Maison Perrier-Jouët, one of France’s most historic and distinctive champagne houses, has partnered with sustainable packaging brand, COLOURFORM by James Cropper, to challenge the norms of luxury. Together they have created an eco-designed gift box that marries beauty with environmental commitment seamlessly in the luxury market.

Crafted from paper pulp and vine shoots, the Belle Epoque Cocoon has been designed for the champagne house’s vintage cuvees Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé.

The vine shoots are recovered after pruning at the end of winter, ensuring that this naturally derived agrifibre is given a second life and that the packaging is both recyclable with other paper products and circular in design. The upcycled vine shoots also provide a beautiful coloured speckled aesthetic to the finished gift box.

The box perfectly envelops the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque bottle, enhancing its shape. Offering a unique design profile with a pleasing sweep producing an organic and natural feel, only the golden cap crowning the champagne is revealed which is showcased by a small petal-like collar. With an enchanting minimalist elegance, the emblematic Art Nouveau inspired anemone of the Perrier-Jouët house is subtly conveyed through the intricately sculpted floral decoration which beautifully fades out at the packaging edge with a double-deboss.

In addition to its featherweight of 49 grams, which is 93% lighter than the previous gift box, the Belle Epoque Cocoon wrap doesn’t include any varnish or glue. It is designed with only two natural materials, paper pulp prepared from FSC® approved sustainably managed forests and vine shoots from France. The vine shoots evoke the Champagne region and nod to the house’s passion for nature and art which has been passed down through the generations since the house formed in 1811. James Cropper’s Colourform production uses 100% renewable energy, with the majority of power being generated on site by their own solar and hydro plants.

Richard Dancy, COLOURFORM brand manager, comments: “A beautiful and sustainable solution that delivers the essence of the Belle Epoque brand through this luxury packaging. The high attention to detail behind this unique box design has been born from Maison Perrier-Jouët’s close relationship with nature and love of art and natural materials. The wash cut crafted finish is both simple and elegant, and offers up a fine example of circularity and recyclability, adding to the other initiatives that the house of Perrier-Jouët has pioneered.

“By reducing the impact on the environment as much as possible with Belle Epoque Cocoon, Maison Perrier-Jouët is giving meaning to all moments of celebration and has reinvented the codes of luxury.”

The box is varnish free, with a long sleek hinge and fastened with a double locking clasp mechanism it does not require any glue.  The clasp closes with a crisp audible click, lies flat and also features a debossed logo. The presentation is finished with a paper label.

With its rich botanical heritage, Maison Perrier-Jouët has evolved in symbiosis with nature since 1811. In 2020, it began a new model of viticulture, inspired by the cycle of nature, which is in line with the evolution of the brand’s practices over the last decade.  Regenerative viticulture allows Maison Perrier-Jouët to act on the life of the soil, local species and people at the pace dictated by nature. The aim is to pass on to future generations a terroir, capable of adapting to climate change by limiting the influence of human activities on the ecosystem to which we all belong. 

Audrey Guerin, Packaging Development Manager at Perrier-Jouët, says: “This work represents a fantastic collaboration between the James Cropper and Maison Perrier-Jouët development teams.

“Maison Perrier-Jouët has always been guided by a love of nature. The new sustainable wrap reflects the evolution of this passion, with the house taking sincere, ethical and lasting action to reduce its impact on nature and sustain the environment. 

“The ultra-light creation represents a huge moment for the brand since it marks the goal we set out to achieve of having our entire gift offer eco-designed by 2023. We’re delighted to mark the achievement with such a beautiful design that seamlessly showcases how beauty and sustainability can work together, in the luxury market.”

The house’s vintage cuvees Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé will initially launch in the US, France and Italy in the Belle Epoque Cocoon wrap.  More than ever, Maison Perrier-Jouët re-enchants the world we share.