Johnnie Walker and Olivier Rousteing team up on $20,000 whiskies

Diageo's new global luxury platform, Johnnie Walker Vault, has launched a collection of couture whiskies with French fashion designer Olivier Rousteing.

Johnnie Walker Vault has unveiled the first release of a two-part collaboration with Rousteing, who is the creative director of Balmain, following the luxury platform's launch last month (March). In addition to his role at the fashion house, Rousteing has previously collaborated with Porsche and Jean Paul Gaultier and ventured into film with his Netflix documentary Wonder Boy. Julie Bramham, managing director of Diageo Luxury Group, said: "Johnnie Walker Vault is allowing us to make our mark on the world of luxury spirits in an exciting new way, as well as opening the door to a new era of progress for the brand. "Through colliding the blending artistry of Dr Emma Walker with the creative genius of Olivier Rousteing, we are pushing the boundaries of what a luxury Scotch whisky can look, taste and feel like." Kicking off Johnnie Walker Vault's cultural partnerships, the designer teamed up with the brand's master blender Dr Emma Walker to create the Couture Expression, a collection of four blends inspired by a 'sensorial journey through the seasons' and high fashion. Rousteing shared: "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." The seasonal blends Named after the four seasons, each Couture Expression blend has the same 'heart', including whiskies from closed Brora and Port Dundas distilleries. To create the seasons, Walker dove into the Johnnie Walker Vault, a library of 500 rare, aged, and ghost whiskies, personally curated and rotated from the 10 million casks of Scotch available to her as master blender. Crafted over 12 months, Walker translated Rousteing’s narrative into 'four sensorial journeys through flavour and time.' Walker explained: "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." Celebrating renewal and transformation, the Spring includes whiskies from Cragganmore, distilled in 1985, 1977 vintage Caledonian grain, and Port Ellen single malt from 1978. The Summer, on the other hand, blends experimental Cardhu Wine Cask Finish with 1990 Clynelish and 1988 Benrinnes. The Fall edition stands out for its combination of experimental Teaninich chocolate malt and Port Ellen distilled in 1978, while Winter reflects the season of 'coming home' with a blend of Port Ellen and Brora, as well as 1988 Benrinnes. The design Each Couture Expression blend is presented in a square crystal decanter handcrafted by French luxury house Baccarat, in homage to the iconic square bottle created by Alexander Walker in the late 1800s. The decanters have been draped in four different metallic shades, each inspired by the seasons. Rousteing shared his approach to the creative process: “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." The decanters are topped off with a sculptural wing stopper, the creative director's articulation of the Johnnie Walker ‘Keep Walking’ ethos evolved into flight. To celebrate the collaboration and the release of the collection, an exclusive launch event will be held in New York City on 3 May. Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression will launch globally on 26 May with only 25 bottles of each season available, and with an individual RRP of US$20,000. Last month, Johnnie Walker announced its global launch of its newest permanent expression, Black Ruby. Earlier this month, the brand launched an initiative for golfers.