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How many Armenian perfumes or perfumers do you happen to know? A couple probably. What if we say there are way more than a couple of Armenian perfumers and Armenian perfumes in the world. History has taken us apart from being located in one country but it has never stopped us from being who we are and what amazing Armenian genes and nose we have (in a good sense). For this year’s International Perfume Day, I-AM.AM team has made a research on Armenian perfumes and perfumers and compiled a list for your reference. Let’s dive into the Armenian smells that have made many fall in love with Armenia and Armenian-owned brands.
“Each woman and man can express part of themselves through perfume”. – Francis Kurkdjian
Indeed, wearing a perfume that suits you makes you feel confident, makes you walk into the room with a raised head, and makes you feel you can conquer the world. Maison Francis Kurkdjian has been co-founded in 2009 by Francis Kurkdjian, and Marc Chaya, Co-founder and President of the fragrance house. But, the perfumer’s skills of Francis Kurkjian are going way back to these years of working with famous Jean Paul Gaultier. He didn’t stop by considering his promising career enough at that stage and challenged himself to explore new possibilities.
In 2011, Armenian perfumer Francis Kurkdjian opened his tailor-made perfume workshop. At 30, right before opening Maison Francis Kurkjian, Francis Kurkdjian was named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2008. In 2021, the famous house of Christian Dior invited Francis to become the director of the perfume creation.
“The first Armenian perfumes with French traditions”. – The slogan of the brand
Why do you think each perfume is unique, they all smell different and are different from many others? It is because each international and/ or Armenian perfumer is trying to tell a story that will curate the perfume and help men and women to tell theirs when wearing them. Arman Manoukian Perfumer as any other perfumers need revelation. That’s why each perfume and perfumers create their unique line of story/ perfume line that tells their own story.
All Arman Manoukian fragrances use rare components of endemic plants of the Armenian highlands, as well as high-quality ingredients of major world leaders in the perfume industry. The Arman Manoukian brand creates authentic limited edition fragrances. The Armenian perfume brand Arman Manoukian has been founded in 2014 by Arman Manoukian who at the age of 10 could already remember around 60 smells. The brand is famous for its collection of 7 signs of 7 fragrances, which he used in 2014 to come to the public. The brand Arman Manoukian is known as the first Armenian perfumes created in Armenia.
One of the recent Armenian perfumes made in Armenia is Voskanian Perfumes, which was created in 2018 by Armenian perfumer Tsovak Voskanian. Armenian nature and highlands are an inspiration for this young Armenian perfumer as well. Tsovak created the oils himself by mixing Armenian herbs and natural products. The young perfumer has created three debut fragrances of Voskanian Parfums: Beyond Good and Evil, The Wanderer, and His ShadowandEcce Homo.
The bottles of Voskanian Parfums are hand-made from volcanic obsidian and polished to have a unique design. They are presented in limited amounts of 100 bottles of each perfume.
When the story and family traditions are being passed through generations. The story of Jamharian family is starting in the 1700s, by passing it from father to son.
In the village Soghomon in Western Armenia, there was a man called Vartan, the bell-ringer of the church, which is why he was called bell-ringer (jamhar) Vartan. Vartan was cultivating rosemary, which he used for obtaining modern-day incense to be smoked in churches. Being in love with his work, he cultivated fragrant flowers and plants and obtained essential oils from them. Vartan and his work were so popular that people from distant villages and regions would attend St. Hakob church to personally communicate with Vartan and acquire the essential oils he made. Initially, Vartan was presenting the oils to the church, the believers’ community, his friends, and acquaintances. Simultaneously, Samvel acquired flowers and plants from caravans coming from the west and the east, which allowed to expand the range of the products. The products made by bell-ringer (jamhar) Vartan were called “Jamharian’s assortment,” which is now renamed to “Jamharian Collection.” After a while, Samvel started traveling with the caravans and established numerous partnerships in the east and the west. He aimed to sell more and more products in the local markets and to spread all over the Arab world, in Iran and in Europe through caravans.
Everybody knows that crafts had no place in the Soviet Union, which is why the ancestral craft of the Jamharians was forgotten. And only 100 years later, nine generations after bell-ringer or jamhar Vartan, Vartan Jamharian, and Muhammad Al Attar combined their efforts, thoughts, and purpose to establish a branch of Al Attar Parfume in Armenia. They undertook a mission to create a range of quality perfumes, combining Eastern and Western fragrances. They used the same components with which ringer Vartan perhaps did the first steps in the history of the creation of the first Armenian perfume. Jamharian Collection includes natural oils and fragrances from rosemary, geranium, mountain lavender, hyacinth and Alashkert rose petals. This is the story of Jamharian Perfumes.
Lusin is a new scent and new to the Armenian perfumers list. Lusin perfumes are unique by allowing customers to have their names or pictures printer on the bottles of the perfumes that want to purchase. Lusin – bears your name. All the ingredients are natural and last for about 8 hours after spraying them.
For a small country like Armenia, it is an honor to have Armenian perfumers that are known worldwide. From Mason Francais Kurkdjian to Jamharian and Voskanian houses Armenian perfumes are as unique as we all Armenians are. By curating the unique smells that can change the mood and make one feel more confident perfumes have been scientifically proven to be the most effective way of reaching one’s heart. In the end, we would like to bring a quote from a famous perfumer Christian Dior, even though in his quote he speaks about women, we are sure it applies to both women and men.
“Perfume is a mark of female identity and a final touch of her style” Christian Dior
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What? Cecile Zaroukian is a very known perfumer? And she is not in the list.
Thank dear Elen for your feedback. We will definitely dedicate an article for her in the future! )))
Great way to find 9ut about Armenian perfumers
Thank you for the positive feedback!