Couture Cocktails

story by Anna McGauley Stockton

Throughout the years, fashion and style icons have revolutionized fashion and broken through barriers to give both men and women the freedom and opportunity to express themselves. As styles have come and gone, a few of these icons have stayed at the forefront of fashion, even after they are gone. Often haute couture and parties go hand in hand, so as we celebrate as on le n s ss e we e co led so e coc a ls na ed after these icons that changed the fashion world forever.

they

French fashion designer Coco Chanel helped women free themselves from the strict and confining clothing they were accustomed to by introducing free flowing, petticoat free trends in the early 1900s. Her motto she lived by was, “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury,” and she exhibited this in her designs that stressed simplicity, as well as comfort. While her career spanned decades, Coco Chanel’s influence on fashion continues, long after her death in 1971. The ever-famous Chanel suit, the quilted handbag, the little black dress, and of course her signature scent Chanel No.5 remain a testament to her style and class.

3 oz coconut vodka

1 oz elderflower liqueur

Add the coconut vodka and elderflower liqueur into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass.

The Armani Cocktail

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani is one of the most famous designers of our time. He is known for softening men’s fashion and giving women a touch of masculinity with the power suit for women, he is also popular among the Hollywood elite for his formal designs. Armani has greatly expanded his business into perfume, accessories, casual apparel, and even designed uniforms for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

1 ¼ oz nocino (black walnut liqueur)

2 oz vodka

3 oz Chinotto soda lemon wedge

In an ice filled cocktail shaker, mix nocino and vodka. Pour over ice in a highball glass, top with Chinotto soda, and garnish with lemon wedge.

The Christian Dior Cocktail

Also a French fashion designer Christian Dior changed the way women dressed post World War II. He designed dresses with long, full skirts with lots of volume, and combined them with cinched waistlines and delicate or even exposed shoulders, accentuating the femininity of women. He’s responsible for the H-line, Y-line, and the most popular, A-line dress styles. While his career in fashion wasn’t a long one, as he died in his early 50s, his legacy lives on in the House of Dior.

1 ½ oz brandy

1 ½ oz amaretto

1 ½ oz light cream cherry blossom to garnish

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake vigorously, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish.

The Yves Saint Laurent St-Germain Cocktail

After Christian Dior’s death, his assistant Yves Saint Laurent took over the fashion house. After being drafted into the French Army in 1960, he was replaced at the House of Dior and opened his own fashion house in 1962. Yves Saint Laurent was best known for popularizing trousers for women as everyday wear, not just for farm work, as well as using transparent and metallic fabrics in his designs. He expanded his business to include household linens, fashion accessories, and fragrances.

2 oz dry white wine or champagne

1 ½ oz St-Germain liqueur

2 oz sparkling water or club soda

Mix ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice; pour over ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.