Johnnie Walker vs Christian Lacroix

He is known internationally as the dashing young man in top hat and red tails associated with the world's most popular whisky. But even icons can change, as demonstrated here after Johnnie Walker, the 19th-century dandy displayed on Red Label whisky, was made over by Christian Lacroix, the haute couture designer.

The result of the restyle is a 20-inch tall statue of Walker that will be auctioned on the eBay website in December. The distiller teamed up with the French fashion designer to support Sidaction, a Paris-based charity that champions research on Aids. The latest marriage of Scottish tradition and French style comes only days after LVMH, the Paris-based luxury goods company, bought Glenmorangie, Scotland's last independent distiller, for £300m.

The modernised Johnnie wears carefully studied messy hair, a hooded black sweatshirt, a large tie dangling on an open shirt, and a small, tightly knotted scarf. Though he still has the same energetic stride, the modern JW has disposed of his riding boots, whip, and tailcoat, and sports a tight red frock coat on a pair of sleek white jeans.

Lacroix said he strongly identified with the dandy walker. "He's a code transgressor. Our ideals had to meet somewhere in between London and Paris," he said. Created by Tom Browne, the British cartoonist, in 1908, the original portrait depicts John Walker, the man who had the idea to blend whiskies together in the early 1820s in Scotland.