Hennessy X.O Unveils Masterpiece Collaboration with Kim Jones

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the preview of the Hennessy X.O & Kim Jones Gallery at Pavilion Bukit Jalil. This highly Instagrammable experience allows you to explore the concept behind this iconic collaboration and witness the fusion of cognac and couture, as well as the harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, inspired by Hennessy’s unparalleled excellence and innovation.

The exclusive collection is currently showcased at the Hennessy X.O & Kim Jones Gallery from now until 7 May 2023 at Level 3, Orange Zone, Pavilion Bukit Jalil.

*For non-Muslims age 21 years and above only

The limited edition HNY Low by Kim Jones is inspired by early basketball shoes and was designed by Kim Jones and manufactured in an LVMH-owned shoe factory in Italy. It’s constructed of light cognac-colored nubuck leather, a material that ages well, a nod to the treasured eaux-de-vie.

A technical sole in tonal grooved rubber contrasts with the classic upper, with an imprint of cognac vines and the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones insignia on the bottom, and the initials KJ and the Hennessy bras armé emblem discreetly adorning the heel.

Kim Jones was born in London, but by the age of three months, he was on his way to Ecuador with his family. An itinerant childhood ensued, with stops in Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana) and the Caribbean, as well as numerous visits back home in London. Jones realised he desired a creative career at the age of fourteen, and he considered graphics and photography before deciding that fashion was “something I could build a world around.”

Jones became Men’s Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton in 2011 and showed his final collection in January 2018. Jones was named Artistic Director of Dior’s Men’s Ready-to-Wear and Accessory Collections in March 2018. His first collection debuted in June 2018 during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. Kim Jones was appointed Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear for FENDI in September 2020, and his debut collection, Couture Spring/Summer 2021, was displayed in Paris in January 2021.

“I wanted it to feel like you’re almost looking into the bottle. It’s a glass of cognac in sneaker form.”
Kim Jones

Kim Jones included packaging into the overall experience, staying true to the sneakerhead style. Each pair of HNY Low by Kim Jones arrives in cotton dust bags tied with a high-end drawstring, a shape reminiscent of bottles wrapped in thick paper during travel. The sneakers come in an oak box reminiscent of the barrels used to mature the eaux-de-vie, with a wavy top reminiscent of the plateau for the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece designed by Kim Jones.

The HNY Low by Kim Jones, with a suggested retail price of 650 euros, was released in March 2023 and is currently sold out.

The sculptural Hennessy X.O Masterpiece was designed expressly for Hennessy by Kim Jones, made utilising 3D printing technology, and completed by hand in only 200 units. The decanter exemplifies how humanity and technology can collaborate to create something one-of-a-kind, “like a piece of bespoke couture for a bottle,” as the designer puts it.

While the bottle remains entirely concealed from view, the cognac can be extracted using Kim Jones’ fusil, an elegant and playful ritual for serving a glass of the Hennessy X.O blend. The decanter itself has been dipped in gradient hues as a finishing touch, an effect inspired by the tints of the several eaux-de-vie selected by the Master Blender to create Hennessy X.O.

“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 process also holds true with fashion.”
Kim Jones

The final component of the cooperation is the Hennessy X.O Limited Edition’ready-to-wear’ decanter designed by Kim Jones. The Hennessy X.O bottle is encased in an aluminium second skin, its structure highlighting the container’s characteristic shape while recalling a couture silhouette. The limited edition bottle is the final piece of the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones collaboration, a real depiction of the fusion of fashion and culture with excellence and legacy.

Hennessy X.O introduces The Fabric of Time, a campaign video featuring a cameo of Kim Jones as he slips into the Hennessy X.O cosmos, just in time for the collection’s introduction. The video, created by the French creative group Bleu Désert, sets the collection at the junction of human and mechanical movement.