In Closing: Enchanting Cartons
Soap cartons inspired by Alice in Wonderland are a holiday delight.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorFor the holiday season, luxury soap manufacturer Gianna Rose Atelier collaborated with The Walt Disney Company to create designer soaps inspired by classic Disney movies and themes. The first line of soaps is based on the novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the movie Alice in Wonderland. The soaps’ outer cartons were decorated with graphics and accessories that are based on the drawings of renowned Disney animator Mary Blair. A departure from some of the more-contemporary packaging designs in the current Disney franchise, the cartons possess a quaint, vintage charm.
“Walt Disney is looking to bring back the high-end charm and sophisticated packaging that is consistent with their current goals and image,” says Blair Buckley, vice president of product development for Gianna Rose. “Alice in Wonderland is as much an adults’ story as it is a children’s story, so we thought that it would be the perfect place to start.”
Walt Disney unlocked its vaults and allowed Gianna Rose to browse the original watercolors that Mary Blair had done for many classic Disney movies. Using Blair’s works as inspiration, Gianna Rose set out to design the three cartons in the Alice line.
All of the cartons are hand-wrapped in textured, linen-embossed paper printed with French Baroque patterns. The patterns were customized with images that are based on Gianna Rose’s interpretation of the film’s characters.
The paper has a satiny coating. “Most Gianna Rose cartons have a matte finish, but we chose a satiny, glossier coating for this line because we really wanted to make the bold pattern colors pop,” says Buckley.
Two of the cartons are setup boxes. A third features a tented lid. “The tented box was a challenge,” says Buckley. “Our carton maker, Advanced Paper Box, had to step up to the plate and was able to do all of the work in the United States. We think they did a great job.”
Accessories such as velvet ribbons add to the cartons’ sense of whimsy. The top of the tented box lid has an old-fashioned key-shaped charm attached. “The cartons are meant to be collector’s items,” says Buckley.