High-end perfume brand By Kilian was launched recently at Capital Store. Regional Brand Manager, Nabil Belaich talks to Rekha Balakrishnan and Oommen John P about the brand and the aesthetics of luxury it embodies.
Can you tell us about the By Kilian brand?
In 2007, Kilian launched his own namesake brand with the ambition of reflecting not only his distinct personality, but also to achieve a perfect alliance between elegance and uncompromising luxury. His namesake brand includes more than 35 scents, spanning across different fragrance collections such as L’Œuvre Noire, In the Garden of Good & Evil and Addictive State of Mind; as well as a collection of unique compositions exclusive to the Kilian boutiques.
In addition to fragrances, Kilian introduced the first collection of scented jewellery in 2014 with the ambition to make perfume visible. In 2015, Kilian entered the field of olfactory interiors design with a collection of sophisticated decorative objects.
This year, Kilian embarks on a new olfactory journey with its latest fragrance Moonlight In Heaven.
The brand’s foray into Oman?
We are very excited to launch the brand in Oman. We already have a presence in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar and would be launching in Bahrain soon. Our Omani customers have been waiting for the introduction of our brand in Oman. It will be our pleasure to welcome them in our first counter in Capital Store, Ocean Mall in Al Qurum Area.
How is the brand performing in the Middle East region?
We have been performing very well since our launch in the Middle East region thanks to our partners. We are proud to be ranked high among total perfumes in our flagship outlets in UAE- Paris Gallery-Dubai Mall and Harvey Nichols-Mall of Emirates.
Kilian perceives perfume as an art. Can you elaborate on this?
Kilian’s ambition was indeed to go back to the truth about perfumes, back to the way perfumes were made in the late 19th and the early 20th century. If you go back to the 19th century, perfume bottles were very refined and a lot of thought went into making the elements artistic. Kilian decided to bring back the same concepts. The way the Kilian scents are created, designed and packaged is an art. We believe that luxury is in details and should not be disposable for the same reason. While perfume is an art, it also needs to have a conscience.
Can you tell us more about the collections that are available in the region?
We have six collections as part of the entire range. They are L’oeuvre Noire, Arabian Nights, Asian Tales, In the Garden of Good and Evil, Addictive State of Mind and Voulez-vous. Our latest launch is Moonlight in Heaven that has been on our counter in Capital Store recently.
There is a lot of emphasis on Middle Eastern scents…
Yes, two of our collections are indeed inspired by the Middle East olfactory world. What interested Kilian was to create a first collection called Arabian Nights which have been built around the reconstitution of the Bakhoor, the oud wood burning in the air.
Arabian Nights is composed of five perfumes built around essential oils which are meaningful in the region: oud, rose, incense, amber and musk.
We have launched as well a limited edition called Middle East Exclusive built around Arabian Nights olfactory compositions with a higher concentration in Oud.
The brand is well known for its Eco-Luxe philosophy. Can you tell us what it is all about?
The Eco-Luxe philosophy means for us that all our products should not be disposable and hence be reusable and refillable, therefore creating less waste for the planet. This catapulted the brand to the top of the fragrance market into a niche of its very own.
By Kilian was recently acquired by the Estee Lauder Group. Where does this take the brand?
We are very happy by this acquisition and it’s a great step forward for the brand. We are proud to work with Estee Lauder group who totally understood the philosophy behind our brand and have the resources and support to help By Kilian to strategically grow.
Kilian now has exclusive scented jewellery too. Can you tell us more about this concept?
In 2014, Kilian took the business to an entirely new level by creating a collection of scented jewellery. It allowed women and men to wear their favourite scent in a very different way. Cufflinks for men and wearable perfumes jewels are infused with a choice of Kilian’s unique fragrances.