Féerie by Van Cleef & Arpels
Brandimage designed the eye-catching packaging for the Féerie fragrance by Van Cleef & Arpels. Inter Parfums hired the design agency to create a stronger synergy with Van Cleef & Arpels luxury jewelry brand.
“Our goal for the packaging was to embody all of the elements and imaginative values of the jewelry, so it had to be precious, feminine, poetic, and ingenious,” says Marine Guillou Doré, strategy and concept consultant, Brandimage. The project’s creative director was Joël Desgrippes, and its artistic director was Eric Douane, both of Brandimage.
The team researched the history of the brand before deciding on the bottle’s design. “The most identifying characteristic, from our point of view, was the brand’s exclusive experience with faceted gems. They are also known for the unexpected colors of their gemstones,” says Doré.
The package’s most distinguishing feature is its unexpected, oversized cap. A long tree branch made from silver Zamac extends from the cap. A fairy is perched on the branch, which was also made of Zamac.
“The cap’s parts were all molded, cut, polished, plated, and riveted, making the cap a work of art,” says Eric Vanin, vice president of sales, Qualipac (Wayne, NJ). Qualipac produced the cap at its new Zamac factory in China. Electroplating achieved the right finish on the cap and was a challenge to perform, according to Vanin.
The round glass bottle was molded with small facets that have sharp edges, like those of a gemstone. Due to careful design of the tooling, there are no visible seams on the bottle, according to its supplier, Bormioli Luigi (Horsham, PA). The glass was lacquered deep blue and reflects light bouncing off of the shiny silver cap. The deep shade of blue represents the color of night, according to Brandimage. The pump was supplied by MeadWestvaco Calmar (Grandview, MO).
The fairy has a handmade look, and it is meant to feel like an exclusive piece of jewelry. It was inspired by the many fairy-shaped pieces in the Van Cleef & Arpels collection. “The fairy symbolizes a sensitive and poetic character. She rests delicately on a moonflower in an impish pose, personifying the perfume’s magical muse,” says Doré.
The way in which design explores the fantasy world of magical fairies serves a practical purpose as well, one that the team at Inter Parfums recognized. “The role of luxury brands, especially fragrances, is to surprise the consumer and provide a way to fantasize, escaping a little bit from reality,” says Doré.
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