On October 20 in New York, La Maison Rémy Martin opened its doors for us to explore a preview of the brand’s immersive installation—a traveling pop-up experience that stimulated many senses in a near replica of their base in Cognac, France.
Upon entering the space dedicated to their motto “One Life / Live Them,” with guests Rotimi, Jackie Cruz, Shantell Martin, and Tyson Beckford, we experienced the first room’s offering—a video experience documenting the evolving grapes in Cognac, coupled with sounds of trickling rain. Moving to the second room, we indulged in a tasting experience and an informative introduction by a brand ambassador, then moving on to witness a leather maker handcraft custom coasters and signage for the brand.
Vicent Leroy’s Red Ripples holiday packaging for Rémy Martin’s V.S.O.P. and XO.Courtesy of Rémy Martin.
From there, we made our way to the dining room for a pre-meal divulgence. Spread across the table was a handful of umami pairings for our cognac in hand—parmesan cheese, cocoa truffles, candied figs, pistachio cakes, and honey combs, among many other delectable bites. The diverse selection of natural, candied, and aged goods was specifically chosen to highlight unusual flavors within the cognac as we enjoyed both.
Rémy Cointreau President & CEO of The Americas, Philippe Farnier, along with the CEO of The House of Rémy Martin, Eric Vallat, then welcomed us to a sit-down dinner by Chef Marc Forgione. The evening also unveiled a one-of-a-kind kinetic art piece created by French Artist Vincent Leroy for Rémy Martin. Inspired by rippling drops of cognac, Leroy’s kinetic sculpture Red Ripples symbolizes the brand’s dedication to the creation of superior cognac.
Vincent Leroy.Courtesy of Rémy Martin.
“When I met Baptiste, the cellar master in Cognac, I understood immediately the importance [of his] work. He works like a scientist or an artist—he works like me. He works with a lot of experimentation,” Leroy said. “He takes the time when he mixes cognac… and I work like this…in slow-motion movement, and to be more sensitive.”
“Cognac is in constant motion, the eaux-de-vie forever evolving,” said Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau.
Courtesy of Rémy Martin.
Through a series of mirrored concentric circles connected to generate a perpetual motion, the sculpture served as the dinner’s perfect backdrop, an is seen reinterpreted on Remy Martin’s holiday gift packaging for the V.S.O.P. and XO editions. Said Leroy, “I was struck by the color of cognac. As the liquid moved, it revealed different transparencies and rich beautiful colors. If you look at cognac as a material, you see it has many levels of depth.”
The pop-up has since traveled to Chicago and will continue to make its way to those in Los Angeles in November for the completion of its U.S. tour.
Courtesy of Rémy Martin.
