Hennessy VS Shepard Fairy

A PHILISOPHICAL CONNECTION

After its sought-after collaborations with Kaws, Futura and Os Gemeos, Hennessy has invited Shepard Fairey, arguably one of the most important and most popular American artists of the early 21st century, to design his own Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition.

The collaboration between Hennessy and Shepard Fairey had everything to do with their shared values: the never ending quest for excellence, the love of true craftsmanship, the cultivation of consistency, the passion for tradition and innovation… “There is a philosophical connection between the way I work and the way that Hennessy works as a brand,” said the artist about the many parallels that could be drawn between his art and Hennessy’s craft.

To work on such a specific and iconic canvas as Hennessy Very Special, Shepard Fairey had the privilege to dive deeply into Hennessy’s visual history in Cognac. His research brought some enlightening insights onto the brand’s iconography and its core principles. “I was incredibly impressed knowing how many years it takes to cultivate all the different kinds of eaux-de-vie, and the real craftsmanship that goes into making Hennessy cognac. I think it’s a very artistic \ process, which I can truly relate to.”

ABOUT THE LABEL DESIGN

“My inspiration in coming up with art for this Limited Edition was really based on the legacy of Hennessy as a brand” says Shepard Fairey of his Hennessy Very Special Label design. “To me, Hennessy has always been about quality, authenticity, tradition and elegance.”

The keen appreciation of Hennessy Shepard Fairey already possessed prior to being invited on this project provided him with a solid background to furthermore explore the brand’s history and savoir-faire.

Invited to Cognac to discover the full Hennessy experience, Fairey embarked on a journey to make his powerful art mesh with such a storied house. When creating his designs, Shepard Fairey wanted to use every possible surface available: “I like the idea of creating an intimate relationship with the owner of the Limited Edition bottle, for them to see my work and to see how every space is utilized from different perspectives: the top of the bottle, the neck, the label.”

Lifting key features from historic Hennessy designs as well as his own designs, the Very Special Limted Edition by Shepard Fairey represents the artist’s unique interpretation of the perfect balance between tradition and innovation: “It was amazing for me to see how I could translate my art to the bottle, hopefully retaining the essence of what is beautiful and powerful about it, while bringing my own spirit to it as well.”