FRANCIS Kurkdjian, Dior Perfume Creation Director, doesn’t just compose fragrance; he scripts desire in liquid form. For Dior’s J’adore Intense, he turns his gaze toward Rihanna – muse (to many), attention magnet and modern myth – and distills her into a sun-drenched, honeyed bloom that feels both decadent and disarmingly immediate.
Here, Kurkdjian speaks to the tension between precision and instinct, legacy and liberation, crafting fragrance as both armour and adornment for a generation unafraid to feel everything, all at once.
J’adore Intense. Photograph: Christian Dior Parfums
Where did you draw the inspiration to create J’adore Intense?
After L’or de J’adore, which embodied radiance and power like an ode to the J’adore flowers, I wanted to create a warm and voluptuous, equally modern new fragrance that would offer a new smooth, rounded, blossoming sensuality that is felt immediately. I was guided by this notion of softness blending with seduction, in the purest spirit of J’adore and its original promise, which let’s not forget, was to dare to surrender to pleasure!
What did you want to express in this new version of J’adore’s floral bouquet?
I wanted to create a very tangible expression of confident, generous and radiant beauty. J’adore Intense is luminous and fruity. It is a warm perfume. To achieve the intended result, I wanted to somehow add “curves” and “shape” to J’adore, “rounding” it out for a voluptuous and sexy feel.
Did you follow the same process as usual to create this fragrance?
Yes, I needed to begin with a story in order to find the corresponding olfactory accords, which then illustrate and convey the narrative. For J’adore Intense, the quest for smooth sensuality served as the starting point – not to tell the story, but to symbolize the silhouette and the allure of a triumphantly feminine woman.
You are in the habit of saying that you are never inspired by any particular woman. What happened to make you change your mind for J’adore Intense?
I was absolutely captivated by the vision of Rihanna sashaying down the corridors of Versailles – that definitely inspired me! It was a complete departure from the previous imagery. Anyway, I felt the desire to celebrate a liberated, curvaceous, ultra-feminine and confident icon. This J’adore Intense needed a narrow waist, full hips and hold her head high!
J’adore Intense. Photographs: Christian Dior Parfums
Can you explain why you embraced heightened femininity for the J’adore Intense composition?
Today women are also embracing heightened femininity. And this image of bold, unapologetic femininity does not undermine power or independence in any way. Looking seductive and being independent, which were previously seen as opposing qualities, are now seen as compatible in real life. Today, women can be liberated and sensual – and this J’adore Intense is dedicated to them.
Have you moved away from the original spirit of the J’adore woman?
Yes and no… The J’adore woman has always been powerful, she always stood alone, without the need for a man by her side. So from that point of view I imagined her as equally independent and decisive. But in relation to L’or de J’adore, which was my first creation, I wanted the fragrance to be more voluptuous, confident, playful and sensual. And that is where the resemblance to Rihanna comes in, as she manages to be an absolute star without being distant or haughty. She is a living paradox – the embodiment of an icon.
Was Rihanna a source of inspiration?
Rihanna is naturally inspiring and intense! She represents so many things, including a diversity which no longer even needs to be proclaimed. Rihanna simply “is”. I was interested in composing a J’adore that would succeed Charlize Theron’s era, without erasing it. The two are complementary. In this way, the Eau de Parfum coexists with its new Intense version.
Charlize is an icon of perfection, like a revered goddess. Rihanna is a pop star who captivates her audience, addressing a mesmerised crowd from the stage. She embodies a very different type of femininity, bold enough to do anything – even sing pregnant at the Superbowl wearing a red jumpsuit designed by JW Anderson! It was this aspect of her femininity that inspired me. She is bold, playful, both human and a star.
J’adore Intense. Photograph: Christian Dior Parfums
How did you convey that warm, sunkissed, seductive appeal in J’adore Intense?
I wanted the scent to feel as though it was “melting” into the skin, enveloping it in a honeyed, floral nectar. The idea of “peak floral” emerged, as though I wanted to push J’adore’s floral bouquet to unprecedented, fruity and sensory extremes. Firstly by blending the warm, syrupy fruity facets of the J’adore flowers in a completely new way, in order to bring out a sort of “gourmand glow”, with a sunkissed, seductive and enveloping warmth, and then by enhancing the concentration to achieve an ideal olfactory form, in a radiant and persistent fragrance trail.
How did you obtain this floral nectar?
I worked on J’adore’s floral facets, intensifying them to the point of saturation and bringing them to their floral peak – which is the ultimate stage, when they reach a sort of chromatic perfection just before they transform into fruit. I wanted to capture that fleeting instant of floral and chromatic “intensity”. J’adore therefore reaches its peak, like the flowers when they are in full bloom, brimming with nectar and vibrantly colourful. In that very moment of ultimate olfactory expression, I imagine them releasing an irresistible and addictive floral honey.
J’adore Intense. Photograph: Christian Dior Parfums
Which notes did you celebrate in particular?
I worked on the emblematic J’adore flowers in order to heighten these new, warm and fruity facets. The flowers are “tinged” with fruit: Jasmine takes on the orangey hue of a juicy apricot, Rose turns into the softest velvety caress imbued with sweet, almost honeyed notes. Ylang Ylang, which is a more classic, traditional perfumery flower, is striking at first, and then reveals a modern fruity twist. I also wanted to introduce new lactone notes for an enveloping milky velvety feel and an addictive softness, alongside a discreet touch of tuberose and violet.
Are intense and gourmand notes synonymous with a heavy cloying effect?
Absolutely not! J’adore Intense is an enveloping fragrance, but one that remains luminous, addictive and effortlessly spontaneous. The soft sandalwood base is rounded out by a subtle milky aspect, without overwhelming dry woody or cloying notes. In the same way, the “vanilla” note is present but is discreet rather than sugary. The aim was to achieve a balance between mouthwatering notes, enveloping softness and a fragrance that remains true to the floral bouquet.
What is unique about this new J’adore Intense compared to other variations in the J’adore fragrance range?
The Eau de Parfum is a cornerstone, and it has stood the test of time to become a classic, with a unique position in the history of perfumery. It is characterized by a fresh floral scent. With L’or de J’adore, I wanted to heighten the flowers in the bouquet, define them and zoom in on them to express a culminating point never previously reached. Today, with J’adore Intense, I wanted to highlight the current trend for sensual pleasure, with a warm and seductive J’adore that offers an absolutely striking fragrance. It is a J’adore for a new era, that risks making a change.
J’adore Intense. Photograph: Christian Dior Parfums
Did you test it to confirm whether it appealed to the young generation?
Creation is about intuition, leaning in and capturing the zeitgeist. Testing a perfume means asking an audience for approval – but no test can ever predict their response. J’adore Intense was born from a desire and a vision. It is a risk, the dice are cast – that is how perfumes are created at Dior. It is a bold proposition that relies on my intuition, my desires and the zeitgeist!
What can you tell us about sourcing the raw materials for J’adore?
In terms of sustainability, ethics and compliance, my answer applies to all Dior perfumes, not just J’adore. The raw materials in Dior Perfumes receive our full attention. They have to be exceptionally high quality of course, but that’s not all. We are also particularly careful that they are grown in ethical conditions. We are actively dedicated to developing long-term partnerships with suppliers based on rigorous environmental and social criteria. And that applies wherever we source our ingredients.
We are committed to high standards in ethical labor practices, as seen in Grasse, where over the past 20 years we have been developing exclusive and exemplary partnerships with many fragrance flower producers. Our continued quest to seek out quality, to protect the environment and to improve social conditions is a central concern for us. These three inseparable values guide us as we continue our challenging journey towards responsible luxury, with perseverance and humility.
by Imogen Clark
J’adore Intense Parfum, £112 for 50ml, dior.com