Disclaimer: I've been having terrible back spasms, so I was at my worst presentable self. But I'm glad I took the time!

FK & self


David, FK & I


Discovery Collection for Him (new addition to my wardrobe)



My in use bottle of APLS.


My in use bottle of CPLS


Extra's thrown in by the wonderful SA @ Saks :)
Aqua Vitae body cream

Samples of MFK Oud & Oud Velvet Mood

Samples of Baccarat Rouge 540 & Feminin Pluriel

Samples of MFK Oud Cashmere & Oud Satin Mood (SA was out of official samples for these 2)

Also, couple of non-MFK samples - Serge Lutens L`incendiaire & Tam Dao EDP (WTF- these new SL's are 600 a piece? Maybe change the name to L'indecent?). As for the Tam Dao edp - totally disappointed (again) - it's still the same damn cedar & iso e super bomb as the EDT is - where is the sandalwood?



My chat with FK:
Recollecting most from memory, it was quite informal & FK was very down to earth from what I could perceive...Here's some of the questions I asked after the initial introductions & his answers (from what I remember)...

* I mentioned a bunch of fragrances created by him for other houses, followed by 2 from his own house, which I considered as being excellent fragrances - Le Male (added only bcoz it was one of the top sellers), Eau Noire, Tihota, Narciso Rodriguez for Him & finally his own Cologne Pour le Soir & Absolu Pour le Soir - my question to him was - 2010 was the last release from these mentioned fragrances - since then, whatever he's released seem not to match that level of creativity / excellence - why? His reply was diplomatic as much as my question was blunt - mentioned that fragrances are like children (i think he was trying something, but was unable to deliver those thoughts in English quick enough, so the answer seems a bit vague) & that u can't look at past & expect similar new releases - once the perfume is released, that idea is done with...I did not press on for more...

* IFRA regulations & how much his hands are tied with regards to this when he creates a fragrance - Does not feel that way at all. I followed up saying that he still has to comply with the regulations, for which he answered yes. Again, felt there was no point persisting...

* Told him that my fav creation of his was APLS - asked if there'd be any new releases that have an animalic aspect in the future - Yes, new release in early fall - with an animalic aspect some where between what we saw in APLS & CPLS.

* Asked him about the prices & why they seem to be going nowhere but up & if he could release something in the low 100's - just so that more people can afford to buy them - He gave an answer in line with how anyone running a business would answer - profit needed to run a business & to ensure that the house continues to thrive in the future (& obviously it was a no to the low 100 priced fragrance).

* What does he feel about reviews / critics - I liked his answer on this - said most online posts seems more about anger, how the individual does not feel something is up to their standards etc than a proper knowledgeable response on why & where a perfume failed for the said person. He does follow basenotes, other fragrance related sites & the social media on fragrances just to get a feel of how public opinion is...

* Spoke about Toronto / Canada, India, him being a 3rd gen French descendant etc - general talk, but this conversation showed a lot of humility from his side. I'm excluding 3-4 points that we discussed here, as I feel they can't / shouldn't be put online - as this wasn't an official interview (related to future travel plans, other houses, new releases etc)...


Overall, Francis Kurkdjian is a very nice person, who I'm glad to have met today & without doubt, a very talented perfumer


PS: Toronto BN's - as HackerX mentioned in another thread. Mary @ Saks Sherway Gardens runs their MFK section - wonderful person & was quite comfortable answering many questions posed (by customers today). She's one of the few SA's with a dedicated house to run @ Saks.