Maison Francis Kurkdjian Launches $28,000 Fragrance

This headline is not an error. Fragrance house Maison Francis Kurkdjian is rolling out a limited release at a $28,000 price point.

Touted as “the most precious interpretation of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540,” the Édition Millésime will debut this month and be released as only 54 limited edition pieces per year.

Each piece is handcrafted with over 500 hours of work per piece, said the LVMH-owned company.

According to the Maison:

• Édition Millésime is a new olfactory creation and the embodiment of luxury in perfumery. The latest masterpiece between Baccarat and Maison Francis Kurkdjian, 10 years after the release of the celebrated icon Baccarat Rouge 540.
  
• Édition Millésime maintains the inimitable signature of Baccarat Rouge 540, but has been enriched with an unprecedented concentration of ambergris, a rare and enigmatic raw material and the fragrance is refined to the extreme.
  
• Owning Baccarat Rouge 540 Édition Millésime means having access to a unique and exclusive fragrance for years to come. Only the Édition Millésime clients may purchase fragrance refills.
  
• Édition Millésime is the embodiment of French know how and fine craftsmanship. Each year, only 54 pieces will be available. Every year for the next 10 years Maison Francis Kurkdjian will offer 54 limited edition pieces, until they reach 540.

Crystal Craftmanship

• The Crystal Base: The ‘Empreinte’ (crystal base) is composed of 8 crystal clear columns, forming a perfect square, the signature shape of the Maison. It symbolizes the birth of the red crystal, with the red bottle emerging between the 8 columns. It is designed as an exquisite display to showcase the precious red crystal fragrance bottle. Hand-crafted by top craftsmen in Baccarat, France, this exceptional piece requires 500 working hours. 19 craftsmen work together, one after the other, twelve craftsmen for a bottle, seven craftsmen for an ‘Empreinte’ (crystal base).
  
• The Red Crystal Bottle: The red crystal bottle of Rouge Édition Millésime has been developed with a spray. This ambitious project required two years of development to combine tradition and modernity. (Historically, crystal perfume bottles have an open neck with an emery cap. This traditional technique limits these bottles to domestic use, as they are not watertight and are not practical for perfuming). A first for Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and an innovative object for the perfume world.
  
• The crystal base and red crystal bottle are designed by Fred Rawyler, friend of Maison Francis Kurkdjian and renowned artistic director, who created the original signature square-shaped bottles of the Maison in 2009.

A Touch of France

• Transported in a handmade square, spruce wood box, with an intentionally raw exterior. This design is inspired by Baccarat’s pinewood cases, which have been used since the 1950s to transport chandeliers and vases. Each box is produced near Paris and takes 8 people more than 8 hours to produce 1 box.
  
• Once opened, the box transforms into a refined case with a white taurillon leather interior with beveled mirrors and a draw to hold the accessories.
  
• To protect the red crystal bottle, Édition Millésime also includes a hand-stitched leather sleeve made from the finest lambskin.
  
• It is handcrafted at Atelier Renard, a Parisian leather goods workshop dear to the Maison.

What’s Included?

• Empreinte – Crystal Base
• Red crystal bottle of Édition Millésime
• Handmade spruce wood transportation box
• Hand-stitched leather sleeve to protect fragrance bottle
• Each set contains a 200ml glass bottle of Édition Millésime, a glass funnel and a branded spout to fix on the refill bottle.
• Joining the very exclusive members’ club ‘Les amis du Rouge’ with an exclusive card, and a specific ownership title.
• Membership entitles to purchase refills of the Édition Millésime over the years, to unlock exclusive digital content, including the digital certificate of authenticity (DPP, Digital Product Passport) for each Rouge Edition Millésime and to be invited to special events of the Maison such as Rouge dinners, art installations and major receptions.
• Membership also means having access to a dedicated after-sale service to provide all the services needed after receiving their piece at home.

About the Brand

Maison Francis Kurkdjian is a French fragrance house co-created by renowned perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya, CEO. Maison Francis Kurkdjian was born in 2009 and its collection is sketched like a fragrance wardrobe and designed in the tradition of luxury French perfumery. Each scent advocates a contemporary vision of the art of creating and wearing perfume.