Mixologists are taking their cues from fashion’s best and brightest to craft cocktails that are fit for the runway. Amber Dias takes a closer look.
Fashion meets spirits to create some of the most dramatic and delicious concoctions to hit a cocktail glass. These couture-inspired drinks have been taking over bars at fashion shows and showcases, dazzling audiences with looks and taste. From collaborations with spirit brands to new innovations, mixologists are stepping up their game to craft cocktails worthy of the runway.
Partners In Design
GREY GOOSE Altius recently unveiled the second edition of Cocktail Couture in collaboration with renowned designer Amit Aggarwal. Reflecting on the partnership, Amit remarked, “When one speaks of high fashion, it has always been synonymous with French couture. This collaboration with GREY GOOSE challenged me to explore how the purity of nature, French elegance, and glacial smoothness could be elevated into a new form of couture. The answer was simple: When something is already crafted to perfection, you let it speak for itself.”
An ode to this philosophy, Aggarwal’s creations featured translucent fabrics, sharp geometric lines, and metallic accents, echoing the purity of ice and the fluidity of the spirit. The evening also showcased a bespoke cocktail menu curated by mixologist Avinash Kapoli, who described the experience as “a true conversation with Amit Aggarwal’s vision.” He added, “We translated the refined artistry of couture into liquid form, blending locally sourced ingredients to create cocktails that embody both French finesse and Indian inspiration, each one a perfectly tailored expression of this unique collaboration.”
In 2022, Bergdorf Goodman in New York leaned into Fashion Week by commissioning cocktails inspired by designers like Michael Kors, Sergio Hudson, and Christopher John Rogers. Temple Bar’s mixologists treated each designer’s style as a prompt, crafting drinks that embodied their aesthetics. Guests weren’t just sipping a cocktail; they were inhabiting a look in liquid.
For The Love Of Fashion
Fashion weeks are no longer just about what’s on the runway, they’re about curating an atmosphere, a lifestyle, and a story. This is where cocktails come in. By collaborating with mixologists, fashion brands extend their aesthetic into another sensory dimension: Taste.
A cocktail becomes not just a drink, but a liquid extension of the designer’s vision. For instance, at New York Fashion Week 2018, mixologist Arley Marks created avant-garde cocktails for labels like Eckhaus Latta, using bold flavours like hibiscus and cinnamon to echo runway prints. These drinks became part of the show’s storytelling, blurring the lines between fashion and performance art. Similarly, at London Fashion Week 2023, Patrón Tequila hosted a coutureinspired cocktail evening with mixologist Giuseppe Gallo, where bespoke margarita variations reflected the craftsmanship of emerging British designers. Each drink drew on the same themes of innovation and tradition that shaped the collections on display. The introduction of these cocktails to fashion events creates multi-sensory experiences. They allow fashion houses to extend their storytelling beyond fabric and silhouette, where every sip, much like every stitch, reflects artistry, identity, and mood.
Beyond The Runway
The trend has since spilled over to bars and hotels, who create their own capsule drops when Fashion Week comes to town, giving patrons who haven’t had the runway-side experience a peek at what the buzz is all about. During India Couture Week 2025, brands and hotels across Delhi and Mumbai created cocktail menus inspired by runway shows, pairing traditional ingredients like saffron, rose, and kokum with contemporary presentations. Bartenders leaned into opulence, serving drinks in jewelled glassware or with edible gold leaf, echoing the extravagance of Indian bridal couture.
Sexy Fish in Mayfair, London, once transformed its bar into a catwalk of its own, launching a “haute couture” cocktail series inspired by icons like Valentino, Alexander McQueen, and even Picasso. The Harry Le Beau, a playful nod to a McQueen dress made entirely from 50,000 gummy bears, combined Havana Club 3-Year-Old rum with lime, pineapple, and curry spices, topped with a whimsical mermaid-shaped gummy bear. The Coquelicot, in Valentino’s unmistakable red, layered Campari, Absolut Elyx, Aperol, and yuzu, crowned with a cloud of mint foam.
To mark the Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse exhibition, award-winning bartender Nick Tesar designed a menu of cocktails echoing McQueen’s darkly romantic aesthetic at The Douglas Club, Melbourne. Deliverance blended whiskey with honey syrup, sweet wine, and bitters, while Evolution & Existence reimagined a gin sour with a sharp, modern edge.
In tandem with the blockbuster Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition, The May Fair Bar, London, paid tribute to Dior’s timeless elegance with three couture cocktails: Écarlate, a vivid crimson blend of vodka, hibiscus-guava infusion, Solerno blood orange liqueur, and Cocchi Americano Rosa; Pérou layered Hennessy Fine de Cognac with honey, sage, lemon, and Moët & Chandon Brut; Soirée de Décembre, as dark and sleek as black silk, fused Cîroc vodka with charcoal, Aperol, kalamansi, orange, and egg white.
A Toast To Fashion
Cocktails and couture share a rare magic, ephemeral yet unforgettable. Both are crafted to stir emotion and spark conversation. It’s this fleeting brilliance, savoured in a sip or a silhouette, that makes their union irresistible.
