French glassmaker Verallia has unveiled the winners of its 2020 Design Awards. For the 11th edition of the event, design students' submissions centered on the theme of French Glass (“verre à la francaise”), and also competed for a special prize around the re-use of glass.
Some 583 students and recent graduates in design submitted a total of 365 projects— 20% more than last year. Among these, five winners were chosen, along with a special prize from designer Eve George, patron of the 2020 edition.
"Although it resonates with consumers, highlighting the Made-in-France aspect of wines and spirits is not always easy for a manufacturer,” commented Olivier Rousseau, managing director of Verallia France. “Packaging serves as a platform, and candidates came up with creative designs offering both practical and elegant solutions to this challenge.”
French glass
A jury of professionals, including Luxe Packaging Insight and Forme de Luxe’s Katie Nichol, gathered to judge the submissions, alongside a jury active in the area of glass recycling.
In the Still Wines category, the winner was Léonore Durand (ESAD Reims) for her 'Beaune' bottle. Featuring a hexagonal shape (France is affectionately known as the Hexagon in French), the bottle is engraved with a roof tile pattern inspired by the architecture in the region of Burgundy.
In the Sparkling Wines & Champagne category, Sophie Leterme (ESDMAA) was crowned the winner for her ‘Rémoise’ bottle. Inspired by Reims Cathedral and its gothic architecture, the bottle impressed the jury for its elegance, while taking into account the design constraints inherent in Champagne packaging, notably the bottle’s resistance to pressure.
And in the Spirits category, the ‘Cassano’ project from Arthur Forestier (ESDMAA) was singled out for its attention to detail. Cassano, or oak in Gaulish, was designed to house cognac. The shape, with its veins and engraved joints, evokes that of an oak barrel.
Glass re-use
For the special prize focused on the re-use of glass, students were asked to design bottles that were both resistant and attractive to the consumer. The jury crowned 'Terrasse Rosée', a bottle created by Marie Desmergers (École Bleue) as the winner. The bottle features an engraved motif on the lower section that brings to mind cane furniture used in outdoor cafés. As the bottle is processed for re-use, a lap mark appears in the middle, extending the engraved motif.
The 'Essentiel' bottle from Allan Parezys (École Estienne) appealed to the jury’s technical and aesthetic sensibilities. Boasting a simple and practical cylindrical shape, it is engraved with the reuse symbol.
The patron of the event, designer Eve Grégory, awarded a special prize to the 'Climats' project from Anaïs Larochette (École de Condé). Suitable for red and white wines, the bottle’s graphic engraving is a nod to the climates in Bourgogne, parcels of vineyards on the slopes of the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits.
Verallia has opened submissions for the 2021 edition of its awards, on the theme of Single Portion Glass (“verre, en format solo”). The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2021, and the winners will be unveiled on July 2.
