Kilian Hennessy, grandson of the founder of the Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Group.
Kilian Hennessy grew up with luxury in his blood, so to speak. The grandson of the founder of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Group, he also is heir to a long line of Cognac makers and spent much of his childhood learning about the aging process in Cognac making. But it was his experience training with some of the greatest noses in perfumery and later working in fragrance marketing for big-name luxury houses like Dior, Paco Rabanne and Giorgio Armani that finally inspired him to break out on his own and create a namesake collection of fragrances, By Kilian. "I wanted to put perfume back on the pedestal where it used to be," says Hennessy. "I wanted to do it as it was done 50 years ago when perfume was the ultimate luxury product."
And so the six fragrances he is launching this month will each come in a black lacquered wooden box with Greek-inspired engraving and a black tassel. Further, each fragrance — there are two women's, two men's and two unisex — will tell an intriguing story. L'Oeuvre Noire was conceived, says Hennessy, with Faust in mind and was inspired as well by the poetry of Baudelaire and the lyrics of rappers like 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. Each fragrance boasts a blend of unique notes. Paradis Artificiels has hints of absinthe, and Don't Be Shy contains notes of marshmallow and orange flower.