JOHNNIE WALKER VAULT X OLIVIER ROUSTEING: WHEN THE ART OF COUTURE MEETS THE ART OF BLENDING
Acclaimed French creative director Olivier Rousteing announced as first cultural collaborator invited within Johnnie Walker Vault; Pushing boundaries of whisky creation by bringing together Rousteing's trailblazing fashion vision and Master Blender Dr Emma Walker's artistry and access to 500 of the rarest whiskies contained within Johnnie Walker Vault.
In the first release of a two-part collaboration, Couture Expression is a collection of four couture blends inspired by a sensorial journey through the seasons.
LONDON, April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.
First Unveiling: Couture Expression
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.
"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." says 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 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.
"This has been an emotional journey," says Rousteing."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 coziness of home and family in Winter - that Emma so beautifully captured in the collection."
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.
Emma Walker continued,"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"
The Couture Expression blends encompass:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Macron invites ‘K-pop pioneer' Lee Soo-man to open French office, seeks stronger Korea-France creative ties
Lee delivers keynote at France Music Week as sole Asian speaker, calls for stronger protection of creators' rights in AI era President Emmanuel Macron invited Lee Soo-man — founder of SM Entertainment, who is often credited as the K-pop pioneer — to open an office in France. During a Friday meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the French leader expressed his desire to strengthen collaboration between South Korean and French creators, signaling high-level recognition of K-pop's cultural power. Lee, who now leads A2O Entertainment in Los Angeles, was in Paris as the only Asian speaker at the 'France Music Week Summit,' held at Place de l'Opera on the same day. Macron, attending the event, extended his invitation to Lee directly and instructed French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati to follow up on practical steps for implementation. Macron greeted Lee warmly, stating he was well aware of Lee's dual identity as both a creative visionary and a successful entrepreneur. Lee was introduced as 'the man who created K-pop,' a title that resonated with the event's focus on innovation in the global music industry. The meeting went beyond symbolic cultural diplomacy. It underscored France's growing interest in fostering creative exchanges with Korea, especially at a time when intellectual property rights and AI-driven content creation are reshaping the industry. Macron's invitation is being seen as a significant gesture that may lead to a long-term cultural and economic partnership. Meanwhile, Lee delivered a speech at the summit, where over 100 top executives from the global music business gathered to discuss pressing challenges in the industry. His remarks focused on the evolving role of fans, who he described as no longer 'consumers,' but 'prosumers' — fans who reinterpret, remake and even co-create content. 'I imagine a world where fans are part of the creative process, where they are rewarded economically for their participation,' Lee said. 'In the age of generative AI, we must protect the rights of not only original creators but also the emerging roles of re-creators and prosumers.' He also drew attention from industry insiders by explaining 'Culture Technology' — the system he pioneered to build K-pop into a global cultural force. Throughout the summit, panelists cited K-pop's structure and success as a case study in innovation. Lee emphasized that in the AI era, protecting creators' rights has become more urgent than ever. His stance on safeguarding creative ownership resonated strongly with the summit's broader themes. Other participants at the summit included Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group; Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube; and Olivier Nusse, CEO of Universal Music France.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
DDB Worldwide Named Cannes Lions 2025 Network of the Year for the Second Time in Two Years
Omnicom Network Achieves Record Number of Wins in 76-Year History Under Recently Appointed Global Leadership CANNES, France, June 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DDB Worldwide, part of Omnicom, has once again claimed the prestigious title of Network of the Year at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This marks the second time the network has secured the honor, following its historic first win in 2023. In a record-breaking year, DDB surpassed its 2023 award tally with a total of 112 Lions, further cementing its place at the forefront of the global creative industry. DDB's continued rise comes just one year into the leadership of Global CEO Alex Lubar and President & Global Chief Creative Officer, Chaka Sobhani. Since taking the reins, the duo has steered the network into a new era; one defined by tighter integration, emotionally-led creativity, and a sharpened focus on work that delivers both cultural impact and real business results. Chaka Sobhani commented: "I literally don't have the words. This means the absolute world to us. I couldn't be prouder of our DDB network and the passion, commitment, and love that has gone behind us getting here. A huge thank you also to our amazing clients for their trust and partnership - we wouldn't be here without you and I hope we've made you proud. Hopefully, this is the start of much more to come from DDB - and on a personal note, I can only say it's been the most incredible first year!" "2023 was a landmark year for DDB, but we saw it as the beginning," said Alex Lubar. "The momentum you're seeing now is the result of a global network aligned around a simple belief: creativity is the most powerful force in business. I'm incredibly proud of our exceptional teams and client partners on this collective effort." 2025 Cannes Lions highlights: This creative surge has been powered by the DDB Global Creative Council, Bullseye, which is led by Global Chief Creative Operations Officer, Susie Walker, and continues to push boundaries across regions. This year, the program has been expanded to include rising creative talent, who have actively shaped DDB's award-winning creative work. DDB's rise has also been fueled by the growing influence of some of its most dynamic agencies, including DDB Paris, Africa Creative DDB, alma, DM9, and NORD DDB, whose bold, culturally resonant work continues to redefine the standard of global creative excellence. As creativity becomes an increasingly vital business differentiator, DDB's Cannes success proves its belief that emotional storytelling not only moves people, it moves markets. This year's winning campaigns have not only earned accolades but delivered measurable growth for clients across categories. ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE DDB ( is The Emotional Advantage Agency. We believe when people feel, they act—and when they act, brands grow. That's the emotional advantage. We use it to deliver intimacy at scale, unlock brand growth, and craft ideas that move people, business, and culture forward. As one of the world's leading advertising and marketing networks, DDB blends creative excellence with strategic effectiveness to drive measurable results. With 140 offices in 60+ countries, we partner with iconic brands like MARS, McDonald's, Molson Coors, Volkswagen, Amazon, Unilever, JetBlue, Adidas, PlayStation, and the U.S. Army. Our impact is proven: we were named the #1 Most Awarded Agency Network in the 2024 Effie Global Best of the Best, Global Network of the Year by Cannes Lions (2023 and 2025), and D&AD Network of the Year for three consecutive years (2021–2023). We've also ranked as a Top 3 Global Network on WARC for 13 of the last 16 years. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC).
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Megahit webtoon 'Remarried Empress' to be turned into Disney+ original
Highly anticipated series to premiere on the streaming platform in 2026 Disney+ is set to adapt the smash-hit webtoon "Remarried Empress" into a live-action drama series, exclusively premiering on the platform next year. Based on the globally beloved web novel-turned-webtoon, "Remarried Empress" is a romance fantasy centered on Empress Navier of the Eastern Empire. When her husband, Emperor Sovieshu, demands a divorce, Navier agrees, on the condition that she be allowed to remarry Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom. Since its launch in 2019, the webtoon has garnered massive international popularity, translated into 10 languages including English, French, Japanese and German. The webtoon series racked up more than 2.6 billion cumulative views as of the end of 2024. Shin Min-a, known for hit dramas "Karma" and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," will lead the Disney+ original as Empress Navier. Ju Ji-hoon takes on the role of Emperor Sovieshu, whose betrayal of Rashta, a former runaway slave, sets the story in motion. Lee Se-young will portray Rashta, while Lee Jong-suk joins the cast as Prince Heinrey, Navier's new love interest. The series will be directed by Jo Soo-won, known for popular dramas including "I Can Hear Your Voice." The script is written by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Choong-yeol, the screenwriting duo behind "The Uncanny Counter."
