’
Post-2020, the notion of finding sanctuary in scent had never been more pertinent, as people search for easy ways to enhance themselves and, consequently, improve their wellbeing. At-home facials, floral tinctures, or, in this case, a spritz of perfume offer simple salves for emotional stress. As a keen student of perfume history and a discerning judge of its future, Kurkdjian is playing on this trend with a collection of fresh, cheerful scents that evoke the warmth and light of summer days.
‘In 2021, I wanted to bring a new light to this Aqua collection,’ says Kurkdjian. ‘In keeping in mind that the idea of freshness could also be explored starting from the sensations induced by light.’
To achieve this effect, Kurkdjian has used bergamot as the basis of all three scents. Aqua Universalis blends bergamot with the sweetness of white musk to create a bouquet that echos the freshness of crisp white linen.
For Aqua Vitae, Kurkdjian was inspired by the feeling of ‘freshness in hot weather,’ he’s experienced riding his motorcycle at high speed in the summer heat. It blends the bergamot base with bright mandarin to create a warm floral fragrance.
The final scent in the collection, Aqua Celestia, is a mixture of bergamot, blackcurrant, mimosa (with its raspberry and blackberry facets), and jasmine (strawberry, apricot and peach accents), undercut by a mellow musk.
“Being contemporary does not mean you have to follow trends. I stay away from trends. Instead, I follow my artistic vision and my feelings about the contemporary world we live in. Trends often disappear as fast as they appear. I want my clients to feel different and not feeling concerned about wearing an outdated fragrance or not. I want to reassure them that they can wear different things, create their fragrance wardrobe, and select a scent to fit a certain mood or occasion. Trends are good for fashion as the pace for fashion is to outdate what was once fashionable. Scents are based on a different momentum.”
The result is a collection of gender-neutral fragrances that are, in the words of Kurkdjian, ‘a modern, long-lasting Cologne, showcasing the idea of light, colour and sensations already in the genesis of the original eau de toilette fragrances.’