Internationally acclaimed—and 7-time Fifi winner—packaging designer Marc Rosen, has created the luxurious bottle for Formosa eau de parfum, with a custom fragrance. All of the elements pay tribute to Taiwanese history and culture, from the premium jade stopper to the fragrance notes which are indigenous to Taiwan.
The Development Process
Rosen developed the Formosa project over the past year, working with Shining Sung, a member of Taiwan’s most prominent family, which owns the Chi Mei Museum, “home to the largest collection of western art in Asia.” She was responsible for purchasing a great deal of the art. She lives in NYC and supports Taiwanese musicians and artists.
Formosa means “beautiful island,” and is a name given by Portuguese sailors who discovered the island centuries ago, while looking for “a special, unique place of beauty and harmony.” Formosa was created to capture this special, unique place of beauty and harmony and “provide this same escape to that special place in our hearts and imagination, if just for a moment.”
Firmenich’s master perfumer Honore Blanc created the beautiful fragrance that embodies the natural flowers, fruits and spices in notes that are indigenous to Taiwan. Florals include plum blossom, white peony, rose blossom, jasmin sambac, lily, tiger orchid. Nectars are black currant, sweet mandarin and candied lemon. Background notes: labdanum, patchouli, musks, cedar, sheer amber.
The Package Design
The package design features a carved green jade ball closure atop a bottle that is “a sleek crystal-clear slice of heavy glass.” It combines the charm and authenticity of Formosa with the modern dynamic of Taiwan.
"Creating a unique bottle shape has its challenges,” Rosen tells Beauty Packaging. “That is why we chose Pavisa Glass to make it. As a designer, I know all of the typical limitations of glass. The Formosa bottle is semi-automatic so we can attain the flat shoulders, sharp edges and the low neck that accepts the faux jade cap. I like to push the limitations and to work with a glass supplier that wants to meets the challenge. The faux jade cap is manufactured by MNA-BAX, injection molded.”
The carton—stamped and embossed with the Formosa logo in jade green and gold—was done by Beyer Graphics.
Formosa ($295) launches exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman on Valentine’s Day.
