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CONTENTS 3
Introduction
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History of Chanel
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History of Coffee
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History of Espresso
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The Culture of Coffee and Fashion
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Coffee Packaging Inovations
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Packaging and Materials
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Designer Responsibility
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Eco-Friendly Dedication
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The Consumer Society
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The Product: Chanel Coffee
30 Conclusion 32
Bibliography / References
INTRODUCTION The venture of Chanel into the world of coffee is a concept that may at first be surprising, but both the fashion and coffee industries contain distinct shared similarities and factors in both market and values. This visual essay will explain why Chanel Coffee is a product that is not only completely realistic, but one that also has enormous potential for success.
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HISTORY OF CHANEL Born in 1883 and orphaned at a young age, Chanel was raised by her aunts in the province of Auvergne. Her nickname was “Coco” or “little pet.” Taught to sew by the aunts who raised her, she became a hat designer in 1908, opened two boutiques in 1914, and continued to design smart yet simple fashions in contrast to the frilly and ornate fashions of the day. Some say the shortage of fabrics in France through the two World Wars influenced her style. She is quoted as saying she only designed things she wanted to wear. She became associated with some of the most creative and visionary artists of her time; including Diaghilev, Picasso, Stravinsky and Cocteau. Like these artists, she was determined to break the mold and invent ways of expressing herself through the fashions she created. Cocteau once said of her “she has, by a kind of miracle, worked in fashion according to rules that would seem to have value only for painters, musicians, poets.” Chanel created such practical clothing as the tricot sailor dress, and turtleneck and pullover sweaters. Considered a bold move for her time, she introduced pants for women. The single element that most insured Chanel’s fame was her most famous fragrance- --Chanel No. 5, in its 1923 Art Deco bottle. It was the first perfume to bear a designer’s name. One could say perfume helped keep Chanel’s pretty reputation throughout World War II. She responded to the war by shutting down her fashion business and hooking up with Hans Gunther von Dincklage, a Nazi officer whose favors included permission to reside in her beloved Ritz Hotel. Years later in the 1950’s, she had trouble making a comeback because her name still had “disgraced” attached to it.
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The clothes of the House of Chanel also are known for quilted fabric and leather trimmings; the quilted construction of the garment reinforces the fabric, the design, and the finish, which produce a garment confected to maintain its form and function in every circumstance. The notable example of such haute couture techniques is the woolen Chanel Suit — a knee-length skirt and a cardiganstyle jacket, trimmed and decorated with black embroidery and gold-coloured buttons. The complementary accessories are two-tone pump shoes and jewelry (gemstone and bijouterie), usually a necklace of pearls, and a leather handbag. Moreover, the great financial, commercial, and cultural successes of perfume No. 5 increased public recognition of the House of Chanel, desire for its haute couture designs, demand for the prêtà porter clothes, and enhanced the artistic reputation of the couturier Coco Chanel; and, in lean times, perfume kept Chanel solvent.
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HISTORY OF COFFEE The history of coffee goes back to as far as the thirteenth century. The story of Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder who discovered coffee, did not appear in writing until 1671 and is probably fictional. From Ethiopia, coffee was said to have spread first to Egypt and Yemen. The earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree and bean, appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. By the 16th century, coffee had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and Northern Africa. Coffee then spread to Balkans, Italy, and the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas. Today coffee is grown across the world. Whether it is Asia or Africa, Central or South America, the islands of the Caribbean or Australia, all coffees tree’s heritage can be traced back to their to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau.
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HISTORY OF ESPRESSO Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. The result of the pressurized brewing process is a very flavoured and concentrated cup of coffee. Espresso is also the base for other drinks, such as a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, or Americano. The espresso coffee machine was patented by Angelo Moriondo in Turin 1884 and is considered to be the first machine to control the supply of steam and water separately through coffee.
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In the 21st century espresso coffee machine’s can be found in every coffee and café around the world. It has also been developed into a smaller, simpler device for home use. This ever-growing popularity of home espresso devices has in turn, lead to a rise of the purchase of quality coffee beans. You can now find a range of coffee bean products in food store’s or supermarket’s globally, as well as within coffee shop’s or café’s, where owners are beginning to sell their own selected blends of beans.
COFFEE AND FASHION CULTURE The culture of coffee can be described as the social atmosphere or behavior that depends or involves heavily upon coffee. The term also refers to the diffusion and adoption of coffee as a widely consumed stimulant by a culture. In the late 20th century, particularly in the Western world and urbanized centers around the globe, espresso has been an increasingly dominant form. The use of espresso machines at home is considered as an expensive and ‘classy’ luxury, often perceived and stylized in advertisements for good looking, wealthy and fashionable people. These same characteristics can be found within the industry of fashion, specifically surrounding high-class brands such as Chanel. This combined with the general overall stylized luxury of coffee is a evident reason for the movement of Chanel into the coffee industry.
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COFFEE PACKAGING INNOVATIONS A major breakthrough in packaging of coffee is the use of nitrogen-flushed bags that feature a one-way valve. This allows the important process of letting the coffee beans breath but also preventing oxygen and moisture from entering the bag. The sealed manner of coffee packaging today also prevents other negative effects such as heat and light on coffee beans.
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PACKAGING AND MATERIALS One of Chanel’s secrets to success are the long-term partnerships with their packaging suppliers. In a brand where looks mean everything, Chanel believes by globalizing its packaging process within one selected supplier that it promotes and maintains the highest level of quality across the board. Chanel’s key to consistent quality is keeping the same sources for materials, suppliers, converters and design. Because of this Chanel Coffee packaging will be designed and produced by the same manufacturers as the rest of their product line. The essence of the Chanel brand is the simple but elegant design. Chanel’s designs rarely feature a large palette of colours; rarely straying from white, gold, beige silver and pink. Coco Chanel herself preferred minimal decoration on designs and believed that black and white, straight lines, and rectangular designs represented purity, a message incredibly important to portray and surround Chanel Coffee.
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DESIGNER RESPONSIBILITY With packaging design and production comes a lot of responsibilities, these mostly economical and environmental. Chanel’s strong relationship with it’s packaging suppliers allows them to oversee and enforce rules to create as minimum environmental impact and waste as possible. Recycling is an important process to also be used within packaging production, and as Chanel’s products are packaged completely using papers and cardboard, Offcuts and waste can be recycled and reused for future products. Chanel Coffee is no exception to this and will be packaged using quality but recyclable and combustible materials.
ECO-FRIENDLY DEDICATION Chanel have been shareholders of Eco-Emballages, a eco-friendly packaging company which has ignited networks to recuperate and improve household packaging, since it’s establishment. Through this dedication to sustainable and eco-friendly packaging production, Chanel has developed it’s own worksites to limit the environmental impact of it’s products and packaging. This allows us to work in a systematic way in terms of standardised packaging. As well as this, Chanel abides and respects all environmental regulations and rules, particularly in the terms of it’s industrial sites. 25
THE CONSUMER SOCIETY With the ever-growing market of coffee around the world, the introduction of a Chanel branded coffee product is something that would be received with great popularity and excitement. There is an immense ‘buzz’ that surrounds Chanel, and a constant want for any product that features the Chanel brand and the quality it brings with it. Chanel Coffee will allow people to not only enjoy a beautiful, high quality coffee, but also surround them with the elegant and stylish nature and feeling that is the Chanel brand.
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(OUTSIDE)
THE PRODUCT Chanel Coffee will be packaged to the elegant and minimalistic style that the Chanel products all represent, though it will feature some notable and unique differences. The packaging contains two separate parts — a larger display box and within it a smaller box, placed and fitted inside, containing the actual coffee beans. This two layer packaging system is one that has been used to deliver a range of Chanel products. The inner-box is containing the coffee beans features a plastic transparent sheet on the front displaying the beans inside, and creating a backdrop to the contrasting white Chanel logo. This results in a pleasant surprise for the customer when opening the product and also allows the customer to see the actual product (coffee beans) without completely opening the package.
(INSIDE)
It is also important to establish that the inner-box (right) is layered itself, with the inside being a completely sealed transparent bag in which the coffee beans are contained in to preserve freshness. The bag can be opened and shut using an air-lockable opening on top when the box
(INNER CONTAINING BOX) 29
CONCLUSION Through this visual essay I hope that the concept, development and final presentation of the product Chanel Coffee, is one that is clear and successful. As a designer, the process of research into a brand and product’s history, production and identity, is one that is incredibly important to undergo in creating a final concept and design. This visual essay serves as the final compiled and arranged development of the concept and product that is Chanel Coffee.
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REFERENCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY “History of coffee” — Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_coffee “History of coffee” — NCA / National Coffee Association USA http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=68 “Espresso” — Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso “Short History of Espresso” — Home Barista http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide-short-history.html “Coffee Bean Storage & Freshness” — Coffee Makers Cafe http://www.coffee-makers-cafe.com/coffee-bean-storage-keep-fresh.html “Coffee Bean Storage” — Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_bean_storage “Packaging and Packaging Waste” — Business Link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1086902248&type=RESOURCES “Frequently Asked Questions” — Chanel http://www.chanel.com/en_CA/fragrance-beauty/FAQ-114125#what-is-chanels-position-in-terms-ofenvironmental-protection-
JOSEF AGIUS CD203 ASSIGNMENT TWO VISUAL ESSAY Billy Blue College of Design