Perfect blend

Kim Jones distills the essence of French cognac house Hennessy into a pair of trainers, a limited-edition bottle and a decanter

- JACK MOSS

When we talk at the close of 2022, Kim Jones is fresh off a trip to Egypt, where he showed his latest Dior Men collection in a blockbuster runway presentation at the base of the Giza pyramids – the first major fashion show of its kind at the historic site. Having joined Dior as creative director of its men’s line in 2018, and Fendi as artistic director of womenswear and couture in 2020, globetrotting has become routine for the industrious designer, who creates more than a dozen collections a year and splits his working life between London, Paris, Milan and Rome.

The latest project in Jones’ ever-expanding portfolio sees a rare foray outside the world of fashion, to design a limited-edition bottle for historic French cognac producer Hennessy’s XO ‘extra-old’ blend (created in 1870 by Maurice Hennessy, grandson of founder Richard Hennessy). The bottle is characterised by its fluid twisted metal shell, evoking the tissue paper used to wrap bottles of Hennessy cognac in the late 19th century. Jones notes that he approached the collaboration much like he would a collection at Dior or Fendi, beginning in the archive, identifying historical pieces, and redefining them for the present moment in his sleek, streetwear-infused style.