Grey Goose nets Dubai Duty Free tennis sponsorship

Bacardi has partnered with Dubai Duty Free in a limited-edition Grey Goose original vodka, as the spirits brand celebrates its fourth year sponsoring the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Grey Goose at Dubai Duty Free

The event, which ran from February 14 to 26, 2022, was a multi-media brand-building opportunity for Grey Goose, both at the tournament itself as well as creating an opportunity to engage shoppers in Dubai Duty Free airport stores.

Sijesh Janardhan, Regional Manager, Middle East and Africa at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, said. “We are thrilled to reinforce our long relationship with Dubai Duty Free by continuing the Grey Goose sponsorship of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. We have a long-standing relationship with Dubai Duty Free and, like them, we share a passion for tennis. Bacardi is in the business of helping people celebrate the moments that matter with our portfolio of premium drinks brands – including Grey Goose vodka – and this sponsorship is a perfect fit.”

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice President and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, added: “We are delighted to have Grey Goose as an official partner of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for a fourth year. We are happy that we have sponsors reconfirm their support, and many of our sponsors have been with the tournament for over 20 years.”

Throughout the tournament Grey Goose vodka benefited from increased visibility at Dubai Duty Free stores in addition to playing a feature role in the cocktails served at the VIP bar at the stadium. 

The limited-edition Grey Goose original vodka (43%abv) is available exclusively at Dubai Duty Free airport stores, retailing at $52.50 for a 75cl bottle.

Patrón Tequila launches first NFT on BlockBar

Ultra-premium tequila brand Patrón has teamed up with BlockBar, the world’s first direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for wine and spirits, to launch its first NFT, unlocking a bottle of limited-edition Patrón Chairman’s Reserve. It is also the first tequila brand on the BlockBar.com platform.

This one-of-a-kind, exclusive aged blend has, until now, never been released to the public, and purchase of the NFT provides ownership rights to the physical bottle of Chairman’s Reserve.

A complex yet delicate tequila, made of 100% Extra Añejo, this release is described as “the ultimate form of luxury, and is so rare that it will never be replicated again”. Only 150 individually numbered bottles of this tequila will be available exclusively on BlockBar.com.

The limited-edition Chairman’s Reserve blend is bottled in a handmade crystal decanter, hand-numbered by the Patrón familia, and packaged in a dome-shaped box with front-opening double doors featuring laser-cut panels that allow light to illuminate the liquid inside.

The outer packaging is made of dark, polished hardwood, hammered metal and luxurious engraving and inlays. The artwork is inspired by the brand’s birthplace in Atotonilco el Alto, Mexico with imagery evoking the Jalisco highlands, the Patrón Hacienda and agave fields.

Kathy Parker, President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Patrón, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with BlockBar as the first tequila brand on the platform and for Patrón Tequila’s first-ever foray into the NFT market with the launch of Patrón Chairman’s Reserve. As one of the few brands that still makes tequila by hand, it’s exciting to be able to bring our passion and dedication to perfection and craftsmanship into the digital realm to a new audience of NFT collectors.”

The NFT with BlockBar.com is said to bridge the physical and digital marketplace, whether it is acquired for personal enjoyment, investment purposes or securing a rare and unique item for tequila connoisseurs and NFT collectors. The cryptographic version will be held securely by BlockBar, with a record of authenticity held on the blockchain as a digital certificate of ownership. The buyer may choose to redeem the physical product and have it delivered from BlockBar’s secure storage facility, trade its NFT version within the BlockBar.com marketplace, keep it in their virtual bar, or gift it through BlockBar’s new gifting offering on BlockBar.com.

Dov Falic, co-founder and CEO of BlockBar, said: “We’re excited to be a part of this innovative milestone for both Patrón Tequila launching its first NFT, and BlockBar teaming up with Patrón – the number one ultra-premium tequila – as the first tequila brand on our platform.”

The NFT is priced at 1.5 ETH (about $4,500) and may be purchased from BlockBar with Ethereum (ETH) or by credit card.

Iann Dior colours MCM's Spring/Summer 22 campaign

MCM has teamed up with chart-topping rapper and creative force Iann Dior for its playful Spring/Summer 2022 campaign.

Dior’s song “Let You” plays over a colourful utopian landscape showing off the German luxury brand’s all-new cubic monogram. “It’s a whole world of creativity and inspiration,” said MCM of the campaign, photographed by Reto Schmid and styled by Haley Wollens.

Iann Dior stars in the MCM SS22 campaign

Dior sports the upbeat pastel colours of the Intarsia Knit Cardigan in the campaign, which was also shot in virtual form, with videography by Torso. A finely-crafted mix of knitting techniques, it is cheerfully combined with the Visetos print München Tote, and the look is completed by the petite Millie Crossbody bag.

“I’m really excited to finally collaborate with MCM on their new Spring/Summer 22 launch since I’ve been a fan of the brand for as long as I can remember,” Iann Dior said in a statement. “It’s incredible to not only be the face of the campaign but also to have the chance to lend my sound.”

International models Pasha Harulia and Dongyeo are also featured in the campaign, roaming through digital oases and pastel city streets. Pasha Harulia wears a Cubic Monogram dress with a sophisticated Mode Mena Crossbody bag, while Dongyeo carries a Mode Mena Phone Case crafted from Spanish nappa leather and 24ct gold-plated hardware, a bucket hat in Denim Jacquard, playfully embellished with the MCM Cubic Monogram.

Dirk Schönberger, global creative officer at MCM, said: “The speed at which we move between zones, between urban and rural, virtual and real, feels so natural in this moment. MCM is constantly evolving, and this season’s collection with the accompanying campaign is a true representation of where MCM is headed. We’re going to be bold, and we’re going to be transformational – working with partners and ambassadors that best represent our future."

MCM marks Chinese New Year in playful fashion

German luxury brand MCM is celebrating Chinese New Year with a playful take on the tiger zodiac animal.

A cute, cartoon-like tiger graphic is emblazoned across the limited-edition New Year Tiger Visetos collection.

MCM’s signature Bavarian diamonds make up the eyes of the ambitious animal, representing bright optimism for the year ahead.

The exclusive collection includes the Small Klassik Crossbody bag, the Mini Toni Shopper, a Mini Card Case, and a T-shirt in organic cotton. The organic cotton construction is certified by Control Union, ensuring the yarn is farmed without the use of chemicals in an effort to protect the environment.

To kick off the Lunar New Year, MCM’s brand ambassador, the Chinese rapper Lil Ghost (Wang Linkai), is seen in a video clip on the brand’s Weibo social media site playing with a cartoon tiger and sporting the Klassik crossbody bag.

MCM makes a statement in London Art Project

MCM has collaborated with five innovative artists in the UK edition of its Upcycling Project.

Marking the 45th anniversary of MCM, each UK-based artist has created unique and exclusive pieces based on the concept of identity, culture and the process of upcycling the classic cognac Visetos Stark backpack.

Each statement artwork is on display at MCM’s London flagship store and will be sold in a charity auction to support the creative arts. 

The five artists are:

Jess Cochrane: Cochrane’s work questions the relationship between society, consumerism and pop culture. Her focus is on feminine beauty, illustrated through the application of paint over photographic images. Cochrane reflects upon insecurity and perfectionism in the modern age. Connecting the history of art, design and advertising, she plays on the idea of pop culture and its roots that are planted in both displaying and disguising parts of ourselves. Her MCM work is seen below:

Ted Le Swer: Le Swer lives and works in London, having graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2017. His work formally combines moving image and sculptural processes that employ computer-generated imagery and the fabrication of props. His work examines how contemporary society values its relations to ecology, and how these diverse relations materialise and reveal themselves. His videos, which merge digital animation and live-action improvisation, use narrative as a means of negotiating the various realities and relations of the human and non-human agents in his films.

Imogen Frost: The London-based set designer studied Spatial Design at Chelsea College of Art & Design, where she developed her love of manipulating materials. She seeks inspiration from nature and the abundance of texture, shape and colour it provides. Her often tactile aesthetic is underpinned by attention to detail and paired with a touch of playfulness to create harmonious compositions.

Denzel Currie: “Curriegoat” is a multidisciplinary artist and content creator based in London. Working with rug making, painting, leather craft and bookbinding, his work explores mythology and surrealism with the goal of telling old stories in new ways.

Joe Sweeney: Sweeney is a conceptual artist working with a visual language created through British idiosyncrasies, everyday references and the banal, commenting on our fast-changing times by elevating the throwaway. Through quick observation, the artist encourages a pause for thought on the daily interactions that we don’t always pay attention to. Playing with Britain’s passion for nostalgia, he often creates morbid but humorous work through sculpture, print and installation.

MCM’s Creative Director Dirk Schoenberger can be seen in conversation with the five artists in the latest MCM Creative Minds video at https://www.instagram.com/p/CWfpHttq-dI/.

Davidoff roars with Year of the Tiger collection

Davidoff has launched its Chinese New Year 2022 limited-edition cigar and humidor.

To mark the Year of the Tiger in 2022, a zodiac sign characterised by strength, energy and determination, the company has chosen a piramides cigar with a Connecticut wrapper leaf, which is a first for any Davidoff limited edition.

The wrapper leaves were coloured applying a natural process to bring the fur markings of the tiger to life on the cigar.

Limited to 17,350 pieces worldwide, the Davidoff Year of the Tiger Limited Edition is presented in a box of 10 cigars. The packaging is inspired by the tiger's natural habitat, the jungle.

The exclusive collection features a cigar leather case, an ashtray in an iconic shape, and a pipe tobacco (only available outside the US).

Exclusive Masterpiece humidor

The Year of the Tiger Masterpiece humidor completes the exclusive collection. It was designed by Chinese artist Qi Xie and hand decorated in delicate marquetry by Rose Saneuil in France, in a collaboration between the two artists. Through meticulous marquetry, Rose Saneuil has brought Qi Xie‘s two tigers to life.

Each humidor contains 88 toro cigars, created exclusively for the humidor, and is limited to 24 pieces worldwide.

The limited-edition products will be available at selected Davidoff appointed merchants and flagship stores around the world from November 2021.

MCM marks Hainan opening with new interior concept

A new MCM store has begun trading on the Chinese holiday resort island of Hainan with a new interior design and exclusive limited editions.

Located in the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Haitang Bay, the boutique (pictured above) is described as a sleek, modern space which is bold yet functional. The interior is decked out with exquisite materials such as travertine marble and a palette of carpets and velvets, adding a luxurious touch. A range of iconic international designer furniture and table lamps echo MCM’s attitude and heritage and aim to create a perfect shopping experience for customers.

Drawing on the brand’s best-selling Patricia collection, MCM has specially designed four exclusive limited editions to celebrate the new Sanya store opening. Each limited edition is dressed in the shopping centre’s signature vibrant begonia-inspired coral colour. The collection includes a Mini Backpack, Crossbody Bag, Mini Crossbody Bag, and Wallet with Shoulder Chain.

The new store opened its doors on October 1, 2021.