When it comes to popular culture collaborations, it’s hard to find something as exciting and pinnacle this year Hennessy X.O and Kim Jones. The three-piece luxury collection designed by the iconic Dior Creative Director includes a pair of sneakers, a Masterpiece decanter and a limited-edition bottle, and bridges the gap of luxury and street culture, a merging that UK rap has played an essential role in closing. The collection pays tribute to cognac-making and couture alike, two processes that epitomise artisanal craftsmanship, as well as an understanding of science and the natural world. A resonant, rich and rapturous collaboration, the full collection is available to purchase in store at Flannels Oxford Street alongside other select retailers.

The alternative rap scene is amongst the most burgeoning and vital scenes in the UK right now. With scores of talents vying to break through into the mainstream atmosphere, there’s perhaps only one name that has fully succeeded in doing so, who has laid down the blueprint for the other hopefuls, giving the foundation on the path to success. Knucks is a special talent; a supremely technically gifted performer and insightful, provoking writer, there’s not many better out there, illustrated in abundance by last year’s superb album Alpha House. This meant that he was the perfect face for the exciting launch of Hennessy and Kim Jones’ new collection, which came to a head last Thursday with a launch night at the new Flannels space in Soho. We were on hand to witness and capture the whole thing.

Located beneath the Flannels store on Oxford Street, the brand’s new basement space feels simultaneously luxurious and intimate. We catch a glimpse of the room early doors, finding it empty expect for preparations for the night ahead. Soon whisked off to go and meet the star of the show, we find Knucks awaiting his performance, Henny in hand, stopping by for a quick chat about Alpha House, the event and the fruitful collaboration.

Looking back on Alpha House now, how do you feel about the body of work, the reaction and the legacy?
For me to even put it out, it had to be a solid body of work. I take pride in how I structure these projects, I don’t just see them as a bag of songs that I put together. The reaction from it has been the best it could be. The reaction that I intended, the way people felt about the album came true, so what I was trying to achieve worked. I got a lot of that feeling with this project because there was a lot of songs that people took in the way I wanted them to. I’m really happy with how it’s been received and how it’s been looked at in the overall culture. My intention with the project was to make a moment from what “Home” did for my career. That track was the first of a genre in a way – the sample sound with keys and saxophone and intricate instrumentation whilst also being part of the drill sound. The thought process was to make a whole body of work with that sound to show listeners that there is longevity to the sound…

How do you drink your Hennessy?
It varies on the occasion. I’m a guy who can drink it straight. When I’m drinking with my dad, we’ll pour it up and sip it. If I’m out, I’ll mix it with something, usually apple juice.

What is it about the Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones party at Flannels that made you want to be involved?
I love Dior and have wanted to work more closely with them, so it made sense on that. With Hennessy, it’s one of my favourite drinks so it just made sense to do something with them. This just felt like the best way to do so as a performer and an artist.

The three-piece Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones collection is so special, what do you think sets it apart?
The pieces are great, the colours, shapes and design are clean and sleek works well.

Is there any future collaboration planned with you and Hennessy?
Yeah I’m definitely interested in working with them again.

Have you got a favourite item?
Hennessy Bottle, the design makes a lot of sense.

After our conversation, we headed down into the dimly light basement which bursted with vibrance, excitement and anticipation rife in the air as Shy One and AAA spin the decks, awaiting the arrival of the main man. Hennessy flowed, with an array of cocktail and straight options available. We personally made it our mission to try each of the selection available, quickly finding ourselves well hydrated.

Knucks soon appeared on stage, blessing fans with a motley array of hits from the seminal, thrilling and game-changing album, as well as earlier bangers like “Home” and “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”. The energy in the room was celebratory; this felt like a moment that we were blessed to witness. Closing off his set with a heartfelt thanks and the crowd pleasing climatic rendition of “Los Pollos Hermanos”, Knucks’ charisma and gusto mirrored the vitality of the collaboration. A night to remember that did the fantastic collection justice, we look forward to new Knucks music (hopefully sooner rather than later), visiting the Flannels space again, and further insight into the creative direction of Hennessy and Kim Jones.