The founding couple, a poetic tribute to Jean and Rachel Martell by Vincent Darré
For the festive season, Maison Martell has partnered with French designer Vincent Darré, who has brought his poetic vision to House icon Martell Cordon Bleu with a fable inspired by travel and by the singular destinies of Jean and Rachel Martell.
A flamboyant artistic collaboration with French designer Vincent Darré
For the Martell Cordon Bleu Limited Edition 2024, Maison Martell collaborated with the designer and interior decorator Vincent Darré. He is known for his flamboyant creations which draw on different styles and eras to offer a luxurious, contemporary vision of French decorative arts. When he visited Maison Martell in Cognac as inspiration for the project, Vincent Darré felt like an explorer discovering an unknown land. He describes it as travelling through time, thanks not only to the illustrations and accounts he found in the archives, but also to the place itself, with its strange and wonderful alchemy.
A poetic tribute to Maison Martell’s founding couple
For the Martell Cordon Bleu GTR Limited Edition, whose central theme is travel, Vincent Darré was inspired by the life of Martell’s founders. First and foremost, his design references the journey of Jean Martell from Jersey to Cognac in 1715, represented by the boat with a mermaid on its stern. It is also possible to see an evocation of the success of Martell Cordon Bleu.
Often described as solar, this iconic cognac – symbolised by the design’s two suns – spreads its warmth and generosity across the world. A flock of swifts – the historic emblem of Maison Martell – seems to guide this maritime expedition, with Rachel Martell keeping the logbook, which features on both the bottle and the gift box. Impressed by her strength and character, Vincent Darré gave Rachel a key role in the story. In the foreground, the compass rose points the way, evoking the visionary spirit of the founding couple. On the gift box, the outline of the swift is cut away to partially reveal the story on the bottle, key elements of which are also echoed on the box. True to the style of Vincent Darré, both the box and the bottle have a watercolour effect, further reinforcing the artistic dimension of the design
Martell Cordon Bleu: the House icon
The Martell Cordon Bleu limited edition by Vincent Darré revisits the House’s iconic cognac, which was created in 1912 by Edouard Martell, the great-grandson of Jean Martell. From the start, it was destined to be one of a kind: a new quality of cognac to be served in the world’s leading hotels and restaurants, with a unique taste and a bottle which – for the first time – bore a name, referencing the emblematic blue ribbon of excellence. Its blend of more than 100 eaux-de-vie is influenced by generous floral aromas from the small Borderies terroir, the signature of Maison Martell since it was founded.
The taste of Martell Cordon Bleu has remained unchanged since 1912; instantly identifiable for its richness, elegance and finesse, it is emblematic of the Martell style.
About Vincent Darré
Vincent Darré spent 20 years as a stylist and artistic director with, among others, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Fendi, where he collaborated for six years with Karl Lagerfeld. He left fashion to found Maison Darré in Paris in 2009, applying his talents as a designer and interior decorator embodying the timeless luxury of French decorative arts. Vincent Darré imagines objects, furniture, ephemeral or permanent decors, nourishing his insatiable curiosity for references from all eras, styles and creative realms, which he fuses together in his designs. He explains: “I always start with a story, which I write like a film script, before bringing my concepts to life through watercolours.”
About Maison Martell
The oldest of the great cognac houses, founded by Jean Martell in 1715, Maison Martell is renowned throughout the world for the finesse and elegance of its cognacs, the result of a legacy of savoir-faire handed down through nine generations. Together with a passion for its craft and a profound attachment to the terroir, Maison Martell is defined by the audacity with which it has challenged convention to create new expressions of cognac, including the icon Martell Cordon Bleu in 1912. The free spirit of the House is symbolised by its historic emblem: the swift.
