Brand Deep Dive: Kilian Paris
Founded in 2015 and dubbed as one of the most iconic niche perfumeries of our time, Kilian is the eponymous brand of Kilian Hennessy, grandson of the founder of one of LVMH’s premier liquors and the “H” of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy conglomerate.
There's a quote by Mozart. When someone asked him what his creative process was, he said, “I look for little notes that love each other.” And we go exactly the same way about perfume. - Kilian Hennessy
The Founder
Born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France in 1972, Kilian Hennessy grew up surrounded by the makings of cognac and his family’s business but remained curious of his interests outside of the alcohol industry. While studying at Celia Sorbonne University, Kilian discovered his infatuation with fragrance as a part of his thesis, which enabled him to link the semiology of cognac to fragrance. From here, Hennessy went on to the Cinquième Sens perfumery school to perfect his art and eventually went to work in the fragrance industry for 11 years for the likes of LVMH, Gucci, and L’Oreal before starting his own brand. Inspiration for launching his own label stemmed from a growing discontent with the fragrance industry’s modus operandi of the 2000’s and the desire to bring timeless luxury, heritage, and emotions to the consumer in renewed way. While Kilian still runs the brand today, he sold his namesake in 2016 to beauty conglomerate Estee Lauder, which also owns fragrances from Frèdèric Malle, Jo Malone, Le Labo, Aerin, and Tom Ford.
The Brand
Founded in 2007 at 34 years old, Kilian developed the brand as a response to the gradual dissolution of fragrance as a craft and a pointed thesis on where he wanted the industry to go. The brand’s thesis remains seeing fragrance as “a semantics of odors, in search for a common language between gods and mortals.” All Kilian fragrances contain a few similarities — they are all unisex, developed to translate and evoke a particular emotion, and inspired by the founder’s own personal memories.
Today, Kilian produces over 34 fragrances across five olfactive families — The Liquors, The Fresh, The Narcotics, The Cellars, and The Smokes. The Liquors are most closely tied to his cognac heritage, and what Kilian often describes as the easiest of translations as cocktails and perfume share many ingredients. The Fresh embody citrus and aquatic notes, while The Narcotics delve into the provocativeness of more poisonous and sensual flowers. Lastly, The Cellars focus on wood notes while The Smokes encapsulate the embers of incenses and bakhoor, Arabian wood chips familiar from my own childhood. Each of these families serves as a different arsenal of sorts that endorses the various multitudes of one’s personality.
Moving forward, Kilian continues to grow the brand through principles of iconic, emotion-based, and luxurious craft. Kilian is also one of the contemporary ateliers focused on eco-luxury, where sustainability is a core tenet of operations. All boxes, bows, and silk are made from recycled fibers, while all glass bottles contain 20% recycled glass and are re-fillable at a By Kilian location.
Top Sellers
Love, Don’t Be Shy (Rihanna’s favorite)
Angels’ Share (my favorite)
Good Girl Gone Bad (ironic it’s not Rihanna’s favorite)
Sources: Kilian, L’Officiel, Icon-Icon, Grazia Magazine, Scentury
