Crafted by master blender Dr. Emma Walker, The Couture Blend is the ultimate convergence between the luxury whiskymaker and French fashion designer.

Tell us about the creative starting point for The Couture Blend. Was there a particular flavour, mood or story you wanted to express?
<a href="https://www.hommessingapore.com/living/olivier-rousteing-enters-the-johnnie-walker-vault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Emma Walker</a>&nbsp;and I wanted to create something that felt timeless yet rooted in today&rsquo;s world. From the first moment I worked with Emma, I realised blending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hommessingapore.com/living/6-festive-cocktails-for-the-holidays-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whisky</a>&nbsp;was similar to creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hommessingapore.com/style/best-dressed-men-paris-haute-couture-week-fall-winter-2025-celebrity-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">couture</a>&nbsp;collection. You have different elements like fabric or flavour that must come together in a way that tells the story. The Couture Blend is all about layers that build gradually, revealing warmth, richness, and subtle power. The result is a blend that feels both confident and elegant, much like a centrepiece of a couture collection.
How involved were you in the blending process?
I was deeply involved from the beginning. I travelled to Scotland to visit Emma in the Johnnie Walker Vault so that we could create The Couture Blend together. Working with her was an incredible experience because she approaches blending the same way I approach designing a collection: we both use a mix of intuition and precision to create something beautiful. You can have all the science and precision in the world, but ultimately, it&rsquo;s instinct that guides you.

How would you describe The Couture Blend in your own words?
I would say The Couture Blend is the centrepiece of my collaboration with Johnnie Walker Vault. It&rsquo;s like the perfect gown that sits at the heart of a couture collection &mdash; bold yet restrained, beautiful yet understated. It&rsquo;s delicious, warm and rich with subtle notes that are perfectly layered on one another and reveal themselves gradually as you sip. It captures everything I love: artistry, balance, and storytelling.
The Couture Blend also commemorates your 40th birthday. Do you find yourself reminiscing the past or looking to the future at this milestone?
Turning 40 feels like freedom to me &mdash; freedom to explore, experiment and really unleash my creativity. I always think it&rsquo;s good to look to the past for inspiration, but what&rsquo;s most important is how you take that and turn it into something that feels modern and works for a contemporary audience. I&rsquo;d say that I&rsquo;m looking to the future; for me, this moment is about evolution rather than nostalgia.
What do you hope for in your 40s?
Purpose and freedom. My twenties were driven by ambition; my thirties were about identity; and in my forties I want to enjoy what I&rsquo;ve built and use it to inspire others. I want to keep creating, and will use it as an opportunity to give myself the freedom to explore my creativity in a very personal way.

What does &ldquo;Keep Walking&rdquo; mean to you personally?
To me, &ldquo;Keep Walking&rdquo; means perseverance. It&rsquo;s the courage to keep evolving and staying true to yourself no matter what challenges arise. My own journey in fashion has been about moving forward, breaking barriers, and celebrating diversity. It&rsquo;s about resilience, belief in your vision, and never being afraid to walk your own path.
The worlds of fashion and fine spirits rarely cross. What did you learn after spending time in the Johnnie Walker universe?
I discovered how emotional whisky-making is. Seeing how much artistry, patience, intuition and care goes into every drop was eye-opening. It reminded me of my ateliers in Paris, where every stitch or detail matters. Fashion and whisky share the same DNA: they both use proportion and balance to create a truly beautiful work of art. Blending is couture beyond the runway.

"Enjoying [The Couture Blend] is like wearing couture: you don&rsquo;t need to show off, you just need to feel it."

Outside of this collaboration, are you a whisky enthusiast?
Yes, whisky has always been close to my heart. It reminds me of my childhood: my grandfather would drink Johnnie Walker with my parents at family celebrations; I still remember the smell of it and have always loved that connection between memory and ritual. I look for a whisky that tells a beautiful story, be that through its heritage or the types of malts that go into it. Understanding the story behind the whisky is key for me and provides a great moment for reflection.
Finally, what&rsquo;s the most stylish way to enjoy The Couture Blend.
For me, it&rsquo;s to enjoy it with intention. Whether you drink The Couture Blend neat or with a single cube of ice, it&rsquo;s about the ritual and taking time to savour it. Style is not about excess; it&rsquo;s about confidence and authenticity. I think enjoying this blend is like wearing couture: you don&rsquo;t need to show off, you just need to feel it.

An Interview With Olivier Rousteing on His Latest Johnnie Walker Vault Creation

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