Air France partners with Francis Kurkdjian to create signature lounge scent
Air France has collaborated with master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian to create its first signature scent designed for especially for airport lounges. Olivia Palamountain reports
Master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian has created Air France's first-ever home fragrance, AF001, now available in select Paris-Charles de Gaulle lounges.
The scent, featuring French mimosa, jasmine and rose notes, welcomes travellers in the lobby, lounge and La Première suites. The name AF001 references the airline's historic Concorde flights between New York and Paris.
"It was the illusion of a ray of sunshine on the wings of an aircraft that inspired me to create this light, fresh and comforting home fragrance," says Kurkdjian, who is also artistic director of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
The fragrance, developed over two years, completes Air France's sensory experience alongside its haute couture uniforms, cabin design, cuisine and music. The airline plans to extend the scent to other lounges worldwide in coming months.
"The Air France travel experience now elevates all five senses: sight, with the haute couture uniforms of our staff, our cabin interiors and the meticulous design of our lounges, taste with the delicious dishes on the menu on board, touch with the soft fabrics of our seats, sound with our playlists on board, and now smell with this prestigious signature fragrance", says Fabien Pelous, SVP customer experience at Air France.
Francis Kurkdjian created the iconic Le Mâle for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995, launching a career crafting fragrances for luxury houses including Guerlain, Dior and Burberry.
In 2001, he pioneered bespoke perfumery with his own workshop, later co-founding Maison Francis Kurkdjian in 2009. Now part of LVMH, his house operates in 800 locations across 60 countries. He serves as both Artistic Director of his eponymous house and Creative Director of Parfums Christian Dior.