I have never been shy in my view that spirits brands need to elevate their packaging more in line with their high-quality creations, and Courvoisier Cognac has done this with aplomb. Thanks to Daniel w. Fletcher’s creative mind, skill and hands, the world-renowned drinks brand has produced a limited edition boxed set with an exquisite bottle worthy of display in the finest of homes.
I consider myself privileged as, from time to time, I am sent simply beautiful items, and I recently received one. The item in question was the Daniel w. Fletcher and Courvoisier Cognac gift set, which arrived at my door in an impressively sized white box, expertly tied with a blue ribbon.
Inside was a handwritten note from Daniel and Courvoisier with a delicately wrapped designer t-shirt and a stunning-looking bottle of Cognac.
It was an absolute treat for the eyes, and as I held the brightly coloured bottle, I could feel the ridges from the deep layers of paint.
The title of this piece refers to the collaborative set being a treat for all the senses, and indeed it is. The taste, sound and smell will come into play with the pouring into the glass and the savouring of one of the world’s finest cognacs.
Anyone who knows me knows that almost everything I receive is gifted to others. I don’t do this for leverage purposes; it is simply a way to introduce others into my world. However, with the Daniel w. Fletcher and Courvoisier Cognac gift set will be one of the few that’ll remain firmly in my hands for displaying in my home.
Collaborations are always positive for the brands involved, and I have always championed this for the spirits industry. Many of the finest brands operating in this sector, such as Courvoisier Cognac, have little room for manoeuvre when it comes to introducing their products to a wider market as they’ve been around for such a long time, and once a company has found a formula that works, they will generally stick with it.
Courvoisier’s collaboration with Daniel w. Fletcher is a stroke of genius (no pun intended), as the designer has a much younger following than Courvoisier, and his skills bring a new and temporary look to what is a long-standing and renowned brand.
The collaboration results in a very limited collection of 200 sets containing hand-painted bottles of the cognac house’s VSOP by the London-based designer’s hand, and an item of clothing from the designer’s new collection. Each bottle is individually numbered and symbolises the versatile and multi-layered nature of the House of Courvoisier.
Daniel boasts some enviable design credentials. Currently, he has the role of Artistic Director of Menswear at the fashion brand Fiorucci, and prior to this, he held roles at JM Anderson and Louis Vuitton. His undoubted flair for design is evident in the apparel inside the set and also on the cognac house’s VSOP bottles, which display a distinct sense of “joie de vivre”.
The same style and sense of joy can be seen in Daniel’s unisex line of apparel, which includes a denim jacket with a brushstroke design, and in his jeans, casual-luxe sweatshirt, silk shirt and relaxed fit T-shirt.
The head-turning painted jacket featured in the collection made its debut at Fletcher’s eagerly anticipated London Fashion Week show last month, attended by celebrity guests including Jack Guinness, Susie Lau, and Nicola Roberts. Along with others in attendance, they enjoyed a sneak peek of the collection whilst relaxing with Courvoisier’s signature cocktails.
For the collection debut, familiar faces, including the eyewear designer Betty Bachz, fashion stylist Ben Schofield, actress Anna Schaffer, interior designer Whinnie Williams and DJ and producer Fab Goualin, had fun showing off the apparel in the photo shoot.
Photography wasn’t the only order of the day as the participants also extended their fun to video, unleashing their flair by showing their creative sides by applying paint to canvas, resulting in a crescendo of colour and celebration.
Commenting on the collaboration with Courvoisier Cognac, Daniel said, “I believe that joy is best expressed through whatever medium you feel the most passionate about – for me, this is design, and, more specifically, for this partnership, the art of painting.
It brings me so much happiness, and having the creative freedom to communicate what ‘joy’ feels like to me through this collaboration has been enjoyable. I used these positive feelings to inspire my design for the limited-edition bottle and apparel collection, using my signature playful brushstroke to bring joy to others, too”.
If you want to get your hands on one of the extraordinary sets, you will need to act sooner rather than later, as there are only 200 sets available, and as you know, I already have one!
The Daniel w. Fletcher and Courvoisier VSOP bottles and the jeans, jacket, and shirt sets are available online and in-store at Harrods from the 28th of April. The T-shirt and the sweatshirt are available for purchase via the designer’s website danielwfletcher.com.