Kilian

The black lacquered case on the Killian retail shelf costs more to produce than most of the liquid inside it. That is intentional, the customer is meant to keep the case forever. Killian Hennessy, an heir to the Hennessy Cognac dynasty, founded by Killian. In 2007 as a luxury fragrance line, specifically engineered to be refilled rather than replaced. Each launch arrived in a heavy black lacquered case and glass bottle designed to resemble a piece of jewellery or a decorative object. The refill system came as a separate skew, usually priced around 30% below the original bottle and customers were expected to hold the case for life and return for the refill every 12 to 18 months. Estee Lauder acquired the brand in 2021 for an undisclosed amount widely reported at or above $250 million.