Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Fragrance
Alien by Thierry Mugler
by Clarins Fragrance Group
The Alien by Thierry Mugler fragrance bottle is meant to evoke mysterious imagery. Fashion designer Thierry Mugler was personally involved with this bottle’s design. “Mugler took his inspiration from the origins of the world and the extreme future. Alien is a universe full of paradoxes between reality and fantasy,” says Daphne Leopold, international director of public relations, Thierry Mugler Parfums.
The amethyst glass bottle—meant to resemble a precious jewel—is faceted by hand. Its color symbolizes meditation and serenity. The Alien fragrance is packaged in several different sizes of bottles, which are supplied by both Bormioli Luigi and Brosse USA.
The most challenging aspect of this project was obtaining mass quantities of amethyst glass, according to Leopold. In order to achieve the right shade of amethyst, the experts at Bormioli Luigi added very precise mixtures of cobalt and manganese to molten glass. “Manganese is extremely sensitive, so special care had to be taken to ensure the color stayed consistent and stable,” explains Olga Bursac, vice president of sales for Bormioli Luigi USA.
Awards panelist Henry Renella, vice president of package development for The Estée Lauder Companies, says that producing glass with such a deep, intense color is very difficult. “They did a phenomenal job of putting this package together. The design is terrific,” he adds.
Pale-gold claws surround the bottle. They are meant to symbolize the light part of the fragrance’s composition, which is its jasmine note. The claws are made from ABS and are supplied by Alcan Packaging Beauty. Supplier Pijaplast used an electroplating process on the claws to achieve a custom shade of gold.
The polypropylene spray-through cap is also supplied by Alcan Packaging Beauty. Some of the bottles are refillable and feature spray caps that unclip, providing access to the screw-on pumps. The nonrefillable bottle has a cap that is permanently snapped onto the pump assembly.
The name Alien is engraved on the back of the bottle with rough, eerie-looking imperfect lines that look as if they were scratched on. It is spelled backward and forward, making the name legible from both the front and the back of the bottle. The pump is supplied by Valois. A white setup box is supplied by Wauters.
Awards panelist Maiken Erstad, design director for Dragon Rouge, says that the Alien bottle is modern and daring. “This package is very interesting. Its design is such an unexpected clash of two completely different worlds,” she says. “The faceted glass adorned in gold gives it a classic touch, but its shape and the name are more futuristic.” The unexpected combination of these two design elements results in a very unusual and innovative bottle.