Fashion designer Olivier Rousteing has collaborated with Johnnie Walker Vault to create a limited-edition whisky collection inspired by the seasons. The project, called "Couture Expression," involves four unique blends developed with Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker.
Olivier Rousteing, known for his work as Creative Director at Balmain, becomes the first cultural partner for Johnnie Walker Vault, a platform focusing on experiences and partnerships within the whisky world. The collaboration developed over more than 18 months.
The collection draws from a selection of Johnnie Walker's rare whiskies, including some from closed distilleries. Each blend corresponds to a season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, reflecting the cyclical nature of fashion calendars.
Spring features lighter, floral notes with whiskies like a Cragganmore 1985. Summer blends offer tropical fruit notes. Autumn incorporates smokier notes from whiskies like Port Ellen, while the Winter blend provides a warming profile.
Dr. Emma Walker noted that the same whiskies were sometimes used across multiple seasonal blends. She explained the process involved adjusting proportions and textures to achieve distinct flavor profiles for each expression.
Beyond the liquid, Olivier Rousteing designed the collection's presentation. The whiskies are presented in Baccarat crystal decanters, inspired by the original square bottle shape created by Alexander Walker.
Rousteing incorporated a metallic "draping" design onto each bottle, using gold, silver, rose gold, and black finishes to represent the seasons. He described the bottle design as creating structured armor wrapped like silk.
The "Couture Expression" collection is limited to 25 sets for each season. Pre-launch availability began May 5 at Harrods. The official launch is scheduled for May 26. Pricing for the collection is set at $20,000 per unit.
"I had the freedom to push the boundaries of bottle design, using the haute couture technique of draping to evoke the seasons in gold, silver, rose gold and metallic black," Olivier Rousteing said.
