Last week, Scottish whisky maker The Glenlivet celebrated the start of summer at Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles. The event kicked off with a panel moderated by HYPEBEAST’s Courtney Kenefick featuring Rhuigi Villaseñor, founder and designer of Rhude, Holly Jovenall, founder and designer of BILLY and Lola Plaku, founder and CEO of Lola Media Group. The conversation centered around originality and setting new standards — two pillars that The Glenlivet has upheld since its founding. Before the conversation, guests enjoyed whisky floats, highballs and piña coladas from the scotch purveyor.
To start the conversation, the talent shared how their distinct upbringings contribute to their brand and point of view. Holly, who was raised on a ranch in Pennsylvania, explained how her workwear-inspired label BILLY was partly informed by her own tomboy roots. Hailing from the Philippines and Albania respectively, Rhuigi and Lola shared their immigration stories, and emphasized the importance of embracing one’s own journey to create something truly one-of-a-kind. Lola and Holly also offered perspective on being females in male-dominated industries, while Rhuigi explained the vital role that women play in his company, giving a special shout out to his sister who was in attendance. Before the evening wrapped, party goers had the opportunity to be some of the first consumers to try The Glenlivet’s 14 Year Old, the first ever cognac-finished single malt in the United States.
Check out the images above and head to The Glenlivet’s website to learn more about the brand’s offerings.
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