Marc Rosen has released Glamour Icons: Perfume Bottle Design, a new illustrated book about his own career and the vintage bottles that inspired him:
Conceived and written by seven-time FiFi Award winner and internationally renowned packaging designer Marc Rosen
Recognizes and celebrates perfume bottle design as an art form or "small pieces of glass architecture"
Glamour Icons is a collection of Marc Rosen's remarkable bottle designs, as well as a selection of perfume bottles from the last century that he considers iconic. It abounds with industry back stories never published before about working at his first job with Revlon founder the imperious Charles Revson, his career at Elizabeth Arden, his collaboration with the fashion houses of Chloé, Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Perry Ellis, Ellen Tracy, and Jill Stuart, as well as with celebrities such as Joan Rivers, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion. The book recounts intriguing stories about working with Princess Grace of Monaco and Saudi Prince Fahad and about the experience that changed his life, working on a fragrance with Arlene Dahl, one of Hollywood's most glamorous leading ladies, and marrying her, as well. Marc Rosen is the first perfume bottle designer to write a book about his craft, and to describe the design process from original sketches to models, to working with glass manufacturers on engineering drawings to actual production. He shares his insights into creating the logo, graphics, colors, boxes and counter displays, as well as the "theater of the launch." Glamour Icons documents perfume bottles, their history, their place in society and their inspiration. Illustrated with amazing photographs by Vincent Ricardel, the book also contains Rosen's personal photographs and artwork given to him by many of the people he has worked with.
Glamour Icons: Perfume Bottle Design can be found now at Amazon, where it is currently $54 (list price is $85).
(via amazon)
I thought I wasn’t particularly interested in perfume bottles, but this book sounds fascinating.
I didn’t used to think I was interested either, but got interested after interviewing Pierre Dinand a few years ago. I thought he was going to do a book, hopefully he still is. I admit I don’t know Marc Rosen’s work at all.
For anyone who is interested:
https://nstperfume.com/2005/10/06/the-art-of-the-bottle-an-interview-with-pierre-dinand/
I love perfume bottles almost as much as I love perfume. This is going on my buy list, maybe as a Christmas present to myself.
Good idea!
I have to admit I am a sucker for a beautiful bottle and have bought a bottle or 2 just for the bottle design. I know it’s so wrong! Is there a bottle anonymous I need to join?
I don’t see anything wrong with it, as long as you aren’t spending the rent money or the grocery money on it. After all, people buy vases, figurines, and paintings just to look at, why not perfume bottles?
Hear, hear!
Great cover choice – I recognized it immediately: KL, my best friend’s one true perfume love.
I love and collect perfume bottles, as well as their contents – this book might have to go on my Christmas list!
I love collecting perfume bottles-this book looks fascinating, I’ll have to put it on the Christmas wish list.
I have this beautiful bottle in the 90’s …..this is the parfum concentrate bottle ………. is KL by Karl Lagerfield ………….. hope will come back to market …………