Inspired by the “wild” quality of water, particularly the water that’s found in the desert (the inspiration for the original Sauvage), Francis Kurkdjian has created ‘Eau Forte’ to not only push Sauvage forward but also change our idea of what a fresh cologne can smell like.
A world-renowned ‘nose’, Francis Kurkdjian took up his current position as the perfume creation director for Dior in 2021, but Dior Eau Forte was the first men’s fragrance he created for the house.
But, like Sauvage, Eau Forte is no ordinary cologne. It’s the first men’s designer fragrance to be made completely alcohol-free. For reference, most colognes on the market contain around 70 to 90 percent alcohol, into which fragrance is infused. Eau Forte, on the other hand, is made with innovative technology that allows for a water-based carrier, completely removing the need for alcohol.
The Sauvage DNA is still there, but it’s been manipulated into something modern and surprising. To hear Kurkdjian tell it, that’s the challenge of creating perfumes for such a storied house as Dior—walking the line between reinvention and don’t-mess-with-it success.
But he’s clearly up to the task. Perhaps no other perfumer in the world has such a deft hand and innovative flair, yet his respect for the past and what was created before him is clear.