On Saturday night, the McKittrick Hotel — the longtime home of immersive “Macbeth” production “Sleep No More” — opened its doors for a new Scottish arrival. This time, the story looked a little different: more whisky, less murder. And a lot more Balmain.
Olivier Rousteing, in New York for the Met Gala, and Johnnie Walker Vault teamed up to host a launch dinner for their new collaboration, four “couture” bottles of whisky inspired by Rousteing’s connection to the four seasons.
VIP guests arrived at the venue through a blue-lit hallway, perfume-scented and filled with a trance-y audio track voiced by master blender Dr. Emma Walker and Rousteing, which set the mood for the “sensorial dinner” ahead.
“The aromas and textures move like a cold spring day. You’ve got a sparkle in the air.” The Scottish voice then shifted to a French accent. “When the art of couture meets the art of blending.”
“Hi fabulous goddess,” said Rousteing, emerging from the hallway and greeting Priyanka Jonas on the blue-carpeted step-and-repeat. “You know I’m with one of the most beautiful women in the world?” he called out to the small group surrounding the pair.
Afterward, they made their way hand-in-hand past the photo booth and descended into the dark dinner space, where an inverted pyramid, housing a swirling hologram, extended from the center of a large square table.
“I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” Rousteing told Jonas. Final Met Gala fittings awaited.
“ It’s gonna be a really busy day [tomorrow], and I think it’s even more complex than last year,” said a jubilant Rousteing before dinner. He and several other guests wore a small gold “couture flask,” hanging from a long chain shoulder strap. “Tonight we’re celebrating Johnnie Walker; in two days we’re gonna celebrate the Balmain dresses and suits. So I feel proud. I feel proud of what I’m achieving. After 14 years of career as a creative director, I feel like I just wanna explore,” he added. “This incredible collaboration makes me more creative and more curious about everything.”
”He’s just so incredibly talented,” said Jonas, who launched her own collaboration with Johnnie Walker last fall. “Walking together at the Met, and [Rousteing] dressing me, is just really exciting. I think he’s one of the most accomplished designers we have right now.”
Other dinner guests included Hunter Schafer, wearing a tiny pair of wings, and Lupita Nyong’o — “Olivier’s Angels” — as well as Jeremy O. Harris, Rege-Jean Page, Stormzy, Nicky Hilton-Rothschild and Henry Goulding.
“It’s Met Gala weekend. Everybody’s in town,” said Goulding, dressed in a tux. “ It’s always a fun circus, but it’s quite stressful. There’s a lot happening,” he added. “There’s so many people in town — I’m not looking forward to the traffic — but [looking forward to] seeing everybody and catching up.”
Guests sat for dinner by chef Yann Nury, as the central hologram unveiled the collaboration’s spring bottle. Jon Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” queued up as servers placed the first course, setting the scene for the first whisky pairing. Eighties pop hits accompanied each course — from Rick Astley to Kim Wilde and Rick Springfield. “By the way, the music is my playlist, I’m so sorry,” Rousteing revealed to the room, as “Whip It” played during the meal’s dessert course of whisky-flavored ice cream. “Tonight we are celebrating more than incredible blends — we are celebrating love, happiness, strength, and togetherness,” added the designer, closing out the evening.
After dinner, seats were whisked away and the bottle hologram transitioned to a rotating silver Johnnie Walker mascot. The room’s dark hue switched to blue, and a curtain opened to reveal the afterparty’s Johnnie Walker Blue bar. New guests arrived, some VIPs lingered for a nightcap, and others made their exit. Tomorrow, and tomorrow: the Met Gala finish line is in sight.
Regé-Jean Page and Olivier Rousteing
Alyssa Greenberg/WWD
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