Rich, complex spirits go hand in hand with high fashion. Thus the collaborations between luxury Scotch whisky giant, Chivas Regal and fashion moguls like Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix and Vivienne Westwood make sense. The brand teamed up with fashion designer and their ambassador, Rohit Bal, to design a limited edition collectible, one that ropes in his signature handiwork. We caught up with Bal to know more.
Straight off the bat
“Back when I used to drink - two years ago - I was most definitely a whisky person,” says Bal. And his favourite CR blended whisky? “That I’m designing a 12-year-old limited edition Chivas Regal scotch whisky which should tip you off some,” he laughs. Bal likes his whisky with a little water. Just a smidgen, he says. “Especially if it’s a premium Scotch or single malt. It shores up your drink quite nicely, and all the connoisseurs swear by it.” A good whiskey bar, he says, is an uber-luxe restaurant and lounge, like B-Bar which was recently launched by the Buddha Bar owners at Select City Walk in the capital.
A touch of couture
Bal explains that a lot of research went into the design. “I first looked at what some of the other designers chose to work with, for a brand like Chivas. Then, I set about establishing its Indianness by taking a cue from and building on some of my inspirations. So what you see on the packaging is that I’ve incorporated elements of my signature style - the lotus and peacock motif.” The whisky’s characteristic regality prevails. “There’s also the added gun metal texture in the ornamentation, to give it an understated elegance,” he adds.
Made for you
Bal envisions a collector with a taste for opulence. Besides, “he’s got to (of course) love whisky,” he adds. He thinks it would be a challenge to get women to buy it. “I would really like it if women took a shine to it, because it’d make a great gift for the men in their lives.” He indicates plans for other collectibles with the famous whisky brand. We can’t wait. Priced from Rs 3,540 onwards. Available at premium outlets across the country, Middle East and Europe.