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Inside My Dior Trip to New York to Interview Francis Kurkdjian
From a one-to-one in New York with Francis Kurkdjian, to a new way of thinking about performance, presence, and meaning in fragrance.
Some trips start at the airport. This one started at my front door.
Dior flew me from Edinburgh to New York for the launch of J’adore Intense, and from the moment I stepped out of my flat, I didn’t have to think about a thing. A car arrived to collect me. At the airport, a VIP escort guided me through every stage, from check-in to the lounge, without me needing to think about anything. It was seamless, polished, and unmistakably luxurious, the sort of experience that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into someone else’s world for a moment.
I flew business class direct from Edinburgh, and when I landed in New York, it continued. I was met at the airport and taken straight into a huge American SUV, music on, heading into Manhattan. It felt cinematic. Exactly how you want New York to feel – loud, glamorous, fast, full of energy.
I stayed at The Standard, High Line, in the Meatpacking District, with views stretching across the city. Dior had also arranged a spa experience, which only added to the sense that this wasn’t just a press trip. It felt like being invited into the brand’s world. Not just the product, but the mood, the atmosphere, the fantasy.
But really, I was there for one thing: a one-to-one interview with Francis Kurkdjian, Dior’s Perfume Creation Director, to talk about J’adore Intense.
A One-to-One Interview at The Greenwich Hotel
The interview took place at The Greenwich Hotel, one of those places that feels quietly luxurious without trying too hard. Discreet, elegant, calm. “Quiet luxury” gets overused, but here it actually fits.
I was picked up and taken there for the meeting, and there was a clear sense this wasn’t just about grabbing a few soundbites.
I’d been scheduled for 10 minutes with Kurkdjian. I ended up with more than 20, one to one. And what struck me straight away was how generous he was. Not just with time, but with how he thinks.
He didn’t speak like someone repeating a press line. He spoke like someone who has spent a lifetime thinking about perfume. What it does, what it says, and why some fragrances stay with you while others don’t.
What Makes a Fragrance Unforgettable?
I asked him something quite simple: what makes a fragrance unforgettable?
And his answer was just as simple: there’s no single formula – if there were, everything would be unforgettable. Instead, he compared fragrance to ice skating – both needing two things: technique and artistry.
Technique gives a fragrance its strength, its presence, its trail. It’s what allows it to project beyond the skin and be noticed. But artistry is what gives it meaning. It’s what makes it say something, feel something, stand apart.
You need both. A fragrance can be beautiful in concept, but if it disappears too quickly, it never has the chance to matter. On the other side, something loud without any depth might get attention, but it won’t stay with you in the right way.
It felt especially relevant now, when so much of the conversation around fragrance is about projection and compliments. Kurkdjian was clear: performance matters, but it’s not enough on its own.
Francis Kurkdjian on Performance, Presence, and Message
This came up again and again.
Kurkdjian described himself as someone who believes fragrances should “deliver”. He wants them to have presence. To leave something behind.
But he was also very clear that there’s a difference between a fragrance that projects and one that communicates.
Creating something powerful for the sake of power is easy. The real challenge is creating something that projects and still says something. Something with a message.
A fragrance shouldn’t just shout. It should express something.
That really stayed with me. Especially now, when so much online fragrance content focuses on “beast mode” and longevity. He’s not dismissing performance, he’s just pushing the conversation further.
For him, the real challenge isn’t volume. It’s meaning.
Reimagining J’adore Intense Without Losing Its Soul
One of the obvious questions was how you evolve something as iconic as J’adore without losing what made it so loved in the first place.
His answer was thoughtful. You stay true to the identity, but you step slightly outside it. That’s the balance.
J’adore isn’t a blank canvas. It has history, emotion, recognition. So you’re not replacing it, you’re entering into a conversation with it.
What he wanted to bring to J’adore Intense was something more real. More lush, more sensual, more embodied. A different kind of sexiness. Less distant, less untouchable, more immediate.
Credit: Dior
How Rihanna Changed the Energy of J’adore
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was hearing him talk about Rihanna.
He said she brought something new to J’adore. Previous muses had a more elevated, almost mythic femininity. But Rihanna brings presence. Physicality. Energy.
She performs. She projects. She gives something outward.
And that’s what he wanted to capture in the fragrance.
It was a really interesting way of thinking about scent. Not just as something you smell, but as something you feel from someone. Presence rather than just image.
He contrasted her sensuality with the more goddess-like glamour of earlier campaigns. Both are valid, just different expressions. But with J’adore Intense, there’s a shift towards something more grounded, more physical.
A Perfumer Who Still Thinks Like an Artist
There was also something quite grounding about him as a person.
We spoke about him creating John Paul Gaultier Le Male at such a young age. He joked about being a veteran, but also clearly still has curiosity and excitement about the work.
When he talked about the Dior fragrances that came before him, Fahrenheit, Poison, Addict, Hypnotic Poison, there was genuine admiration there.
He understands the legacy, and you get the sense he respects it. He’s not trying to overwrite it. He’s adding to it.
His Best Advice on Choosing a Perfume
Towards the end, I asked what advice he’d give someone trying to find the right fragrance.
It wasn’t about notes or trends. It was about confidence.
He said most people don’t trust themselves enough. Choosing a fragrance means making a decision and standing by it.
In a market that’s constantly launching new things, that’s actually quite hard. But for him, wearing fragrance is about self-confidence. Trusting your instinct.
I really liked that. It cuts through a lot of the noise. People searching for the “best” fragrance, the “most complimented”, the “perfect” scent.
His view is simpler. The right fragrance is the one that feels right to you, in that moment.
A New Concept: An Indoor Perfume
One of my favourite moments was when we spoke about the idea of an indoor fragrance.
I mentioned something I’d read that he’d said about his grandfather having separate indoor and outdoor clothes, and asked if fragrance could work the same way.
He said yes, and that he’d actually created one for himself.
When you come home, shower, and settle in, you don’t necessarily want something loud or long-lasting. You might want something softer. Closer. More intimate.
Not shy, just… contained.
A fragrance for your own space rather than for everyone else.
It’s such a refined way of thinking about scent. Not just as something performative, but something that fits into your life, your rhythm, your mood.
More Than a Launch
What struck me most about the trip is how easily it could have stayed surface level.
Dior flew me to New York in incredible comfort. Everything was considered. The cars, the hotel, the views, the spa, the logistics. It was an amazing experience.
But what gave it real depth was the conversation.
Spending that time with Francis Kurkdjian, and having more of it than expected, changed everything. We spoke about J’adore Intense, but also about fragrance more broadly. Performance, meaning, confidence, identity.
Yes, I was in New York with Dior. Yes, it was luxurious. Yes, it was glamorous.
But what’s lasted is the idea that an unforgettable fragrance isn’t just one that lasts the longest.
It’s one that balances technical skill with something emotional. Something meaningful.
It leaves a trail, but more importantly, it leaves an impression.
Dior J’adore Intense is now out and available here.
