Beyond the Mithai Box: What happens when a fashion designer styles your festive drinks pack

How I styled high-waisted trousers and metallic accents for the Glenfiddich x Rajesh Pratap Singh launch, plus a peek inside these designer festive drink packs.

It is that time of the year again. We have all arrived at that familiar yearly dilemma of generic hampers, endless dry fruit boxes, and an infinite cycle of passing along soan papdis and kaju katlis, the usual festive favourites in every Indian household.

While traditional sweets will always be a part of our festive celebrations, the way we celebrate has changed. Today, the festive season is just as much about card parties, family get-togethers and late-night Diwali gatherings with friends. And at many of these celebrations, a well-chosen bottle of liquor has become as much a part of the festivities as the mithai box, for both hosting and gifting.

I recently came across an interesting take on festive gifting. Luxury doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag. Sometimes, it can be as simple as finding a designer touch tucked inside a festive bottle.

I went to an exclusive launch event at The Leela Palace in New Delhi to check out a new collaboration between Glenfiddich and celebrity fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. They’ve teamed up for a limited-edition festive set that mixes Scottish single malt heritage with modern Indian design.

Inside the Unveiling: An Evening at The Leela Palace

Walking into the venue, I found the setting every bit as elegant as the occasion. The evening brought together people from across fashion, hospitality, design, whisky and the media.

To mirror the evening’s intersection of classic structure and modern refinement, I kept my look tailored, polished, and quietly sophisticated. I opted for high-waisted black trousers paired with a structured brown coat, layered over refined gold accents and metallic accessories to give the outfit an understated, festive warmth.

What the Fashion Crowd Wore

Looking around the room, the dress code was a masterclass in modern Indian luxury. I spotted guests effortlessly blending classic tailoring with contemporary ethnic silhouettes:

Contemporary Bandhgalas: Crisp velvet and raw silk bandhgalas styled over slim trousers rather than traditional churidars.

Textural Outerwear: Structured trench coats in jewel tones, deep emeralds and rich burgundies, layered over understated silk shirts.

Statement Accents: Metallic lapel pins, ornate brooch clusters, and vibrant silk pocket squares that added a pop of personality to monochrome suits.

The Luxury of Designer Fashion, Without the Extra Cost

Usually, when a high-end designer teams up with a major Scotch brand, you expect the price tag to jump instantly. But the biggest surprise of the night wasn't just how good the packaging looked; it was the price point.

Instead of just printing a designer logo on a cardboard box and marking it up, this collaboration includes actual wearable accessories at standard retail prices.

Closer look at: Brooches, Buttons, and Silk Accents

• The 12-Year-Old Pack (INR 3,200 in Gurgaon): Features a specially crafted silk pocket square, offering 10 collectable designs accessible via a sleek bottleneck tag.
• The 15-Year-Old Pack (INR 5,800 in Gurgaon): Pairs a silk pocket square with a sharp, metallic stag brooch, the ultimate statement accent for a festive blazer, kurta, or bandhgala.
• The 18-Year-Old Pack (INR 9,000 in Gurgaon): Includes a bespoke, structured button set designed to elevate Indian ethnic tailoring long after the bottle is empty.

This pack makes a great gift for someone who enjoys single malts and good design. Just keep in mind that prices vary by state. At ₹3,200 in Haryana, it’s a good deal, but you can expect to pay more in Maharashtra and Karnataka due to differences in liquor taxes.

City	Glenfiddich 12 YO	Glenfiddich 15 YO	Glenfiddich 18 YO
Gurgaon	₹3,200	₹5,800	₹9,000
Bangalore	₹4,800	₹7,271	₹11,130
Mumbai	₹6,000	₹11,000	₹17,000

As the evening at The Leela Palace showed, luxury gifting is becoming about more than just the product. At the end of the day, a bottle gets finished, and sweets get eaten. But having accessories you can actually keep and wear for years makes this feel like a genuine step up for festive gifting.