Marie Redding, associate editor01.05.16
There are various ways to decorate glass or sculpt a cap by hand, which will give a fragrance bottle a luxurious look. It may not seem like a practical production method, but a hand-blown or hand-decorated bottle has a collectible quality that fragrance fans adore.
Robert DuGrenier in his glass studio in Vermont.
Several fragrance brands have used this strategy for past launches, as well as current ones on the market now. (See some of them in this slideshow that features limited edition fragrances in luxurious bottles, priced at more than $1,000.)
Are these brands producing bottles that are entirely hand-made? Is it practical for a fragrance brand to not use automated production methods? According to Robert DuGrenier, of Robert DuGrenier Associates, who is a package designer, sculptor and glass-blower, it is - but in limited quantities.
DuGrenier explains, “Up to 1,000 bottles is a reasonable quantity for hand-decorating. The brands that do this are using a semi-automatic process.”
Hand-Finishing An Existing Design
Taking an existing bottle or cap, and adding a decoration done by hand is one way to make a fragrance package more luxurious.
Norell New York Parfum by Baccarat exemplifies this - view the hand-blowing process step-by-step in this slideshow, where DuGrenier comments on the hand-crafted details that make it so special.
The hand-decorating techniques that Baccarat’s glass blower uses are the same techniques DuGrenier has used over the years, for various fragrance brands.
dead of night by strangelove nyc
When Abercrombie & Fitch celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Fierce fragrance for Holiday 2013, the brand worked with DuGrenier to launch a 1liter size bottle as a special limited edition launch. “We produced the large, hand-blown bottles that were signed and numbered, and only 700 were made,” says DuGrenier.
The bottle was modeled after Fierce’s existing rectangular shape, which features a photograph of a man’s torso. “We took their existing bottle, and made this incredibly large size, which was almost like a factice,” says DuGrenier. “Who would ever use that much fragrance, I don’t know! But they did sell,” he says.
Currently, Chanel sells a 1-liter size bottle of Gardenia; take a look at it here.
Strangelove NYC enlisted DuGrenier’s help to create a package that looked extra special for its largest size fragrance bottle, for Dead of Night eau de parfum, shown at left.
The brand already had a gold cap that resembled a flower, which was designed by Marcus Mera, a jeweler based in New York. DuGrenier was asked to give the cap a more exclusive look by adding a few finishing touches during production, using various decorating techniques that were all done by hand. “We made the custom cap look very special, and cast it in metal,” DuGrenier says.
Strangelove NYC was founded by Elizabeth Gaynes, and has Helena Christensen on board as the brand’s creative director. (See a photo of its perfume oil necklace in this feature story.) The brand is sold at Harrod’s in the UK, and will expand to the UAE in 2016.
“Our customers from the Middle East understand quality fragrance, especially our natural oud,” says Gaynes. Sidenote: Gaynes is also the founder of Gaia One, which owns plantations that exclusively supply patchouli and vetiver to Givaudan.
When Artisan Craftsmanship Meets Automation
As a package designer who also has also been in charge of manufacturing, DuGrenier has a unique viewpoint. Although he prefers to take on projects that allow him to use “old world techniques” such as glass-blowing, he can also appreciate the fact that automated production allows for a designer’s creation to reach the masses.
Finding ways to incorporate decorating techniques that are done by hand with modern production technologies is DuGrenier’s specialty. “Working on the cap for the Dead of Night fragrance was the first time I used a 3-D printer, and it was fascinating,” he says.
DuGrenier adds, “There are so many new technologies today that allow a designer to do more than I ever dreamed would be possible. I’m excited to see what comes along next.”
READ MORE
Slideshow: Ultra-Luxurious Bottles, Designed for Thousand Dollar Fragrances
Slideshow: A Glass Blower’s Take on Norell New York’s Hand-Blown Bottle
Feature: The Latest in Decorating Trends
Video: Baccarat’s Glass Blower Creates Norell New York, Step by Step
Feature: Fancy Looks for Fragrances
Robert DuGrenier in his glass studio in Vermont.
Are these brands producing bottles that are entirely hand-made? Is it practical for a fragrance brand to not use automated production methods? According to Robert DuGrenier, of Robert DuGrenier Associates, who is a package designer, sculptor and glass-blower, it is - but in limited quantities.
DuGrenier explains, “Up to 1,000 bottles is a reasonable quantity for hand-decorating. The brands that do this are using a semi-automatic process.”
Hand-Finishing An Existing Design
Taking an existing bottle or cap, and adding a decoration done by hand is one way to make a fragrance package more luxurious.
Norell New York Parfum by Baccarat exemplifies this - view the hand-blowing process step-by-step in this slideshow, where DuGrenier comments on the hand-crafted details that make it so special.
The hand-decorating techniques that Baccarat’s glass blower uses are the same techniques DuGrenier has used over the years, for various fragrance brands.
dead of night by strangelove nyc
The bottle was modeled after Fierce’s existing rectangular shape, which features a photograph of a man’s torso. “We took their existing bottle, and made this incredibly large size, which was almost like a factice,” says DuGrenier. “Who would ever use that much fragrance, I don’t know! But they did sell,” he says.
Currently, Chanel sells a 1-liter size bottle of Gardenia; take a look at it here.
Strangelove NYC enlisted DuGrenier’s help to create a package that looked extra special for its largest size fragrance bottle, for Dead of Night eau de parfum, shown at left.
The brand already had a gold cap that resembled a flower, which was designed by Marcus Mera, a jeweler based in New York. DuGrenier was asked to give the cap a more exclusive look by adding a few finishing touches during production, using various decorating techniques that were all done by hand. “We made the custom cap look very special, and cast it in metal,” DuGrenier says.
Strangelove NYC was founded by Elizabeth Gaynes, and has Helena Christensen on board as the brand’s creative director. (See a photo of its perfume oil necklace in this feature story.) The brand is sold at Harrod’s in the UK, and will expand to the UAE in 2016.
“Our customers from the Middle East understand quality fragrance, especially our natural oud,” says Gaynes. Sidenote: Gaynes is also the founder of Gaia One, which owns plantations that exclusively supply patchouli and vetiver to Givaudan.
When Artisan Craftsmanship Meets Automation
As a package designer who also has also been in charge of manufacturing, DuGrenier has a unique viewpoint. Although he prefers to take on projects that allow him to use “old world techniques” such as glass-blowing, he can also appreciate the fact that automated production allows for a designer’s creation to reach the masses.
Finding ways to incorporate decorating techniques that are done by hand with modern production technologies is DuGrenier’s specialty. “Working on the cap for the Dead of Night fragrance was the first time I used a 3-D printer, and it was fascinating,” he says.
DuGrenier adds, “There are so many new technologies today that allow a designer to do more than I ever dreamed would be possible. I’m excited to see what comes along next.”
READ MORE
Slideshow: Ultra-Luxurious Bottles, Designed for Thousand Dollar Fragrances
Slideshow: A Glass Blower’s Take on Norell New York’s Hand-Blown Bottle
Feature: The Latest in Decorating Trends
Video: Baccarat’s Glass Blower Creates Norell New York, Step by Step
Feature: Fancy Looks for Fragrances
