Chinese Lunar New Year typically sees luxury brands come out with a flurry of limited-edition packaging, and the Year of the Rabbit is no exception. We spotlight some of this year’s projects, across fragrance and cosmetics and wines and spirits.
Cognac purveyor Martell has released L’Or De Jean Martell 1715 Zodiac Edition - Assemblage du Lapin. The second Zodiac Edition collector’s piece, it follows the Year of the Tiger incarnation released last year.
The crystal decanter (Vista Alegre) sports gold-painted décor and is topped with an individually numbered stopper in pâte de verre (Daum). PBM Design Studio worked with Martell’s in-house design team to ensure continuity with the design from 2022; this year, barley grain detailing, said to be reminiscent of rabbit fur, are etched onto the sides of the decanter. The wooden coffret designed by PBM Design Studio and manufactured by Krepel has a texture that is also intended to recall rabbit fur. Assemblage du Lapin retails at €9,000.
German luxury goods brand MCM (Interparfums) has unveiled a limited-edition version of its perfume. The flacon (Pochet du Courval) designed by Fabrice Legros of Studio Pi and sporting MCM’s iconic Visetos motif, is this time decorated in red and gold (Pariche/Nigermat). The gold electroplated spray cap (Faiveley Tech) in injected ABS features stud detailing and a flexible, imitation leather strap.
Cosmetics brand Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique serum is nestled in limited-edition gift box for Chinese New Year. Produced by Cosfibel, the hinged rigid carton and kraft paper box is sheathed in red paper, which is embossed and hot stamped in gold.
Also for Lancôme, Pure Trade created the toiletry pouch and vanity case for the Chinese New Year collection. The pouch is made of double soft touch PU comprised of more than 50% recycled content. Devoid of an interior lining, it has a rPET nylon zip whose zip pull is engraved with a rabbit symbol. Six-color screenprinting, including in gold, is used to decorate the bag. The same colors are used for the hat box-style vanity case, which made of a soft touch PU with more than 50% recycled content and a rPET lining.
For the Year of the Rabbit, Rémy Martin’s iconic decanter is adorned with gold foil. The monomaterial carton coffret (Hucais Packaging Arts Europe) housing the decanter opens into a fan shape. It is sheathed in silver paper and embellished using offset printing, varnishing and embossing.
Franco-Chinese contemporary artist Yan Pei-Ming’s artwork inspired the Lunar New Year packaging for a limited-edition Hennessy Paradis decanter, an X.O and V.S.O.P. Design agency Appartement 103 transposed Pei-Ming’s work onto the packaging. For the X.O, Carbon Méta decorated the brand’s iconic decanter with liquid metallization. The one-liter Hennessy Paradis decanter produced by Bernardaud is made of porcelain and comes in a wooden coffret.
For the third consecutive year, Camus is celebrating Chinese New Year with a gift box highlighting its Camus Extra cognac decanter designed by Florence Teyssedre. Dubbed Camus Extra Elegance Jade House, the limited-edition coffret is made of ABS sheathed in art paper and decorated in red and gold. Symbols depict Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and his book Dao de jing (The book of the way and virtue), and the Romance of the Sui and Tang dynasties, with door gods Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong respectively reproduced on the left and right panel of the box. The motifs on the doors were printed using the water transfer technique, then stamped with alternating repetitions of painting and polishing.
Scotch whisky brand The Dalmore’s coffret for Lunar New Year was dreamed up by Boundless Brand Design. The global travel retail limited-edition was designed to attract high-net-worth consumers, says the design agency. The coffret (Dahlinger) is made of FSC certified cardboard with MDF on the top and bottom and hidden magnet closure. The outside of the gift box is sheathed in colored soft-touch art paper and decorated using offset printing, screenprinting and hot foil. The staghead on the facing is made from zinc alloy.
Boundless Brand Design also collaborated with illustrator Trajan Jia for a bold pack for Royal Salute’s 21-Year-Old Blend. The limited-edition box (Pusterla 1880) depicts “a majestic journey from the home of Royal Salute at the Tower of London, to the celebratory occasion in the East, as meandering lanterns are sent into the sky,” explains Boundless Brand Design. The illustrations were printed onto high quality paper, foiled and embossed before being wrapped onto the rigid outer box. For the primary packaging, the bottle switched from ceramic to glass.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s 2023 Chinese New Year holiday box (Dapy) is made of FSC carton with a soft-touch laminate. Embellished with four-color printing, embossing and hot-stamping, it features grosgrain ribbons to hold the pack open at a 90-degree angle.
Cognac Ferrand’s packaging for its Chinese New Year 10 Génerations limited edition was dreamed up by Compair Design Studio. Rabbit illustrations adorn both the bottle and box. The red folding box (Egisa) features touches of cold foil stamping in gold with the creation of a micro structure.
