Diageo-owned whisky brand Johnnie Walker has revealed a new design for its Blue Label to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and it has been designed by one of the stars of Netflix design competition Next in Fashion.

The label’s design incorporates a dynamic, modern interpretation by Angel Chen of the zodiac animal for 22 January 2023 to 9 February 2024, the rabbit.

Chen studied fashion at Central Saint Martin College of Art and was a semi-finalist on the fashion design competition. She is now based in Shanghai. Describing her creation for the special bottle, she said: “There’s a defiant energy to my illustrations which bring to life the vibrant spirit of the rabbit as it leaps across the design, symbolising how we need to keep moving forward, spreading goodness throughout the year to come.” She also created the illustrations for the limited edition designs of Lunar New Year John Walker & Sons XR 21 and John Walker & Sons King George V.

“My work is often inspired by different generations, different genders and cultures coming together to create something fresh and new. These ideals echo the craft of Johnnie Walker, taking different types of whisky from different distilleries, with differing ages of maturation and blending them together perfectly to create a masterpiece – that is something I can relate to,” Chen continued.

The rabbit, known for its sprightliness, also echoes Johnnie Walker’s motto of “Keep Walking”.

Johnnie Walker global brand director Julie Bramham said: “The energy and layers of colour that Angel brings to her designs are a visual interpretation of the incredible blending expertise that Emma Walker and her team use to create those perfectly balanced layers of flavour in Johnnie Walker Blue Label…We hope that the positivity symbolised by the rabbit will inspire people who receive this gift to greet the new year with the same optimism embodied in Angel’s designs. It is remarkable to see such a talented designer bring her skills from the world of fashion to create something so exciting for this exceptional Scotch.”

Recently, Johnnie Walker partnered with Air-Ink on a series of limited edition bottle designs using ink made from air pollution for its Black Label collection.