By Kilian is an eco-luxe parfum brand from Paris, created by Kilian Hennessy, grandson of the founder of the LVMH group. (The “H” in LVMH is Hennessy, the famed cognac-making family.)
Kilian Hennessy spent his childhood among the family’s wine cellars in Cognac. After graduating from a program in communications and language studies, where wrote a thesis on semantics of odors in the search for a common language between gods and mortals, Kilian went on to study with some of the greatest noses in perfumery, honing his craft creating perfumes for some of the top fashion brands in the industry.
In 2007, Kilian launched his own perfume house, in keeping with the family’s long tradition of producing luxury goods.
Collection L’oeuvre noire (“Black Masterpiece”) was first launched in 2007, with new fragrances added to the collection each year and a total of ten fragrances available so far.
Collection Arabian Nights, featuring oud-based fragrances with an oriental theme and a distinctive package, was launched in 2009 with Pure Oud. Two additional oud-based fragrances have since been added to the collection.
The company emphasizes ecology and sustainability through the use of refillable, reusable packaging. The perfumer’s forumlas are also available for each scent on the official website.
By Kilian has launched limited editions of several fragrances in the collection, in special luxury packaging. The brand also expanded its offering to include evening handbags in 2011.