Of the five senses, smell is arguably the most primal and yet the most elusive. The body’s olfactory system is intimately connected to the brain’s centers of emotion and memory, capable of evoking the past and subtly shaping the present mood. Francis Kurkdjian — the visionary perfume creation director at Christian Dior Parfums — has mastered the art of translating imagination into “olfactory poetry”, but what exactly does this mean? A graduate of the ISIPCA International Perfume Institute in Versailles, Kurkdjian first taste of success came at the age of 25 with the release of Jean-Paul Gaultier’s “Le Male”. His career has since been marked by a profound dialogue between scent and artistry — be it through collaborations with contemporary artists or through immersive olfactory installations in dynamic locations such as the Grand Palais and the Château de Versailles.
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Each fragrance Kurkdjian creates for Dior is another chapter in this legacy. His genius lies in treating perfumery as a couture craft, where each scent is carefully sculpted like a bespoke garment. In “La Collection Privée” — Dior Beauty’s signature range of fragrances — the olfactory “fabric” is thoughtfully selected and artfully arranged, merging the House’s heritage with modern sensibilities and unexpected twists.
Enter the “Cuir Saddle” — Kurkdjian’s most recent creation for La Collection Privée. Inspired by the emblematic Dior Saddle Bag, the fragrance transforms the classic leather accord — typically smoky, musky and animalic — into something luminous and sensual. Floral facets soften the leather, while suede-like textures and musky, woody undertones create a perfume that feels both intimate, like a second skin. In “Cuir Saddle”, Kurkdjian challenges the conventions of leather perfumery while celebrating the Maison Dior spirit of being unapologetically expressive.
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Kurkdjian’s starting point was the saddle bag itself. “The shape of the saddle bag is very organic and very close to the body,” he explains. “This is why I imagined a scent that basically melts on skin and becomes part of yourself.” Leather, he notes, is an essential element of the fragrance portfolio and the beloved bag provided a narrative bridge between fashion and perfume. “After that, translating the saddle into a scent was a great story to tell,” he says.
“Cuir Saddle” is not designed for a single gender or personality. Kurkdjian emphasises that perfume does not bestow character: “A perfume is the extension of what you want to convey about yourself. It is not because you’re wearing a perfume that you become sexy or fresh. Perfume accompanies you, but you have to decide who you are. Instead, the fragrance captures an emotion and a tactile experience, echoing the way the bag itself interacts with the body.”
A key innovation of the “Cuir Saddle” is the modernisation of traditional leather accords. Where classical leather fragrances often relied on heavy, smoky or spicy notes, Kurkdjian sought a lighter, softer expression. “Leather traditionally is very dark. My idea was to infuse the leather note with an overdose of musk, white clear musk and white abstract floral notes,” he explains. These elements create a sense of luminosity and transparency while retaining strength and presence. The result is a leather accord that is at once soft, creamy and sensual, yet distinct from historical templates.
Kurkdjian also highlights the role of technology and craftsmanship. “Technology is part of perfumery because of the aroma chemicals we use. Since the 1880s, every perfume has combined natural ingredients with technology. I reshuffled Dior’s IT programme to have something more up to date, almost futuristic, about the possibilities to create a scent.” Beyond the tools, however, the process is ultimately about perspective and interpretation. “Innovation is not necessarily about a new ingredient. Innovation is how you look at things and how you interpret them,” he says.
The fragrance situates itself within Dior’s heritage while responding to contemporary sensibilities. “We were missing a leather fragrance within La Collection Privée and my idea was to fulfil that gap,” says Kurkdjian. He is also clear to add that the fragrance does not follow external trends. “We are not looking at trends. We are making trends at Dior. The Cuir Saddle story is relevant because no one else has a saddle bag. Creating a leather note because of this story is part of who we are.”
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Cuir Saddle also reflects broader shifts in how consumers engage with perfume. “Some clients seek more complexity as they become educated in fragrances. It is like classical music or ballet — the more you know, the more you seek nuanced experiences,” Kurkdjian observes. The perfume is therefore designed to be both accessible and elevated, appealing to connoisseurs while offering a new lens on a familiar category.
To address the question posed earlier, Kurkdjian translates imagination into “olfactory poetry” — transforming abstract ideas, emotions and memories into tangible, wearable scents that unfold like a story on the skin. At its core, the fragrance is a translation of tactile and emotional experience into scent. Kurkdjian describes it as “soft, lukewarm, very sensual, yet not too dark, with a drive. It is about something very close to the skin, something organic. Leather here is no longer heavy or authoritative; it is intimate and supple.” The shape, feel and body of the bag inform the olfactory architecture of the perfume, producing a novel leather language for Dior that complements the existing collection while signalling a contemporary evolution.
In Kurkdjian’s vision, “Cuir Saddle” is a bridge between tradition and modernity, heritage and innovation, fashion and fragrance. It reaffirms Dior’s capacity to reinterpret its iconic codes and set its own course in luxury perfumery. “Perfume is very simple,” he concludes. “People wear it because they enjoy it. Everything else is secondary.”
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