Quick answers
Life and career
Kilian Hennessy was born in 1972 into a family whose name has meant luxury for more than two centuries. The Hennessy cognac house, founded in 1765 in Cognac (France), is part of his direct heritage. He grew up close to a culture of long time spans, precious raw material and the handing down of craft.
Before turning to perfume, he trained in olfactive creation and worked for several fashion and luxury brands, learning the codes of composition and distribution. The experience convinced him that there was room for a niche perfumery that fully embraced the language of luxury, in the object as much as in the juice.
In 2007 he launched his own house in Paris, By Kilian, with the collection L'Œuvre noire. The project paired sensual fragrances with careful presentation, heavy bottles and cases built to last and to be refilled. In 2016, The Estée Lauder Companies took a majority stake, and the house became Kilian Paris.
Creative direction
Kilian Hennessy's direction rests on one idea: a perfume is a complete luxury object, from the juice to the case. Early on he insisted on refillable bottles and presentation boxes conceived as collectibles, at a time when niche houses paid little attention to packaging. That care for the object became a signature.
On the olfactive side, he steered the house toward a gourmand, liquorous register fed by his spirits heritage: tobacco, honey, rum, coffee, cognac. He does not compose himself but leads the creation, which he entrusts to leading perfumers. Calice Becker wrote a major part of the catalog, alongside Sidonie Lancesseur and Alberto Morillas.
The perfume as a complete luxury object, from the liquorous juice to the precious case built to last.
Key characteristics
The house
By Kilian, today Kilian Paris, is the house Kilian Hennessy founded in 2007 in Paris (France). It became one of the references of gourmand niche perfumery, as much through its fragrances as through its care for the object.
Since 2016 the house has been majority-owned by The Estée Lauder Companies, which handles its international growth. Kilian Hennessy keeps the creative direction. The catalog stays faithful to its liquorous register, from the first fragrances of L'Œuvre noire to more recent releases.
Major creations
Under Kilian Hennessy's direction, the house's fragrances are entrusted to several noses. The following are reference compositions of the catalog.
| Year | Perfume | Perfumer | Olfactive family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cruel Intentions | Sidonie Lancesseur | Woody oud |
| 2007 | Straight to Heaven | Sidonie Lancesseur | Spicy woody |
| 2007 | Love Don't Be Shy | Calice Becker | Gourmand floral |
| 2009 | Back to Black | Calice Becker | Tobacco-honey oriental |
| 2012 | Good Girl Gone Bad | Alberto Morillas | Fruity floral |
| 2017 | Black Phantom | Sidonie Lancesseur | Coffee-rum gourmand |
| 2020 | Angels' Share | Benoît Lapouza | Cognac amber woody |
| 2021 | Apple Brandy on the Rocks | Sidonie Lancesseur | Fruity aromatic |