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For the competition, the entrants were asked to design a powder compact with a mirror and an applicator, as well as a matching lipstick container. Designers with between one and five years of professional experience were invited to participate.

The winning design from Japan was an ultraflat orange compact that unfolded into many panels, incorporating the principles of origami, the traditional Japanese technique of folding paper. The compact's designers Tatsuyuki Gyotoku and Naoe Kanetsuki explained the inspiration behind their idea: "The act of making origami is the expression of an artist—the process is more important than the result. Thus, the gesture of opening the compact is meant to be an act of beauty."

Marc Rosen, the event's master of ceremonies, congratulated the pair on "effectively marrying the ancient technique of origami with a component that is very practical and modern."

The honorable mention went to the finalist from Barcelona, Anna Bou. Bou's winning concept was a compact and a lipstick container that could be worn as pendants. "My project suggests a new way of wearing makeup," said Bou. "It proposes using not only makeup, but makeup packaging as well, to seduce."

The winners were announced by His Serene Highness Crown Prince Albert of Monaco, who attended the event. The grand prize was 10,000 euros and a trophy designed by students at the Pavillion Bosio, Monaco's Artistic Teaching College.

To end the ceremony, Rosen announced the theme for next year's awards. Entrants will be asked to design a luxury water bottle based on the theme L'eau de Monaco.

The organizers of Luxe Pack Monaco reported that this year's edition marked the first time that the number of international visitors outnumbered the number of attendees from France. The total number of visitors was 5390, 53% of whom were foreign. The increase in international attendance is a result of the organization's ongoing strategy to reach more foreign buyers.

HCT Packaging Is a Big Winner at HBA Awards

HCT Packaging was well recognized at this year's International Package Design Awards, held on September 28 during the Health & Beauty America (HBA) trade show. Packages supplied by HCT Packaging won in three categories, including package of the year. The awards dinner was held at the Hilton New York Hotel and Towers.

The package of the year honor went to Urban Decay's Hot Box Mini Makeup compact, which was designed to look like a Zippo lighter. The compact was designed by Wende Zomnir of Urban Decay and Tim Thorpe, HCT Packaging's West Coast president. Illustrations for the package were done by Garrison Smet of J3 Productions. The small compact houses eye shadow, lip color, mascara, concealer, and a mirror. "It's so exciting to work with a company like HCT," said Zomnir when accepting the award. The Hot Box compact also took home the cosmetic, limited distribution award.

In the cosmetics, broad distribution category, the winner was Revlon's Cream and Powder Blush compacts. Designed by HCT Packaging, each black compact features a clear lid and a mirror that pops out of the compact's side. A label by Sancoa and an applicator by Aneso are also included.

On being the supplier for the award-winning packages for package of the year and both cosmetics categories, HCT Packaging's Thorpe said, "To be awarded in three categories is great recognition of the fact that HCT is a company that can design for all markets. Both Revlon and Urban Decay contributed to the processes. It is great to see our combined efforts acknowledged among our peers."

A customizable dispenser was the top choice in the personal care category. The dispenser housed Fiji Blend's Shades of Darkness tanning lotion. Designed with two chambers to hold a lighter and darker shade of tanning product, the dispenser allows customers to blend the two shades into one customized shade. The package was designed and supplied by Versadial. Label Graphics provided the dispenser's label.

A unique container housing two jars received the skin care, limited distribution award. Developed for Kanebo International's Silk Cream & Powder Duo product, the container was supplied by Yoshida Cosmeworks Co. It was designed by Yuki Takatori of design firm Shuji Takatori.

In the skin care, broad distribution category, the winner was a unit-of-use package for Yves Rocher's ADN Vegetal The Cellular Cure product. The package, which holds 28 individual product beads, was supplied by Alcan Packaging Techpack. Chesapeake Corp. provided the secondary carton, MTP supplied the primary container, and Axilone produced the liner.

Alexander McQueen's heart-shaped Kingdom fragrance bottle was the leader in the fragrance, limited distribution category. Suppliers included Saint-Gobain Desjonquères for the bottle, Alcan Packaging Techpack for the cap and the metal shell, Valois for the pump, and Alliora for the secondary packaging.

In the fragrance, broad distribution category, the award went to Avon's R.P.M. eau de toilette package. The modern design features a glass bottle by Saint-Gobain Desjonquères and a cap by C+N Packaging. The pump was provided by Emsar. The package's tinted window was made from custom-tinted copolyester from Eastman Chemical Co.

IPDA awards were also given to individuals for advancing the state of the beauty industry. Many were professionals from Avon Products Inc. The Lifetime Achievement in Product Development award went to Janice Teal, group vice president and chief scientific officer for Avon. The Annual New Product R&D Technical Team award went to the Avon team responsible for creating Avon Anew Clinical Line & Wrinkle Corrector. Robert Kalafsky, Michele Duggan, Brian Jones, and Helen Wang were honored as part of the team. The Lifetime Achievement Award for Advancement of Beauty Through Science went to James J. Leyden, a professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine.

For the first time, the IPDA awards included two European cosmetic ingredients awards. The award for innovation went to Silab, and the marketing award was given to Gattefosse.

Finally, Paul Sheppard, associate director of package development for Procter & Gamble Global Personal Beauty Care, received the Packaging Executive of the Year award. When accepting the award, Sheppard said, "In packaging, you are only as good as the suppliers you work with. Consumers expect more from packaging than ever before —and packaging has to be designed holistically, with every aspect of the product's life in mind."

NJPEC Gives Awards

The New Jersey Packaging Executives Club (NJPEC) held two awards dinners recently. The association's Package of the Year awards took place on November 11 at the Hanover Marriott Hotel in Parsippany, NJ. NJPEC's scholarship awards dinner was held September 23 at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, NJ.

Package of the Year awards were given in many categories. For fragrances, the gold award went to Allure Homme Sport eau de toilette by Chanel; the silver to Clinique Simply by Clinique; and the bronze to Bijan Style by Five Star Fragrances.

BeautyBank's Flirt! line received the gold award in the color cosmetics division. No silver or bronze awards were given, but an honorable mention award went to Revlon's Cream and Powder Blush Compacts.

In the graphics category, a Chanel Shopping Bag was presented with the gold award.

In the personal care category, the gold award was given to Prestige Brand's Cutex Twister; the silver to Avon's Skin So Soft Smooth Lisse Hair Removal Cream; the bronze to John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Conditioner; and the honorable mention to Unilever's Dove Foam Conditioner. Also in this category, a marketing impact award was presented to Pooch Botanique Hypoallergenic line by Les Poochs.

At NJPEC's scholarship awards dinner, the Achievement Awards for excellence in packaging engineering were presented to Rutgers University students Chris Forte, Regina Vogel, and Mary Hiras; Clemson University student Tiffany Zimmermann; and RIT student Megan Stasak.

The first Kathleen Zito Memorial Scholarships, endowed by Vince Brady of Brad-Pak Enterprises in memory of his daughter Zito, were given to Douglass College students. The scholarships went to Diane Bomgode, Shiahow Wang, and Stella Lucia. The Dr. Frederick Rimmele Scholarship went to Brian Bocco and Matthew Spinopolice.

In total, scholarships totaling $16,500 were awarded. The association also inducted Anthony DiMayo, founder of DiMayo Packaging, now deceased, into its Hall of Fame.

In other association news, NJPEC has launched a new Web site at www.njpec.com to help members, students, and packaging professionals stay informed about industry issues, events, and opportunities.

Luxe Pack Monaco Looks at Luxury

Award-winning package designer Marc Rosen once again moderated a seminar for the Luxe Pack Monaco trade show. Held October 21, the seminar, called Dispensing Luxury...The Packaging Dose, focused on the state of the luxury beauty product industry.

The seminar's panelists were Thomas Butkiewicz, president of Zorbit Resources; Veronique Gabai, senior vice president and general manager for Estée Lauder's Designer Fragrances Division; Jill Hill, managing director and proprietor of Aspects Beauty Company; and Daniel Rachmanis, president of Fine Fragrances for Firmenich America. The panelists provided their perspectives on luxury marketing.

Rosen opened the discussion with a comment that, in the beauty product market, the line between luxury and mass is becoming blurred. Thus, he said, marketers of luxury products must examine how to ensure that their products retain a luxury status. "The brand with just the right mix of luxuriousness will be competitive," he stated.

Gabai gave some tips for making products more luxurious. Customizing packages was one option she presented. Gabai used Michael Kors's fragrance bottles as an example because the brand allows customers to personalize bottles by monogramming them with their initials in crystals. Quality packaging was another important factor.

Butkiewicz defined luxury as being achieved in part when a brand's packaging line looks coherent. He used Jean Paul Gaultier's fragrance bottles as an example. "Jean Paul Gaultier constantly reinvents himself and his torso-shaped bottles by using serigraphy to give each edition a completely new feeling," he said. "At the same time, he keeps the brand's identity consistent throughout the marketing."

Hill, whose job includes selecting products that will be merchandised in stores, stated that packaging is one of the most important factors retailers consider. "Luxury products must be able to carry a luxurious feel through the point of retail," she said.

Rachmanis focused on consumers' changing tastes. He said that there is an increased demand for luxury products—but not necessarily for fragrances. "Consumers are turning elsewhere for luxury—for example, to luxury coffees and technologies," he said. "Fragrance bottle design is more important than ever before—the look, feel, and lines of a package need to speak to the consumer in this saturated market."

Finally, the panelists emphasized that suppliers help maintain luxury product packaging. "Suppliers bring innovatio—sometimes there's a price you pay, but it's worth it," said Butkiewicz. "Partnership with suppliers is key."

East Meets Cannes

Perfume bottle designer Marc Rosen celebrated the international launch of his first fragrance, Shanghai, with a party in Cannes at the Vegaluna Beach restaurant on Boulevard Le Croisette.

The event was held on October 20 during the Luxe Pack Monaco trade show. More than a hundred professionals from the retail and fragrance industries attended the event.

For its debut during 2004, Shanghai was sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores. It was the number-one-sold fragrance during February, the month of its launch, and remains a top-10 seller. Beginning in January, the fragrance will launch nationally, increasing its doors from 62 to about 300.

Clariant Writes Book on Color

Packaging teams that have ever had a conversation about color know how difficult it is to express a visual idea with words. In order to make the process of choosing colors easier, Clariant (McHenry, IL) has launched the first volume of a book called Enigma.

The book comprises an 11-page binder filled with 176 color chips. It demonstrates the various looks that can be achieved with Clariant's different pigments and special effects, acting as a quick and easy reference manual for designers, specifiers, and processors. The binder can be viewed at any of Clariant's seven ColorWorks Design and Technology Centers around the world and at most of its regional production facilities. It can also be purchased.

"Too many times we've had to try to interpret what a designer has in mind," says Carolyn Sedgwick, business manager for Clariant ColorWorks. "We have had so many cases where a description just doesn't work, which is why we felt the need to create this book. Many times, designers will say they want a metallic, but they actually mean they want a pearlescent formula that gives a metallic look. These chips help to visually bridge the communication gap."

CIBS Celebrates Fall

The Cosmetic Industry Buyers and Suppliers (CIBS) association celebrated at its annual fall cocktail party. The event was held at the Central Park Boathouse Restaurant in New York City.

The color chips in the book identify a specific color effect and show it represented in different hues. Every Clariant facility uses the same formulas that coincide with each chip. "The colors in the book are consistent across all of our markets," says Sedgwick. "We have never done something like this on such a global level before."

The book is not necessarily meant to force a designer to immediately choose a shade but rather to inspire by providing examples of each special effect. The exact color result will also depend upon the type of resin used.

In other news, Clariant showed its latest developments in the areas of soft-touch, thermochromic, and color-shifting effects at the Health & Beauty America trade show.

Clariant's Soft-Touch special effects were previously only achievable on blow-molded containers, but can now be applied to polyolefin-based, injection-molded components such as caps and closures. Soft-Touch uses a soft-textured resin compound in combination with a masterbatch colorant system to provide a soft, matte finish.

The firm's thermochromatic additives can be used in blow-molded bottles. With this effect, the color of the bottle will change upon exposure to heat or cold, from your hand or sunlight. When the bottle returns to room temperature, its color changes back. When this effect is used on a multilayer bottle, a greater number of color variations can be achieved, such as a subtle or dramatic change, depending on which colors are used in each of the layers.

The latest additions to Clariant's SpectraChrome line of color-shifting effects allow packages to showcase different shades according to the angle at which it is viewed. "Imagine a blue container that literally changes to violet on the store shelf as you walk past it," says Len Kulka, creative director for Clariant ColorWorks Packaging. The effect is due to specially fabricated materials, such as laminated sheet glass, liquid crystal, and silica, which are incorporated into the surface of the container and work to refract light when mixed with color pigments.

Student Talent Shines In ICMAD Awards

On September 29, the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD; Palatine, IL) association held its annual Young Designers Awards Dinner at Spirit in New York City. ICMAD member company Models Prefer sponsored the cash prizes for the students.

The goal of the competition is to encourage and develop young creative talent who will help build the future of the cosmetics industry. Robinson Paperboard Packaging (Mississauga, ON, Canada) provided the participating students with paper tubes, which they were asked to develop into a cosmetics package. Kasia Stach, a student at the American Academy of Art (Chicago), took first place and received $2500 for her Orangery Body Soak concept. Carl Cepress, of the Columbus College of Art and Design (Columbus, OH), won second place and $1500 for his Four Element grooming system for men idea. Jee-Eun Lee, a student from the Fashion Institute of Technology (New York City), placed third and received $1000 for her Tea Spa eye soothers design.

Participating schools were the American Academy of Art, the Columbus College of Art and Design, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (Los Angeles), the Fashion Institute of Technology, Miami International University of Art and Design, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The event's guest speaker was ICMAD member Lydia Sarfati, founder and president of skin care company Sarkli Repêchage Ltd. Sarfati spoke about the evolution of the spa cosmetics industry.

Speakers Scheduled for CTFA Meeting

The Cosmetics, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA, Washington, DC) announced that Arie Kopelman, president and COO of Chanel Inc., and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani will speak at the opening of the association's annual meeting in Boca Raton, FL, on Thursday, March 3. The meeting will be held March 2-5.

Kopelman, who has been in his current position at Chanel since 1986, will discuss the state of the cosmetics industry and the retail environment. He plans to retire from operating management at the end of 2004, and he will become chairman of Chanel and remain on its board of directors. Giuliani's speech will focus on leadership during crisis.

In other news, CTFA announced that its president and CEO, Ed Kavanaugh, plans to retire in the middle of 2005.

CEW Honors Leaders

Cosmetic Executive Women held its 2004 Achiever Awards on October 29 in the Grand Ballroom at New York City's Waldorf Astoria.

This year's award recognized Dale Cameron (nee Crichton), executive vice president of cosmetics for Nordstrom; Deborah Fine, president of Avon Future; Karen Fondu, president of Maybelline New York-Garnier, US; Karyn Khoury, senior vice president of corporate fragrance development worldwide for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; Laura Mercier, makeup artist and creator of Laura Mercier Products; Janet Gurwitch, founder and CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics; Betsy Schmalz, executive vice president of creative and technical innovations for Bath & Body Works; and Essie Weingarten, president of Essie Cosmetics.

New Web Site for The Glass Group

The Glass Group Inc. (Millville, NJ) has announced that its new Web site is up and running. In addition to providing information about the company, its news, history, and capabilities, the fully searchable site allows visitors to view all the stock containers in the company's Web catalog and lets them search for containers by specific parameters.

The Web site's catalog features containers that the company offers in the following categories: cosmetic, pharmaceutical, specialty, and coated products. Product information, photos, and other specific information are listed on-line for all containers. The search feature allows customers to source containers according to factors like fill capacity. According to The Glass Group, the user-friendly Web catalog will be updated frequently. Visit the Web site at www.theglassgroup.com.

IMA Group Acquires Nova Packaging

IMA S.p.A. announced that it is acquiring shares in Packaging Systems Holding LLC. Packaging Systems Holding is the owner of industrial group Nova Packaging Systems LLC, a world leader in the manufacture of machines for the automatic bottling of capsules and tablets. Its machines are sold under the Kalish, King, Lakso, Merrill, and Swiftpack brands.

IoPP Supports Packaging Shows

The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP; Naperville, IL) has agreed to actively support the WestPack, SouthPack, and EastPack trade shows of Canon Communications llc. In addition to staffing a booth at each of the shows, IoPP will assist in promoting the shows to its membership. IoPP consists of 43 local chapters throughout the United States. The Minnesota chapter already sponsors Canon's annual MidPak show in Minneapolis. "Partnering with Canon to promote these great packaging shows is totally compatible with our mission statement," says Edwin Landon, IoPP's executive director. "We view it as yet another way we can serve the packaging industry in general and our members in particular." Visit www.iopp.org for more information on IoPP. To learn more about Canon's packaging shows, visit www.canontradeshows.com.

The Tube Council Adds Members

Artube (East Stroudsburg, PA) and IntraPac (Don Mills, ON, Canada) have joined The Tube Council (Naperville, IL) as full members. "The addition of these two excellent companies will add to the already-strong voice of The Tube Council," says Patrick Farrey, the association's executive secretary. "Artube and IntraPac will help advance our mission of promoting the tube as a preferred package form in North America."

NJM/CLI Releases New Machines

NJM/CLI hosted its fifth Blue Chicago party during Pack Expo in November to celebrate the release of several new machines. The party was held at the Blue Chicago nightclub for approximately 200 Pack Expo attendees. Together with partners Bosch Packaging Technology and Cremer Speciaalmachines, NJM lightened spirits with great music, dancing, and food. The company designs, manufactures, and supplies a complete range of packaging equipment. It offers customers single source responsibility, turnkey line integration services, and full validation support.

FACES & PLACES

Mirko Cocchi has been named export sales manager for Lumson S.r.l. (Capergnanica, Italy). Cocchi will be responsible for Lumson's business in the United States.

Valois (Marly-Le-Roi, France) has announced several staffing changes. Eric Vaxelaire, sales director for Valois's perfumery and cosmetics division, will oversee operational marketing. Maria Blanco Torres, formerly key account manager for Valois of America, has been appointed Co-Supplier Manager for Valois's perfumery and cosmetics division in France. She replaces Bertrand Loisel, who will serve as operational marketing manager. Sébastien Belinguier will replace Torres as key account manager for Valois of America.

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