Johnnie Walker has announced acclaimed French couture designer Olivier Rousteing as the first cultural partner under the Johnnie Walker Vault platform.
Launched earlier this year, Johnnie Walker Vault is a new global luxury platform grounded in blending artistry – uniting bespoke blends, luxurious experiences and collaborations with cultural icons all under one visionary banner.
Couture Expression is the inaugural limited-edition release from the Johnnie Walker Vault, co-created by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker and Olivier Rousteing. Drawing inspiration from the world of high fashion, the collection elevates blending artistry into new dimensions through a seasonal interpretation, setting a new standard of luxury whisky creation.
This launch brings together two creatives at the height of their craft, each renowned for pushing the boundaries of their art. In a hidden ‘atelier’ beneath Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Dr. Emma Walker, the brand’s Master Blender, and Rousteing collaborated to craft and design a collection of four blends – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter – capturing Rousteing’s personal and emotional connection to each season as well as its sensorial spirit.
Couture Expression Blends
Each of the four blends in the collection begins with the same luxurious ‘heart’, including ghost whiskies from Brora and Port Dundas, setting a marker for the rarity of the collection. Dr. Walker then layered hand-selected whiskies from the Johnnie Walker Vault – a library of 500 rare, aged and ghost whiskies, personally curated and rotated from the very best of the 10 million casks of Scotch available to her as Master Blender. In an innovative fusion of creative minds, over the course of 12 months, Dr Walker translated Rousteing’s personal narrative into four sensorial journeys through flavour and time.
The Couture Expression blends encompass:
- Spring – Refreshing and floral. A celebration of renewal and transformation, with brightness drawn from a selection of rare whiskies including a 1985 Cragganmore, a rarely seen 1977 Caledonian and minerality from a treasured 1978 Port Ellen.
- Summer – Vibrant. An ode to summer with tropical fruit notes from a selection of rare whiskies including an experimental Cardhu Wine Cask Finish, and a 1990 Clynelish wrapped in the richness of 1988 Benrinnes.
- Fall – Textured and bold. A time of self-reflection and the relentless pursuit of excellence, this expression features an experimental Teaninich chocolate malt, layered with smoke from the 1978 Port Ellen.
- Winter – Deep and contemplative. Reflecting ‘coming home’ and the warmth of sharing time and moments with family and friends. The richest of the four, dialling up Islay malts from Port Ellen and Brora with a mulled wine, sweetness from the 1988 Benrinnes.
Couture Expression Design
Celebrating Rousteing’s creative vision, the decanter designs poetically explore the beauty of contrast and precious materials. In a collision of styles, the purity of crystal is met with opulent metallic draping – to extend and play with perspective and liquidity of form.
Each Couture Expression blend is treasured in a square crystal decanter handcrafted by artisans from the renowned 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, creating a nod to the past and a desire for an iconic and timeless progressive silhouette.
Finally, each bottle is topped off with a sculptural wing stopper, the creative director’s articulation of the Johnnie Walker ‘Keep Walking’ ethos evolved into flight. All hallmarks which sing to Rousteing’s creative style, which he wanted to see live on as his contribution to the Johnnie Walker Vault and a future facing approach to whisky creation.
Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression will celebrate their exclusive launch event in New York City on May 3rd.
Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression will be globally launched from 26th May with only 25 bottles of each season available worldwide. From 5th May 2025 Couture Expression will be pre launched at Harrods, including the full collection of decanters numbered 1.
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.”
Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression is the first of a two-part collaboration that inspires a new era of blending artistry, and comes on the back of the March launch of the Johnnie Walker Vault Private Blend Experience – giving a small handful of whisky lovers each year the chance to create a bespoke blend with Dr Emma Walker as part of a luxury experience programme in Scotland.
Further information can be found at https://www.johnniewalker.com/en-gb/vault.
