MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN PARIS
OUD VELVET MOOD, A SCENT THAT FEELS LIKE FABRIC
A noble ingredient among all, oud wood stands out as a true“ black gold” in perfumery, whose finest qualities reveal a multitude of nuances: smoky, animalic, honeyed, floral, or even fruity. In 2012, seduced by this untamed, precious, ambergris-like natural material, Francis Kurkdjian undertook to explore its infinite richness, trace out its sensual silhouettes, and unlock its secrets. He then introduced into the Maison’ s fragrance wardrobe an essence remarkable for its extraordinary olfactory properties: a distillation where every facet harmonises with the others, whether animalic, honeyed, floral, fruity, musky …
As a Parisian designer, his primary intention was to bring a new perspective to this iconic wood, symbolic in many Eastern cultures, by exploring its sensual yet rough facets. Just as patchouli, sandalwood, or vetiver did in their time, it now represents the tradition of French perfumery. Shaping these precious materials, being steered by a quest for harmony – this was Francis Kurkdjian’ s bold ambition for the OUD mood collection.
“ What fascinates me about oud wood is its history, its complexity, but also its rough, almost animal sensuality. These days, animalic notes like castoreum and civet have disappeared from our palettes.
Oud allows us to use an animalic facet that’ s becoming increasingly rare in modern perfumery.” Francis Kurkdjian
Showcasing his interest in the world of fashion, the perfumer and co-founder of the Maison drew inspiration from the textures of various fabrics to create unique expressions of oud. After the crisp, subtle glide of raw silk with OUD silk mood and the fluid sensuality of satin with OUD satin mood, Francis Kurkdjian now captures the carnal softness of velvet with OUD velvet mood, thus adding a new masterpiece to one of the Maison’ s emblematic collections.
THE ART OF LUXURY ISSUE 78 2026