HENNESSY X.O UNVEILS MASTERPIECE COLLABORATION WITH KIM JONES

Maison Hennessy, the 250 year old cognac brand (a crown jewel of the LVMH Group), is collaborating with world-renowned British designer Kim Jones (artistic director of Dior Men’s, Couture and Womenswear for Fendi; two more jewels in that crown). The Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones collection bridges street and luxury with the creation of the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece decanter, the Hennessy X.O Limited Edition bottle, and in a first for the brand, the HNY Low sneaker. This marks the first time Maison Hennessy has partnered with a fashion designer, and Jones has collaborated with a spirits brand.

“We are thrilled to embark on a new odyssey blending cognac-making and couture with Kim Jones, a creative master of our time,” said Laurent Boillot, Hennessy CEO. “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.”

For Hennessy X.O, Jones pays tribute to cognac-making and couture, two processes that touch on an understanding of science and the natural world as well as artisanal craftsmanship and savoir-faire. He follows in the footsteps of a formidable lineage of great masters who have helped cement Hennessy X.O’s cultural resonance over the years, including architect Frank Gehry, artist Cai Guo-Qiang. and director Ridley Scott.

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

HNY Low By Kim Jones

Designed by Jones and crafted in an LVMH-owned shoe factory in Italy, the limited edition HNY Low by Kim Jones is inspired by early basketball shoes. It is made of a light cognac-colored nubuck leather, a material that takes on the patina of time, a reference to the precious eaux-de-vie.Contrasting with the classic upper, a technical sole in tonal grooved rubber features an imprint of cognac vines and the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones logo on its underside, while the initials KJ and the Hennessy bras armé emblem discreetly adorn the heel.

“I wanted it to be elevated and chic, to reflect both the long heritage of cognac and my own design values,” says the designer, who also transposed the curves of the Hennessy X.O bottle onto the sneaker. “I wanted it to feel like you’re almost looking into the bottle. It’s a glass of cognac in sneaker form.”

True to the sneakerhead aesthetic, Kim Jones made packaging a part of the overall experience. Each pair comes sheathed in cotton dust bags bound by a high-end drawstring, a shape recalling bottles that used to be wrapped in thick paper during travel. The sneakers are presented in an oak box that revisits the barrels used to age the eaux-de-vie, its wavy top echoing the plateau for the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece designed by Kim Jones.

Retailing at a suggested price of 650 euros (just under $700), the HNY Low by Kim Jones will drop this month in partnership with HBX as the global exclusive online retail partner, and in selected retail spaces.

Where Cognac Meets Couture: The Hennessy X.O Masterpiece And Hennessy X.O Limited Edition Designed By Kim Jones

The collaboration has also yielded the limited-edition sculptural Hennessy X.O Masterpiece decanter. Only 200 were produced using 3D printing technology and finished by hand. The decanter demonstrates how humanity and technology can work together to create something unique, “like a piece of bespoke couture for a bottle,” the designer notes. The third element of the collaboration is the Hennessy X.O Limited Edition ‘ready-to-wear’ version of the decanter specially imagined by Jones. The Hennessy X.O bottle is encased in an aluminum second skin, its structure showcasing the signature shape of the bottle while evoking a couture silhouette. A true representation of the merger of fashion and culture with excellence and legacy, the limited-edition bottle is the final piece of the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones partnership.

“The Fabric Of Time:” A Unique Video Unveiling By Bleu Désert

Hennessy X.O will also debut a campaign video on its website on Friday. “The Fabric of Time,” created by French creative trio Bleu Désert, features a cameo of Jones as he steps into the Hennessy X.O universe.
Image, top: Kim Jones and the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece. Credit: Brett Lloyd/Hennessy