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United States Karyn Khoury has made significant contributions to the global fragrance industry, transitioning from an assistant product manager to a Senior Vice President of Fragrance Development Worldwide at The Estée Lauder Companies.
Karyn Khoury built the fragrance DNA of the brand through her vision and creativity, working closely with perfumers. She played a significant role in developing iconic fragrances like Beautiful, Knowing, Pleasures (1996 FiFi Awards winner), The Private Collection (with Aerin Lauder), Sensuous line, Wood Mystique, and Amber Mystique, and Modern Muse (2016 FiFi Awards winner). She also worked directly with Mrs. Estée Lauder and later Leonard and Evelyn Lauder on new fragrance creations.
Karyn Khoury has been involved with the Tom Ford brand since its inception in 2007, working on fragrances such as Black Orchid, Grey Vetiver (2010 FiFi Awards winner), and the Private Blend Collection. She describes Tom Ford as deeply involved in the conceptualization and development process, highlighting his knowledge and vision for his brand's fragrances.
Karyn Khoury developed fragrances for Sean John, including Unforgivable Men and Unforgivable Women, and I Am King (2009 FiFi Awards winner).
Karyn Khoury developed the fragrance Calyx for Clinique.
Karyn Khoury developed the fragrance Be Delicious for DKNY.
Karyn Khoury developed fragrances for American Beauty, including Wonderful Indulgence and Beloved (2009 FiFi Awards winner).
Karyn Khoury developed Coach Signature and Coach Poppy fragrances.
Karyn Khoury developed Tommy and Tommy Girl fragrances for Tommy Hilfiger.
Karyn Khoury developed the Tory Burch Eau de Parfum.
Karyn Khoury developed the Dianoche Love fragrance for Daisy Fuentes, launched in 2009.
Karyn Khoury discussed the AERIN Collection and the creative process behind it during The Creatives event hosted by The Fragrance Foundation.
Karyn Khoury, a second-generation American of Syrian and Italian heritage, commenced her career in the fragrance industry at Norda, a company that later became part of Givaudan. After five years, she transitioned to The Estée Lauder Companies, initially serving as the manager for Aramis men’s brands. Her early tenure at Estée Lauder provided her with direct engagement with Mrs. Estée Lauder herself, and subsequently with Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, contributing to new fragrance creations and product developments. This period developed her foundational understanding of fragrance development within a major corporate structure.
Demonstrating consistent career growth and expertise, Khoury was appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Corporate Fragrance Development Worldwide in 1998, a position she held until her retirement on November 1, 2018. In this capacity, she played a central role in the development of numerous successful fragrances for various brands under The Estée Lauder Companies umbrella. Her work involved conceptualizing olfactory visions and collaborating with perfumers to bring these visions to fruition, rather than merely assigning projects. This approach emphasized a deep partnership with perfumers, ensuring that the brand’s perspective was integrated throughout the development process.
Throughout her distinguished career, Khoury contributed to the creation of several iconic fragrances, including Estée Lauder Beautiful, Knowing, and Pleasures, the latter earning a FiFi Award in 1996. She also oversaw development for ranges such as Estée Lauder Sensuous, Wood Mystique, and Amber Mystique. Her portfolio expanded to include collaborative projects with designers such as Tom Ford for Black Orchid and the Private Blend Collection, Sean John for Unforgivable Men and I Am King (a 2009 FiFi Awards winner), and Tommy Hilfiger for Tommy and Tommy Girl. Her efforts were recognized in 2012 when the Museum of Arts and Design honored her as one of the most influential fragrance developers of her generation at the Visionaries Gala and Awards Ceremony.
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