John Stephen, born in rural England, studied chemistry at the University of Bath before turning his family's failed perfumery venture into The Cotswold Perfumery in Bourton-on-the-Water.
In 1999 he was commissioned to create two fragrances for Queen Elizabeth II, and he is known for creating fragrances for Czech & Speake and the entire first line of Boadicea The Victorious, for which he still oversees quality control and production. He is one of only six independent perfumers in the UK.
2008EnergizerBoadicea the Victorious
2008IntenseBoadicea the Victorious
2008ExplorerBoadicea the Victorious
2008AdventuressBoadicea the Victorious
2008InvigoratingBoadicea the Victorious
2008DelicateBoadicea the Victorious
2017ComplexBoadicea the Victorious
2020Gravitas Pour HommeNaughton & WilsonFragrances credited to John in our catalog, by house.
Boadicea the Victorious · 2017Complex744 ratings · ★ 3.7602Boadicea the Victorious · 2008Energizer675 ratings · ★ 4.1303Naughton & Wilson · 2020Gravitas Pour Homme334 ratings · ★ 4.2104Boadicea the Victorious · 2008Intense296 ratings · ★ 4.1005Boadicea the Victorious · 2008Explorer281 ratings · ★ 4.1106Boadicea the Victorious · 2008Adventuress227 ratings · ★ 3.75
Radiant luminosity and ethereal transparency. Kurkdjian's fragrances glow — they possess an inner light that makes them feel both airy and profound. His palette favors ambroxan, saffron, and delicate florals, composed with a musician's instinct for harmony.
234 creations
Refined elegance and measured sophistication. Polge's compositions for Chanel embodied the house's aesthetic — never too much, never too little, always precisely right. His fragrances have the quiet authority of impeccable tailoring.
76 creations
Noble materials and classical structure. Creed fragrances are built around the finest natural ingredients — ambergris, royal water, hand-selected musks — composed in the traditional infusion method that has defined the house for centuries.
54 creations
