Cognac meets couture with the Hennessy X.O limited collection designed by Kim Jones

The fashion world and its cross-industry collaborations seem to be the latest trend, one that appears to only gain more attention as time goes by. Take for instance, the compelling, creative partnerships between Louis Vuitton and Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, Moncler’s The Art of Genius show and the recent Dior Fall 2023, with a stunning runway design by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. The latest addition to this collaborative string comes with Hennessy X.O, which unveiled its couture-infused collaboration with Kim Jones—British fashion designer, and the artistic director for Dior men and Fendi womenswear, who derived inspiration from the 150-year old legacy of the French cognac brand. The collaboration comprises an exclusive Masterpiece decanter, a limited-edition Hennessy X.O bottle, as well as the stand-out piece of the range, a sneaker referencing Jones’ famed streetwear résumé.

The packaging design for the limited edition bottle delicately invokes the drapes and details of couture designs into a sculptural decanter. Produced using 3D printing technology and finished by hand, the decanter is shaped from a specially developed titanium casting, made distinct by its organic, twisted metal shell that evokes the shape of the paper used to wrap bottles of Hennessy cognac in the late 19^th century. Marking itself as the primary symbol for the collaboration, the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones Masterpiece carafe, made in just 200 pieces, holds cognac inside it like a second architectural skin.

“I am fascinated by the rich heritage of Hennessy, a household name behind which artisans have spent hundreds of years creating this special cognac. Storytelling is very important for me regardless of what I am designing or who I am collaborating with—I want my designs to educate and inspire people through the stories they tell,” states Jones.

"When I saw how the vintage Hennessy bottles were wrapped, it spoke volumes to me about how precious each one is, and how they were handled. I was particularly touched by their history, and the sense of how generations have dedicated their time to making each step of the process better and better. That same also holds true with fashion,” the British designer added.

Jones' collaboration with Hennessy follows the brand's cultural resonance through a lineage of masters including Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, and film director Ridley Scott. However, this marks the first time Maison Hennessy has partnered with a fashion designer.

The collaboration also features the limited edition HNY Low sneakers, designed by Jones and crafted in an LVMH-owned shoe factory in Italy. The sneaker design is inspired by early basketball shoes and is made of light cognac-coloured nubuck leather. The technical sole of the sneakers is adorned with an imprint of cognac vines and the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones logo. “I wanted it to be elevated and chic, to reflect both the long heritage of cognac and my own design values. I wanted it to feel like you are almost looking into the bottle. It’s a glass of cognac in sneaker form,” Jones elaborated. The curves of the decanter find themselves on the sneakers and their packaging as well. Following the sneakerhead trends, the packaging of the HY Low is also uniquely crafted as an oak box, similar to the barrels used to age the eaux-de-vie.

"We are thrilled to embark on a new odyssey blending cognac-making and couture with Kim Jones, a creative master of our time. Inspired by the emblematic personality of Hennessy X.O, Kim has developed a resolutely contemporary collection that is destined to make an impact on culture today and in the future,” shared Laurent Boillot, Hennessy CEO.

While this partnership is an interesting example of how the luxury distillery industry can creatively collaborate with designers, architects, and artists through packaging and product designs, the French cognac brand isn’t the only one. Last year, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma collaborated with the V&A Dundee museum to create a limited edition sculptural enclosure for the whisky distillery The Dalmore. Valerio Sommella designed ceramic decanters for Eight Reserve by 818 Tequila symbolising the brand's identity through its bottle design. The recurring pattern of these cross-disciplinary collaborations opens up the potential enquiry of what the results symbolise or stand for. Are these collaborations exploring the unknown, pushing or blurring the boundaries between usable objects of art and design?