Harry Winston
Packaging Design
When Marilyn Monroe sang “talk to me Harry Winston” in Hollywood’s silver screen classic “Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend,” the Winston name was cemented in the popular lexicon as the ultimate purveyor of status jewelry as The King of Diamonds.
Founded in New York City in 1932, Harry Winston continues to set the standard for the ultimate in fine jewelry and high-end watchmaking.After being asked to redesign the Winston packaging, walking through the gilded gates of the Fifth Avenue boutique, I considered Hollywood heroes, titans of industry and royals who’d stood in this same threshold. I was daunted.Our aim was to create packaging that would allow the jewels to remain in the spotlight. We needed to design what would be a fresh take on an absolute classic, making a bold, luxurious, modern statement to honor the brand’s heritage and also point toward the future.
We inventoried every product, interviewed sales staff, analyzed product utility and factored this research into our design and production methodology. We landed on an art deco inspired black on black packaging with subtle silver accents. The HW logo is etched into a metal plaque which is inlaid into a recess on the lid of the box. The cut corners of the iconic logo are repeated in the cut corner silhouettes of the boxes themselves, creating a visual rhythm.
On the inside lid of the box, the Harry Winston name is silver foil-stamped, acting as a signature, whispering above the work that rests below. The inky rich black suedes and lambskin leathers illuminate the precious metals and rare stones of the pieces.
As a gemologist by trade, Mr. Winston traveled the globe in his quest to find the world’s finest diamonds and gemstones. On a similar search for the right vendor with whom to collaborate on production, we crossed three continents before finally settling on a manufacturer in Morocco. The prototyping was supervised by Benard Creative on-site in Casablanca, an unforgettable experience of blending past and future to create a backdrop for the gorgeous pieces that highlights the beauty and uniqueness of Harry Winston’s rare and exceptional jewels.
