Killian Wells, CEO of Fragrance House Xyrena, Shares The Joy He Finds In His Corner Of The Internet
Here at Mozilla, we are the first to admit the internet isn’t perfect, but we are also quick to point out that the internet is pretty darn magical. The internet opens up doors and opportunities, allows for people to connect with others, and lets everyone find where they belong — their corners of the internet. We all have an internet story worth sharing. In My Corner of the Internet, we talk with people about the online spaces they can’t get enough of, what we should save in Pocket to read later and what sites and forums shaped them.
With Pride celebrations taking place throughout June, we’re featuring LGBTQ+ leaders this month as part of our My Corner of the Internet series. In the last installment, Killian Wells, CEO of the award-winning fragrance house Xyrena, talks about his love of nerd culture, launching a beauty brand website and Pocketing his favorite blogs.
What is your favorite corner of the internet?
I’m on Instagram a lot and love throwback accounts like @insta80s90s, @80_deco, @popculturedmemes, and @onlyninetieskidsknow.
What is an internet deep-dive that you can’t wait to jump back into?
A few times a year I fall down an internet rabbit hole of searching for synths/patches used on popular songs, particularly by my favorite producers, like Max Martin and Timbaland.
What is one tab on your browser you always regret closing?
As a film buff, I’m on IMDb a few times a day, especially when I’m watching a movie or show and need to know where else I’ve seen an actor that looks familiar. I’m on it so often that I’ve developed the very useless talent of being able to name the year a movie was released and its distributor.
Who is an LGBTQ+ person with a very online presence that is a role model for you?
I’m a huge fan of Jeremy Scott. I love his design aesthetic so much! I also saw his documentary a few years ago and really relate to his story in many ways.
What can you not stop talking about on the internet right now?
We just launched a brand-new site for Xyrena (xyrena.com), so I’m really excited about that. I’m pretty obsessed with the retro design.
What was the first online community that you engaged with?
I’m a big pop culture nerd and collect Funko Pops (the Ad Icons are my favorite) so as a teenager I connected with other funatics. My first business was actually selling Wacky Wobblers online and I got the chance to meet Funko’s founder, Mike Becker, and tour one of their original headquarters.
What articles and videos are in your Pocket waiting to be read/watched right now?
I keep my favorite blogs in my Pocket, like lunchmeatvhs.com and alternativemovieposters.com
If you could create your own corner of the internet, what would it look like?
It already exists at xyrena.com
Killian Wells is an Austin-based pop music artist/songwriter/producer turned perfumer and CEO of the award-winning fragrance house Xyrena. Dubbed ‘the bad boy perfumer’ and the ‘Damien Hirst of the perfume world’ by press and critics, Wells’ work is heavily influenced by pop culture from the 80s, 90s, and Y2K. Follow him on Instagram @KillianWells