Spirits and branded licensing is become increasingly popular. License Global’s March issue even includes a feature focusing on it, “The Spirit of Celebrity.” 

Now Cognac brand, Hennessy, has announced a collaboration with British artistic director, Kim Jones. Interweaving Hennessy X.O’s 150-year heritage with Jones' creative vision, the collaboration features the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece designed by Kim Jones, the Hennessy X.O limited-edition bottle by Kim Jones and in a first for the brand, the HNY Low sneaker by Kim Jones. This also marks the first time Maison Hennessy has partnered with a fashion designer, and that Jones has collaborated with a spirits brand. 

“We are thrilled to embark on a new odyssey blending cognac-making and couture with Kim Jones, a creative master of our time,” says Laurent Boillot, chief executive officer, Hennessy. “Inspired by the emblematic personality of Hennessy X.O, Kim has developed a resolutely contemporary collection that is destined to make an impact on culture today and in the future.” 

HNY Low sneaker.

HNY Low sneaker

For Hennessy X.O, Jones pays tribute to cognac-making and couture. Designed exclusively for Hennessy by Jones, produced using 3D printing technology and finished by hand, the sculptural Hennessy X.O Masterpiece has been produced only 200 times.

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“I’m fascinated by the rich heritage of Hennessy, a household name behind which artisans have spent hundreds of years creating this special cognac,” says Jones. “Storytelling is very important for me regardless of what I’m designing or who I’m collaborating with; I want my designs to educate and inspire people through the stories they tell.” 

Designed by Jones and crafted in an LVMH-owned shoe factory in Italy, the limited-edition HNY Low by Kim Jones is inspired by early basketball shoes. It is made of a light cognac-colored nubuck leather. A technical sole in tonal grooved rubber features an imprint of cognac vines and the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones logo on its underside, while the initials KJ and the Hennessy bras armé emblem adorn the heel. 

“I wanted it to be elevated and chic, to reflect both the long heritage of cognac and my own design values,” says Jones. “I wanted it to feel like you’re almost looking into the bottle. It’s a glass of cognac in sneaker form.” 

True to the sneakerhead aesthetic, Jones made packaging a part of the overall experience. Each pair of HNY Lows comes sheathed in cotton dust bags bound by a drawstring. The sneakers are presented in an oak box that revisits the barrels used to age the eaux-de-vie, its wavy top echoing the plateau for the Hennessy X.O Masterpiece designed by Kim Jones. 

The HNY Low by Kim Jones will drop this month in partnership with HBX as the global exclusive online retail partner, and in selected retail spaces.