On Tuesday, February 7th, Hennessy Rare Collections’ Paradis hosted an intimate group of VIPs and tastemakers in the Joshua Tree desert to celebrate its new campaign, “Paradis(e) Is On Earth,” alongside the Maison’s first ever female brand partner, Alicia Keys.
Held at the famed Kellogg Doolittle House in Joshua Tree, CA, Hennessy’s crown jewel of cognac, Paradis, and Keys hosted acclaimed actress Elizabeth Olsen, actress Gabrielle Union, The White Lotus’ Adam DiMarco, multi-hyphenate Alton Mason, multidisciplinary artist Moses Sumney, singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, actress and model Samara Weaving, actress Sofia Boutella, supermodel Stella Maxwell, and more.
The group of forty guests and close friends (including Alicia Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz), gathered for a private concert and extravagant dinner amidst the desert landscape. Kicking off a celestial new chapter for Hennessy Paradis, the experience began with a welcome tour by Doolittle House owner, Scott Leonard, followed by cocktail hour toasts with Hennessy brand executives, CEO Laurent Boillot and SVP Jasmin Allen.
Then, the pinnacle moment, a private performance by Alicia Keys within the avant-garde Frank Lloyd Wright House, which was transformed into a stage. Following Keys’ set of five of her most renowned hits, including “Empire State of Mind” and “No One”, attendees were seated for a 3-course culinary journey from James-Beard semi-finalist Chef Jesse Shenker. Guests raised their final toasts while stargazing, capturing the last blissful moment of the evening in paradise.
As the first female face of the brand, Alicia Keys unveiled the new universe for Hennessy Paradis in the beautiful oasis that unites music, nature, and the luxury cognac. All in a nod to Hennessy Paradis’ beginnings, when sixth generation Master Blender Maurice Fillioux de Gironde took to classical, symphonic music as his inspiration in creating the melodic blend of the Maison’s rarest eaux-de-vie.
The event follows the debut of the Hennessy Paradis global campaign that joins global icons Alicia Keys and Lang Lang, in a celebration inspired by the majesty of nature, for which Keys penned an original poem.
Shot at side-by-side pianos in the sweeping desert of Utah’s Paradise Canyon, the campaign showcases Alicia Keys’ profound harmonizing alongside Lang Lang, both coming together to amplify the natural beauty of Hennessy Paradis and become its modern day conductors. The collaboration explores the meeting of minds between the virtuoso talents who share values of culture and beauty exemplified through emotion, sensation, and contemplation.
