Ukranian vodka, by Paco Rabanne

Fashion designer Paco Rabanne is to create new haute couture bottles for vodka brand Nemiroff LEX, as the drink continues to build on its luxury image writes Angela Drujinina.

Fashion designer Paco Rabanne is to create new haute couture bottles for vodka brand Nemiroff LEX, as the drink continues to build on its luxury image writes Angela Drujinina. The move highlights the fact that vodka has become a fashionable and desirable consumer product in both Eastern Europe and the West. It also represents a bit of a coup for Nemiroff. “Nemiroff LEX is the best vodka I have ever drunk,” claimed Rabanne. Rabanne says that the noble and decisive image of Nemiroff LEX fits the brave and masculine character of the Basque people. Firmness and faithfulness, a great sense of responsibility and the power of spirit – Rabanne intends to express these sentiments in the new bottle design. “I already feel the form into which such straight and at the same time noble taste of LEX should be placed: sharp lines and direction upwards. There should be the features suggesting a dagger: the sharpness of facets, precision and danger as well.” The decision was taken at the second international fashion festival, Kiev Podium, for which Nemiroff was the key sponsor. Kiev Podium has become the major haute couture event in Ukraine. Gribov said that the proposal from Rabanne was unexpected. “We have discussed the idea with him for the past few days and regardless of the final outcome of our talks it was a very interesting and useful discussion.” Gribov does not exclude a possibility of limited production of Nemiroff LEX in haute couture bottles. Nemiroff LEX already uses bottles designed by Philippe Seys, master of renowned French studio Version Originale, for luxury bottles of vodka. Ukrainian vodka producer Nemiroff is the leader in the legal vodka market in Ukraine. Nemiroff products are exported to more than 40 countries around the world and the company’s share in the overall volume of Ukrainian export of strong spirits is 75 per cent. Nemiroff was named the number one alcohol brand in the world by the World Millionaires Club, among alcohol brands that sold more than 1 million cases in 2003. In the 11months of 2004 Nemiroff produced more than 5.5 million deciliters of liquors, 40 per cent more than in the same period of 2003.