Photography courtesy of Sébastien Soriano/FigaroPhoto
You’d think being born into the lap of luxury would encourage indolence, but that’s not the case for Kilian Hennessy, whose grandfather founded LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton—the international group that now boasts more than 60 prestigious brands. After studying at the Sorbonne in Paris and working for the prominent perfume houses of Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, and Giorgio Armani, Hennessy developed his own collection of fragrances. He debuts his brand, By Kilian, with appearances September 14 and 15 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Plaza Frontenac, the first Missouri store to carry his line.
Were you always drawn to the world of perfumery?
Not at all. At first, I thought I would go work in the cognac family business like my father, and his father before him.
Do you remember what first made you fall in love with it?
Oh yes! When I started writing my thesis about the semantics of scents, I did a “nose” school at Sorbonne to understand what I would be writing about. When I started smelling essential oils, I knew instantly that perfume would become my craft. It’s close enough to cognac to be familiar, but far enough to be free.
What was the biggest challenge in creating this collection?
Creating scents that would smell like haute parfumerie, but that would also smell contemporary—all while expressing the story told by the name of the scent. A complicated triptych to achieve.
You’ve selected only a handful of markets in the U.S. to offer your brand. Why St. Louis?
With my collections currently available in exclusive, handpicked stores on the West Coast, East Coast, Southeast, and Southwest, I have been eager to launch into the Midwest. I am finally able to this September with St. Louis and Chicago. I feel there is a sophisticated clientele there that will understand and appreciate my array of fragrances.
