The absolutely new ABSOLUT VODKA Crystal Pinstripe Bottle limited edition, the most luxurious ever version of an iconic bottle, was introduced exclusively in Stockholm Arlanda Airport on 6 September by Pernod Ricard Travel Retail.

The new bottle—the next generation of the much publicized THE ABSOLUT VODKA Crystal Bottle, launched in 2010—is designed by hot Swedish designer duo Skogsberg&Smart, and hand-blown, hand-cut and hand-engraved in superior quality crystal by master craftsmen at the esteemed Reijmyre glassworks in the Östergötland region in southern Sweden.

“THE ABSOLUT VODKA Crystal Pinstripe Bottle is a unique project for our brand in that it represents a number of our most important brand values premiumness, superior quality, innovation, our proud Swedish handicraft heritage and also the crystal clear purity which has always been a fundamental asset of our ABSOLUT brand image,” says Anders Olsson, Director of The Absolut Company Global Travel Retail.” The collaboration with designers Skogsberg&Smart and the craftsmen at Reijmyre glassworks is yet another exciting and innovative venture in our proud tradition of creative partnerships that started back in 1985, with the groundbreaking ABSOLUT WARHOL campaign.”

As the name, the appearance and the elegant packaging concept indicate, the ABSOLUT VODKA Crystal Pinstripe Bottle is inspired by the Savile Row pinstripe suit—the ultimate symbol of established elegance and sophistication, both in its classic, London City three-piece version and in the funkier guises that were re-introduced into the world of fashion back in the 1980s by designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Claude Montana, and by stars the likes of Madonna, Grace Jones and Bryan Ferry. The pinstripe has not stepped down from the fashion podiums since. Trendsetting fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen have re-invented it again and again. In the Savile Row of today, the classic pattern has been interpreted in numerous flamboyant designs and color settings by designers and tailors such as Richard James and Oswald Boetang, among others.

“We’ve been inspired by Savile Row both in the sharp, simple yet sophisticated elegance of the design and in the uncompromising attitude to quality and handicraft, where each garment is tailored individually to measure, just like our bottles,” says Magnus Skogsberg of the Skogsberg&Smart design duo, known for their style which can be characterized as“bold, rustic elegance with a twist”.

The total number of bottles made is a mere 800, each numbered and signed by the master cutter after inspection and approval.

Photo:  new ABSOLUT VODKA Crystal Pinstripe Bottle has debuted in the international travel retail