Interview – Maison Francis Kurkdjian
The Moodie Interview: Marc Chaya on Maison Francis Kurkdjian and “the genius of creativity”
In a compellingly candid and deeply human exchange, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Co-founder & CEO Marc Chaya tells The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie about a long-term approach to return on investment rather than seeking instant reward; on avoiding “destructive and toxic launch fever”; and on how embracing differences can bring light to the world rather than darkness.
Prologue: From a chance meeting between a renowned perfumer and a global telecoms markets expert in 2009, one of the more unlikely successes of the 21st-century fragrance industry was born.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, founded in 2009 by the perfumer in question, Francis Kurkdjian, and then-Ernst & Young Paris partner Marc Chaya, has since blossomed into one of the most-respected, positively disruptive and successful players in the luxury fragrance market.
That progress, accelerated markedly by LVMH’s majority acquisition of the house in 2017, sees Maison Francis Kurkdjian enjoy an enviable reputation for creativity, high-quality craftsmanship and a constantly experiential approach to consumer engagement.
In a compellingly candid and deeply human exchange, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Co-Founder and CEO Marc Chaya tells The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie about a long-term approach to return on investment rather than seeking instant reward; on avoiding “destructive and toxic launch fever”; and on how embracing differences can bring light to the world rather than darkness.
The story of how Marc Chaya and Francis Kurkdjian met is the stuff of a scriptwriter’s dream, a chance encounter over a dinner in Paris that would lead to an extraordinary collaboration and business success narrative bearing the indelible stamp of destiny.
But Chaya offers a different context to that simplistic narrative. “People sometimes attribute things to randomness or luck. However, I feel it’s not like we were meant to work together,” he says. “But because we really get along and share the same values and we’ve worked so hard together over the past 20 years, the story became what it is.
“I feel some of the best stories are not about what was meant to be but about what you make with it. So, yes it was at a dinner party and I sat next to Francis and we engaged in a conversation about what we do in life.
“His response to me was that he was a perfumer. I was with EY (Ernst & Young) working in finance and strategy and marketing. And I got very intrigued because I come from a Lebanese family and grew up in Lebanon, where we have a very special interaction with perfume and scent.
“It’s something that entered my life even as a child. My mom had a beautiful collection of fragrances, I was fascinated by my dad’s perfume. It was a ritual to see my parents every day wear perfume. And when finally I was a teenager and I was able to own my own bottle of perfume, it was a moment I still remember today.
Francis Kurkdjian (left) and Marc Chaya: “I hope someday we will have completed the cycle of restoring the legitimacy and the basic rights of a perfumer,” says Chaya of the decision to put the creator’s name in the spotlight {Photo: François Roelants}
Recognising the role of the creator
“And so when I learned from Francis that he was the man behind Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, which was one of my favourite scents and one of the best-selling in the world, and that he was the man behind many other extraordinary creations, I was stunned by the fact that the real artist was hidden. It came to me as a big surprise.
“And from there, through curiosity, friendship and time, we saw each other more. We travelled as friends and we talked a lot about the fragrance industry and about the world.
“To me, there was an opportunity to bring to life something that was unique, something very genuine and which yet was totally hidden. And that was to allow a perfumer – one of the greatest living perfumers of all time, a genius of creativity when it comes to combining scents into emotional moments – to express his vision.
“Working with Francis I discovered a form of injustice, which is that with fragrances, the celebrity, the brand name, the marketing – everything – came before the real talent who created the scent.
Marc Chaya: “We’ve trained generations of people in the industry who talk about fragrance in marketing terms, for example, defining what the consumer is and why the perfume sells or doesn’t sell. Every time people talk about fragrance in the industry, they talk about everything but the artistry, which is shocking.” {Photo: François Roelants}
“It’s as if you speak about an art institution or a museum before speaking about the artist. Or you speak about the frame, or you speak about the quality of the glass, or you speak about the collector who bought the art piece before talking about the artist.
“This is unheard of. Fragrance was the only form of creativity where the genius was totally undermined and hidden behind the curtain.”
Describing the obscuring of the perfumer’s identity as an “aberration”, Chaya adds: “I hope someday we will have completed the cycle of restoring the legitimacy and the basic rights of a perfumer.
“We’ve trained generations of people in the industry who talk about fragrance in marketing terms, for example, defining what the consumer is and why the perfume sells or doesn’t sell. Every time people talk about fragrance in the industry, they talk about everything but the artistry, which is shocking.”
As their friendship developed, the two men vowed to change all that, combining their talents to embark on an adventure that would allow Kurkdjian to freely express his vision and “genius of creativity” under his own brand name.
Chaya slams the lack of intellectual property protection of that creativity. “This is outrageous. It is like people today compare a fragrance formula to a chemistry formula or to a cooking recipe. The perfumers go way beyond the essential oils and into emotion.
“It’s not about mixing rose and jasmine to make something that smells good. It is about envisioning the scent… and using essential oils, whether they’re natural or synthetic, to express an invisible emotion, something that captures you in your gut.
“The lack of IP protection has led a lot of brands to copy us, to copy beautiful scents without shame, without any legal framework that would protect our fragrance and Francis’ creativity. And when I say Francis, it’s the same for any great perfumer.”
Does he think he can change that situation? “I know that I am going to work very hard at it,” Chaya replies. “I hope it will become a success.”
(Continued on next page.)
Ultra-premium fragrance Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, shown here at Dubai Duty Free, has been a sustained smash hit globally
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The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 334 | 12 May 2024
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 14 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com