Blog

I joined the Pernod Ricard Travel Retail team a few months back and had heard many stories about glamorous press trips to The Palace of Versailles and Pierre Cardin’s personal abode as well as fancy collaborations with famous designers and celebrities.  So, I was very excited to be asked to accompany a group of travel retail journalists to the launch of the most luxurious and ornate bottle of whisky I have ever come across, a legacy of iconic luxury from Christian Lacroix. 
Born from a striking collaboration between Chivas Brothers and the French fashion house, Chivas Regal 18 Year Old by Christian Lacroix is a beautiful blue, bejewelled bottle with intricate laser metallisation and hand-woven damask and embroideries, packaged in a mirrored treasure box echoing the multi-layered richness of the whisky inside. 
Having spent the last few months liaising with this new sector of media via telephone and email, it was great to finally meet the lovely Nicole, Colin, Marek and John at the renowned Quo Vadis in Soho, for the unveiling of this prestigious bottle.  Over a delicious three-course meal and a dram of Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, we discussed the importance of limited edition projects within travel retail and the significance of such high-profile collaborations, as well as such high-brow topics as the merits of English vs. American football, how to raise bilingual children and the season finale of Lost – all in a day’s work!  
With TFWA Cannes just around the corner, I’m now looking forward to more hob-nobbing with the media in glamorous venues and getting fully immersed in the small but very friendly and inclusive world of travel retail.