Beauty Insides
Kilian Hennessy is a master of his craft, creating olfactory worlds with his luxurious perfumes. L’officiel Monaco spoke to him about the magic of composition and visionary steps.
You once said that perfumes are like a fingerprint of their time. What do you aim to express about the present?
It is difficult to define what you want to express when you are just experiencing it. I always work with the triangle of name, bottle and fragrance. These elements are interwoven and have to find each other. When Guerlain created
“Shalimar”, he invented the category “Oriental” at the same time. His vision was to express this emotion - from the bottle to the name. I also try to do this with my “Liquors Collection.” I use liqueurs as a muse, but always take a step back and see them as inspiration. After all, no one wants to smell like a drink. (laughs)
So you always think about marketing right away when you are in the creative process?
No, I try to capture the vibe of a mood, then I think about the name first. I think it’s like composing music. There are three to five ingredients that create an accord, and then I look around for the little notes that fall in love with each other.
Let’s talk about your latest perfumes. What was the inspiration for “Apple Brandy” and “L’heure Verte”, dedicated to New York and Paris?
“L’heure Verte” is reminiscent of the “Parisian Happy Hour” at the beginning of the 20th century, when Picasso and Verlaine dived into their “artificial paradises.” “Apple Brandy” is contemporary and was created for my New York store ten years ago. However, the perfume was hard to wear, so I domesticated it by adding the “On the Rocks” facet with cardamom, pineapple and bergamot.
How do current affairs influence your creative process?
I can reveal that: I was in an aeroplane lavatory last year and nearly showered myself with “Eau Dynamisante” by Clarins. In the process, I thought I would use it like those people who have been using an Eau de Cologne with its high alcohol content for centuries to protect themselves from illness and against bad gossip. I’ve been working on an Eau de Cologne on and off for years, but never pushed the development. When I got off the plane, I knew I had to launch it as soon as possible. It’s coming in April 2022 and will be called “Kologne by Kilian Shield of Protection”.