Slideshows

A Glass Blower’s Take on Norell New York’s Hand-Blown Bottle

Robert DuGrenier explains what makes Norell New York’s luxury bottle by Baccarat so special.

A Glass Blower’s Take on Norell New York’s Hand-Blown Bottle

Norell New York Parfum by Baccarat

Norell New York’s Parfum, in a limited edition hand-blown bottle by Baccarat, is a “reinvention of a timeless classic, rooted in luxury,” the company states. The fragrance bottle reflects the elegant style of Norman Norell, an iconic designer synonymous with American fashion.

Producing the Luxurious Limited Edition Bottle

In celebration of the re-launch of the Norell New York fragrance in 2015, a luxurious limited-edition Parfum was created, and housed in a hand-crafted 1.7 fl oz bottle created by the internationally acclaimed French crystal house, Baccarat.

Made by Craftsman in France

“Norell’s essence of refined elegance and sophistication is captured in both the opulence of the crystal as well as the pure ingredients of the scent,” the brand states. Among the craftsmen that produced the limited edition bottle is Michel Barge, who is an “Elite Craftsman of France,” and shown in the video at the link below.

Hand Work Justifies Its $1,500 Price Tag

Decorating each of the 500 limited edition bottles by hand makes each one unique - and justifies Norell New York Parfum’s $1,500 price tag. Shown above is the custom tooling designed for the bottle.

Decorating Techniques Done by Hand

Baccarat employs the best blowers, cutters, engravers and gilders - some of them fifth generation craftsmen and women who are required a minimum of 15 years training in their fields before they are allowed to create a Baccarat piece. Hand-decorating makes each fragrance bottle a unique work of art. The stopper is shown above.

Creating an Elegant Crystal Stopper

Continuing the glass blowing process, by hand, to create the elegant crystal stopper.

The Craftsmanship of Perfume

The Norell New York limited edition Parfum is made with pure quality ingredients, and an “exquisite blend of notes,” the brand states, which “leads us to rediscover the artistry and craftsmanship of perfume.” The modern green floral contains over 200 jasmine petals in each bottle, as well as Orris Butter, one of the most noble and expensive ingredients.

Sealed and Numbered

Each crystal bottle by Baccarat for the limited edition Norell New York Parfum is numbered and hand-sealed with gold thread. Only 500 of these bottles were produced at Baccarat’s factory in France.

By Marie Redding, associate editor 01.05.16

When a fragrance bottle begins with a great design, which might include a luxe decoration, there’s no doubt that it will look beautiful. But when a brand has a bottle hand-blown by a crystal house such as Baccarat, it’s in another league.

Robert DuGrenier, of Robert
DuGrenier Associates

We showed Robert DuGrenier, a sculptor and glass blower, this video of Baccarat's glass-blower producing the limited edition bottle for Norell New York Parfum.

Norell New York, in the Baccarat bottle, retails for $1,500. Only 500 bottles were produced at Baccarat’s factory in France. They launched in time for the 2015 holiday season.

DuGrenier views the video, and then explains, “The sculptor is gathering the glass by hand, then depositing it into a semi-automatic mold.”

It’s critical to use a mold, DuGrenier says, because the bottle is a rectangular shape. “Perfectly straight lines are critical,” he says, further explaining, “The bottle is hand-blown, but then it is machine-pressed, to get those perfect lines.”

DuGrenier continues to discuss the steps that Baccarat’s craftsman is demonstrating in the slideshow above. “After the bottle is machine pressed, the blower hand-torches the bottle, which eliminates surface markings from the mold. All the tool marks are melted back into the glass, which is really special because it is a hand-decorating technique that is never used anymore.”

Another step in the process, which is shown in the video, features the glass-blower applying a lead polish to the bottle. “This is a finishing treatment that gives the crystal a brilliance that you just don’t get from mass production,” says DuGrenier.

The sculptor from Baccarat also hand-blows a glass stopper for the bottle, before finishing it by wrapping the bottle’s neck with gold thread. DuGrenier comments, “That final detail is amazing to watch - it’s how it was done in the past.”

See the slideshow above, which features some of the steps in the production process.

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