Exclusive Interview with David Benedek, BDK

BDK Parfums is a house of fragrance creation inspired by the  Parisian origins of perfumery. Their seven distinct fragrances made from unique raw materials are all inspired by characters, movements and silhouettes, combining fantasy and reality. We sat down with their founder David Benedek to find out what inspired the brand and to hear this thoughts on the importance of fragrance…

  1. What initially inspired the creation of BDK Parfums?

BDK Parfums is inspired by the tradition of modern French perfumery. It comes from who I am and the city in which I grew up, Paris.

My passion for perfume comes from my childhood as I spent so much time in the perfumery shop of my parents. Then, when I graduated from French Institute of Fashion, I definitely thought I would want to express my vision of what can be alternative luxury perfumery today.

  1. What was the thought process behind the name of the brand?

BDK comes from my family name, Benedek. As the brand is really related to stories and words, I wanted to create a brand with an acronym. There are not so many brands with 3 letters so that makes us different. It’s sharp and modern.

  1. Which scent from the range have you fallen in love with?

Absolutely all of them, there are all very special to me. Each BDK creation is different but with the same signature. I have a special mention for Bouquet de Hongrie because it pays tribute to my roots and especially my grandmother Edith. Right now, I’m wearing Crème de cuir which is my latest creation.

 

  1. When did you discover your passion for fragrance?

When I was 8-10 years old I would say. I used to spend a lot of time in the bathroom of my grandmother. She used to have so many perfumes! Collectors ones I would say. She was the one who first taught me the history of perfume. I then researched, and when I graduated from Economics and I entered French Institute of Fashion, I understood clearly that this is what I wanted to do.

  1. What do you consider the most important aspect when it comes to choosing a personal fragrance?

Take your time first. A fragrance is something that will end up your silhouette or allure so it’s very important that you have to feel that the fragrance suits you perfectly.

A fragrance is something that will end up your silhouette or allure so it’s very important that you have to feel that the fragrance suits you perfectly. - David Benedek

  1. How long did it take you to create each of the BDK fragrances?

Depends. Some of them needed 3 months of work, other ones needed 1 or even 2 years!

It depends on the complexity of the formula, the raw material you use and the message you want to deliver!

  1. How do you think your fragrance background has influenced you when it came to creating BDK?

You know, I was really surrounded by perfumes since I was very young but that was in Paris. So I would say that I have a very French background. You can feel it in the BDK Parfums collection. The way we build our olfactory structure is triangular always with top, heart and back notes.

But now, I’m also interested in building more linear perfume, more round.

  1. How do you overcome the conflict between your own personal preference within scent creation and the tastes and preferences of the audience?

To be honest, BDK Parfums is a house of creation. We don’t do perfume to satisfy everyone’s opinion. We truly believe that by us proposing what we love that people will come to us.

When you talk creation, you always have to be loyal to who you are without forgetting people you have in front of you. It’s also about sharing our vision of perfumery to the rest of the world.

  1. What is on the horizon for BDK?

BDK Parfums is still a small independent maison for now. It has been 3 years since we launched the brand and day after day, there are always new challenges. It’s so exciting.

My dream would be that BDK Parfums keeps growing in the same way, always keeping in mind that we are here to propose beautiful creations. We hope we will open a boutique in Paris soon and we are launching two new perfumes next September and a new collection in 2020.

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