Christian Kimber and Bar Bellamy Give the Old Fashioned a Stylish Makeover for Melbourne Fashion Festival

Timed for PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, the ‘Most Fashionable Old Fashioned’ collection brings Kimber’s signature approach to effortless style into the world of drinks, turning the classic whiskey cocktail into a fashion-forward statement.

For one week only (March 3–8), these couture-inspired cocktails will be shaking things up at the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar at the Festival’s Fashion Forecourt and at Bar Bellamy itself.

A Tailored Approach to Cocktails

Kimber, known for his modern take on traditional tailoring, has worked with Bar Bellamy’s co-owner and mixologist Oska Whitehart to reimagine the Old Fashioned through an Australian lens. The result? Two strikingly different drinks, each mirroring a different approach to fashion.

The Amber Stitch is a nod to classic style, with deep, structured flavours that echo traditional menswear. Woodford Reserve is infused with fragrant corn silk tea and earthy corn stock, then stretched out with wattleseed and citrus soda—giving it a ‘long’ Old Fashioned feel that’s perfect for warm Australian nights. A finishing touch of beetroot, bitters, and wattleseed paint adds complexity and contrast, much like the interplay of natural fibres and sharp tailoring.

On the other hand, the Silken Sprig is a study in modern fluidity. Inspired by the soft silhouettes and adventurous materials of contemporary design, this cocktail blends mountain marigold leaf-infused Woodford Reserve with low-waste pineapple syrup, Zucca Rabarbaro amaro, calendula, and toasted milk powder. A caramelised milk chocolate and malt cream garnish, dusted with pepperberry and rosella salt, brings a tactile edge—subtle, refined, and a little unexpected, much like the evolution of modern menswear.

From the Runway to the Rocks Glass

For Kimber, the collaboration is a natural extension of his design philosophy. “Effortless style is all about considered design—balancing tradition with modernity in a way that feels completely natural,” he says. “That’s what we set out to do with these drinks. Working with Woodford Reserve and Bar Bellamy to translate that idea into an Old Fashioned was a really exciting challenge.”

Whitehart, who helmed the creative process on the cocktail front, echoes the sentiment. “Christian’s style feels completely at home at Bar Bellamy, so taking his aesthetic and translating it into a cocktail just made sense. We wanted these drinks to feel familiar yet entirely new—something that captures his approach to design and, more importantly, that people will actually love drinking.”

The ‘Most Fashionable Old Fashioned’ collection is available exclusively from March 3–8 at both the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar at the Festival’s Fashion Forecourt and Bar Bellamy. A limited-time blend of high fashion and high spirits, this one’s worth dressing up for.