The World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky has again rejected tiered and traditional whisky norms with a multiverse collaboration launched with Australian multidisciplinary artist Jordan Gogos and custom sneaker artist Chase Shiel, fusing whisky, art and design.
Glenfiddich, the World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and Australian multidisciplinary artist Jordan Gogos of Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, surprised attendees during Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) 2022 with a unique showcase of upcycled one-of-a-kind physical and virtual pieces of art.
Presenting his Powerhouse 23 Collection at the Powerhouse Museum, Gogos unveiled another dynamic, collection full of colour, diversity and collaboration for his label. “Last year, we introduced the Trojan horse at AAFW and championed it throughout. This year, we’re ‘breaking into the castle’ and welcoming people into the kingdom with new thought-provoking designs and ideas.” said the designer.
As part of his collection and in collaboration with Melbourne-based Sneaker Designer Chase Shiel, five one-of a-kind sneakers walked the runway. Each sneaker, handmade out of diverse revamped materials, represented Gogos and Shiel’s maverick spirit through the five imaginative and distinctive designs – one of which later walked into the Metaverse as part of an exclusive and limited NFT release that evening.
“What you saw walking down the runway is a true expression of innovative art. The sneakers are a collision of materials that have been recycled and upcycled with cutting-edge machinery that reuses fabric scraps and turns them into revolutionary new felt materials to work with,” said Gogos. “Even if we used the exact fabric scraps again, the new felt produced wouldn’t be the same as what walked the runway tonight, making these pieces truly unique.”
“It’s all about being adaptable and finding things out as you go,” said Melbourne-based Sneaker Designer Chase Shiel, “When Glenfiddich approached me with this second creative collaboration, I knew it was right up my alley. I had never worked with someone of Jordan’s creativity before. Seeing his work and fabrics for the first time was exciting. Jordan, like Glenfiddich, gave me creative freedom to work on the sneakers, so the
results have our essence and values throughout. The passion we both had for creating such unique upcycled pieces, not to mention the last-minute changes, tied everything together.”
Creative Collaboration Lead for Glenfiddich, Ross Blainey said “We loved the idea of connecting Jordan with Chase, inspired by Jordan’s attitude, unique collections, and ability to push boundaries with colour, materials, and design and having seen first-hand the art and craftsmanship of Chase’ creations. Both Jordan and Chase comfortably push against the grain and create without letting people interfere with their process or vision. This is exactly how Glenfiddich started back in 1887, challenging convention and pursuing excellence in the category, and still does today.”
Although Iordanes Spyridon Gogos will archive the sneakers following their runway appearance they will live on the Metaverse via an exclusive NFT drop. Collaborating with Iordanes Spyridon Gogos and Shiel, Glenfiddich gifted lucky guests in attendance a surprise limited-edition MetaMask wallet drop, releasing 350 NFT versions of the sneakers Gogos himself wore in the show into the Metaverse for display, circulation and sale. “Glenfiddich has been a pioneer since its origins, so we decided to continue leading the way by being the first ones in Australia to gift limited-edition NFT artwork at a fashion show and introduce attendees to the Metaverse. We teamed up with Culture Vault, an Australian NFT curated platform and creative agency, to mint our drop and help attendees set up their MetaMask wallets. We chose to mint with Polygon as it’s the most sustainable blockchain platform and is leading the crypto world into sustainability with an energy-neutral approach. These NFTs are a limited take-home art piece from the Iordanes Spyridon Gogos Powerhouse show,” said Ross Blainey.
Jordan Gogos closed with, “We wanted to do something different, allowing consumers to step into our world. Glenfiddich, Chase and I wanted to do something new that they don’t understand (and neither do we!). It’s a shared ride, starting a journey together and venturing into something never done before – complete boundary-pushing!”
