Centdegrés’ Concept for Make a Mark Reimagines Perfume Application as a Sculptural, Intertwined Ritual
The realm of luxury packaging design is increasingly moving beyond mere containment to embrace conceptual depth and interactive experience. A prime example is the recent exhibition of creativity from Centdegrés, whose submission to the collaborative design project, Make a Mark, offers an intellectualized take on the ancient art of fragrance layering. Dubbed L’Essence du Deux, the concept challenges conventional norms by presenting perfume not just as a product, but as an interactive, two part sculptural experience. This approach reflects a growing sophistication in the high end consumer goods market, where narrative and ritual are as critical as the scent itself.
The Architectural Rationale of Dual Flacons
Centdegrés, a prominent creative agency known for its work in the luxury sector, drew specific inspiration from the cultural tradition of layering different fragrances, a practice notably prevalent in the Middle East. Their response to this cultural cue was to design a dual packaging system consisting of a spray eau de parfum flacon and a roll-on perfumed oil. This decision to separate the elements into two distinct vessels is strategic, creating a tangible representation of the layering process. The larger vessel, intended for the primary application, is an 80ml spray, complementing a smaller 20ml roll-on. The physical separation necessitates a deliberate, sequential interaction from the user, elevating the simple act of applying perfume into a considered ritual. The aesthetic of the flacons themselves is highly considered, featuring deep punts produced using Estal’s Bubble Cloche glass technology. This technique serves the dual purpose of enhancing the visual presence of the bottle while simultaneously optimizing material use, a critical consideration in modern, high value design. The custom closures, supplied by Tapì and Delage, complete the refined, tactile experience. The chosen palette of soft violet, burnt orange, and forest green offers a sophisticated, understated counterpoint to the architectural glasswork.
Integrating Sustainability and Artisan Aesthetics
The selection of materials for the secondary elements underscores a commitment to both sustainability and an artisanal aesthetic. The bottle labels are printed on Avery Dennison’s Fasson Lin Fiber FSC, a textured linen paper that incorporates 50 percent flax fiber. This choice provides a highly tactile, felt marked surface, deliberately chosen to evoke the quality of traditional craftsmanship. The move toward integrating natural fibers into high end labeling speaks to a market trend where traceable, sustainable materials are increasingly valued as markers of genuine luxury. The labels are further enhanced with three tones of Kurz Luxor foils, applied through micro embossed foil stamping using H+M tools, providing subtle, rich embellishment to the HP digitally printed surface. This fusion of high technology printing with artisanal finishing techniques demonstrates a contemporary approach to label design that balances efficiency with visual depth.
Design as a Semantic Puzzle
The most conceptually rigorous aspect of the L’Essence du Deux design is the treatment of the labels and the fragrance naming conventions. The label designs are split between the two bottles, an intentional visual fragmentation that is only resolved when the flacons are placed side by side. This ingenious technique mirrors the physical and aromatic synergy achieved through fragrance layering, where two separate elements combine to form a complete, new experience. This design choice functions as a clever metaphor for co creation and unity. Extending this intellectual playfulness, the product names themselves are presented as anagrams. Examples such as Ivre & Rive, Sombre & Ombre, and Virage & Rivage are a sophisticated nod to the mirrored, dual nature of the entire project. This semantic device engages the consumer on an intellectual level, reinforcing the notion that this is a product with a story and a concept that extends well beyond its function.
The Broader Context of Make a Mark
Centdegrés’ design is one of 12 concepts developed for the fourth edition of Make A Mark, a notable collaborative project spearheaded by industry leaders Estal, Avery Dennison, and Kurz. The initiative’s core value lies in pushing the limits of packaging design through material innovation and conceptual rigor, bringing together leading designers, material manufacturers, and decoration specialists. For an agency such as Centdegrés, participating in this program allows for the exploration of ideas that might be too conceptually ambitious for standard commercial briefs. The resulting designs, like L’Essence du Deux, serve as high level case studies, illustrating the state of the art possibilities in the marriage of packaging engineering and intellectual design. The success of this project lies in its ability to transform a corporate press release into an example of forward thinking design.
