The Spectacular Atelier of Fashion and Whisky, Made To Measure

An atelier is where the very pinnacle of artistry meets. The spaces where the greatest skill meets the most magnificent talent. The true craft that only comes with exceptional knowledge and unique creativity. Where allure, workmanship, and individuality meet. A fusion that is as rare as it is beautifully magnificent. So what happens when two individual Ateliers meet and create together? Find out more in The Spectacular Atelier of Fashion and Whisky Made To Measure

All photos with thanks, Johnnie Walker

The rarest of all that is beautiful often comes with a strong narrative highlighting its depth, beauty and value. Take, for example, the rarest silk, often called sea silk, obtained from the noble pen shell.

Fan mussel, Pinna nobilis, in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow

This silk, produced by a gland in the mollusc’s foot, is used to attach itself to the seabed. It’s known for its extreme fineness and strength, and when treated with lemon juice, it turns a beautiful golden colour, which does not fade.

Extremely difficult to obtain and with a limited supply, sea silk is incredibly rare, fine, beautiful and valuable. Similarly, in perfumery, rare ingredients like Oud, at its best, only come from India, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and when blended with expert hands, bring exquisite perfumery to us.

And just like the above, the best whisky in the world is known to come from Scotland, which is home to 151 licensed Scotch whisky distilleries, making it the greatest concentration of whisky production in the world.

But the beauty of the best ingredients needs to be in the best hands. When it comes to luxurious fabrics, they long to be in the hands of a great couturier. Whereas the raw materials for whiskey should only be handled by a master blender.

Deep in the vaults in the Scottish home of Johnnie Walker, find a library with rare, made-to-measure elixirs, brought together with high-octane couture vision.

Launched earlier this year, the world’s leading Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker, opened The Vault, a new global luxury platform grounded in blending artistry. It unites bespoke blends, luxurious experiences and collaborations with cultural icons, all under one visionary banner.    Available from early May, Couture Expression is the first limited-edition release for Johnnie Walker Vault.

Master Blender, Dr. Emma Walker, has used her craft of storytelling through whisky to capture personal stories and passions and used them to create unique blends. They showcase the blending artistry at the heart of Johnnie Walker, the highest skill, craft and creativity.

Dr. Walker drew inspiration from the world of high fashion, the collection elevates the blending artistry into new dimensions through a seasonal interpretation, setting a new standard of luxury whisky creation. The catwalks of the whisky world, if you like.

From a selection of 500 whiskies from rare, aged and ghost casks (think of these as rare as the finest silk or exquisite Oud), she has showcased the very best of the 10 million casks of Scotch available. All this magic was explored and created inside Johnnie Walker Vault: an exclusive atelier concealed under Edinburgh’s Princes Street.

As of today, Johnnie Walker has announced acclaimed French couture designer Olivier Rousteing as the first cultural partner under the Johnnie Walker Vault platform.

For the collection, Rousteing applied a similar process of creation and structure as he would his Couture work, exploring a fusion of his cultures and narratives through the lens of both the liquid storytelling created by Walker and the exterior bottle designed alongside the iconic French house of Baccarat. 

“Pushing boundaries through blending artistry has always been at the heart of my work, and opening the doors of the Johnnie Walker Vault to welcome such a progressive, creative talent of Olivier’s magnitude has been something that will stay with me forever.” 

Master Blender, Dr. Emma Walker. 

This launch brings together two creatives at the height of their craft, each renowned for pushing the boundaries of their art. In the hidden atelier, both collaborated to craft and design a collection of four blends. Echoing the seasonality of the fashion season, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, four distinct blends were crafted. All four begin with the same luxurious ‘heart’, including ghost whiskies from Brora and Port Dundas, setting a marker for the rarity of the collection.

“This has been an emotional journey. What started as a collaboration to create one special release became a creative exploration of four seasons, just like a couture collection. For me, the seasons bring different energy and emotions – the feeling of rebirth in Spring, the hazy freedom of Summer, the self-reflection of Fall and the cosiness of home and family in Winter – that Emma so beautifully captured in the collection.”

Olivier Rousteing.

Starting with Spring, which is refreshing and floral, blossom, berries, and freshly cut grass. The season itself, a celebration of renewal and transformation. The lighter, brighter days echoed here with luminosity drawn from a selection of rare whiskies, including a 1985 Cragganmore (think fruity, apple, pear, peach), a rarely seen 1977 Caledonian and minerality from a treasured 1978 Port Ellen. 

When Summer arrives, think vibrancy, think golden sands and tropical fruits. This one comes from a selection of rare whiskies, including an experimental Cardhu Wine Cask Finish, and a 1990 Clynelish wrapped in the richness of light spice and soft honey from 1988 Benrinnes. 

For Autumn, think texture and bold. The russet tones of a low sun, it’s cooler when we all begin to turn towards home, notes of smoke, spice, and tonka linger in the air. A time of self-reflection, well-kept and the relentless pursuit of excellence, this expression features an experimental Teaninich chocolate malt, layered with smoke from the 1978 Port Ellen. 

Finally Winter. A time for depth and contemplation. Reflecting ‘coming home’ and the warmth of sharing time and moments with family and friends. The cold of the outdoors, the warmth of the fire indoors, which wafts with oak, baked strudel and a mandarin campfire. The richest of the four, dialling up Islay malts from Port Ellen and Brora with a mulled wine, sweetness from the 1988 Benrinnes. 

Each blend is designed to evoke the sensorial profile of its season, no matter where you are in the world or when you drink it. The four are an innovative fusion of creative minds, exploring each other’s creativity over the course of 12 months, and where Dr Walker translated Rousteing’s personal narrative into four sensorial journeys through flavour and time.  

 “Olivier brought an emotional language to the blending creation, and we worked together to explore what whisky can express – technically, sensorially and artistically. We deliberately chose to use the same whiskies across several of the seasons, playing with proportions, textures and seasonal notes to create four distinct expressions of whiskies”

Dr Emma Walker

Now, as for the visual expression, the dressing, if you like, Rousteing showed off more artistry, after all, it’s his most natural arena. The decanter design poetically explores the beauty of contrast and precious materials.

In a collision of styles, as an almost physical expression of the two worlds of the creatives’ meetings, the purity of crystal is met with opulent metallic draping; liquid meets form.   

Each expressive blend, not just treasured, but housed, in a square crystal decanter handcrafted by artisans from the renowned French luxury house Baccarat. It pays homage to the bottle by Alexander Walker (son of John Walker) in the late 1800s.

But again, to bring two into one, each decanter is wrapped in its own metallic coat. Rose for Spring, Silver for Summer, Golden hues for an autumnal reference and finally black for winter.

“I was really given the freedom to push boundaries with the bottle design, using the couture technique of drapé to capture the seasons in gold, silver, rose gold and metallic black. I wanted to create a structured armour reflecting strength and perseverance, but for it to be swathed like silk to bring softness and reveal the beautiful liquid inside. I hope these bottles will remain as pieces of art in the legacy of Johnnie Walker Vault“.

Olivier Rousteing.  

Finally, each bottle is topped off with a sculptural wing stopper, the creative director’s articulation of the Johnnie Walker, the man on the front of the bottle and its ‘Keep Walking’ ethos ( about moving all of us forward, to a world where everyone is accepted, welcomed and celebrated) evolved into flight. Having had a haunting childhood, with adversity, injury and pain, the winged stopper sits as a rebirth, a sense of the phoenix rising from the ashes.

A year-long series of dialogues between two creatives at the pinnacle of their respective careers, Walker and Rousteing found commonality of creation and artistry, pushing each other’s understanding; the exacting detail and workmanship that is the hallmark of blending and couture.

To celebrate the collaboration and the release of Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression, an exclusive launch event will be held in New York City on 3 May, bringing together leading voices across design, fashion, and whisky. 

 Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression will pre-launch at Harrods from 5th May 2025, including the full collection of decanters numbered ‘1’. Recommended retail price: £16,000 each, launching globally from 26th May with only 25 bottles of each season available worldwide. For more info, please visit johnniewalker.com/en-gb/vault.    baccarat.com instagram.com/baccarat  

If you enjoyed reading, then why not read Irresistible Energy, Why The Brick Lane Jazz Festival is a Must. Here

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