It certainly doesn’t hurt when good design comes in an edible form. An example of such is the ongoing collaboration between Commune Design and Valerie Confections. The two Los Angelenos have been working together for the past six years, pairing memorable packaging design with even more delectable contents.
‘The collaboration came about very organically,’ remembers Valerie Gordon, proprietress of the sweet shop. ‘Commune used our chocolates for client gifts for a year or two and eventually said we should do something together. It’s been very simple and easy, and the nature of our relationship and creative process really hasn’t altered since.’
From chocolate granola mixes to chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, the Commune+Valerie choices are undeniably moreish. What’s more is that each product embraces Commune’s retro-tinged, folkloric style. Be it the Austrian secessionist posters or 60s-style hippie photography that influenced the design of the Good Mix bars, or push-pin graphics, early 20th century Swiss chocolate bars and boxes, the combination of different references makes for vibrant and inviting packaging.
‘We usually look at a few things and then mix them up. The idea is for the packaging to be super graphic, fun and hopefully a collectible,’ says Commune’s Roman Alonso. ‘[Each product] demonstrates the same approach and process, which is layered and rooted in the things we love around here. But we do like them to have their own personality, like siblings.’
The newest addition to the line is a duo of chocolate bars, enriched with fruit, nuts and seeds. Based on the Good Mix – a gluten-free chocolate granola that mixed roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla paste, cacao nibs and sea salt – the Good Mix Bars (one version is spicy, thanks to a hit of paprika and peppers) bring all that deliciousness into a 61 per cent dark chocolate bar form.
Unwrapping the bars reveals a cheeky surprise – as seen in the images here. Gordon says, ‘The look of the Good Mix Bars is incredible – the way it unfolds, the imagery. There is a narrative within the design, making it insanely compelling.’
Alonso adds, ‘We love the idea of people pinning the two wrappers on a wall side by side, like Adam and Eve.’
The duo's newest addition is a pair of Good Mix chocolate bars: 61 per cent dark chocolate chock full of roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla paste, cacao nibs and sea salt. The red is a spicy version that boasts a kick from peppers and paprika
Unwrapping the bars also reveals a cheeky surprise
Over the six years of collaborations, Commune and Valerie have also launched chocolate granola mixes (left) and chocolate-covered matcha sandwich cookies (right)
Be it Austrian secessionist posters, 60s-style hippie photography, push-pin graphics or early 20th century Swiss chocolate bars and boxes, the incorporation of different art-historical references makes for vibrant and inviting packaging
INFORMATION
Commune+Valerie chocolates range from $10–$49. To buy, visit the Valerie Confections website
-
Inside Kyotographie, Japan’s world-renowned photography festivalKyotographie 2025 embraces the theme ‘Humanity’ in Kyoto – Amah-Rose Abram reports with the highlights, from major and emerging photographers
-
Isolation to innovation: Inside Albania’s (figurative and literal) riseAlbania has undergone a remarkable transformation from global pariah to European darling, with tourists pouring in to enjoy its cheap sun. The country’s glow-up also includes a new look, as a who’s who of international architects mould it into a future-facing, ‘verticalising’ nation
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campusThe Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
-
American food classics perfect for Super Bowl snackingTuck into these American food classics, from a hot fudge sundae to crab & corn chowder this Super Bowl season
-
How La Scala’s chopped salad became the Oscars’ favourite dishLA restaurant La Scala’s chopped salad turned an off-menu dish into a culinary icon. Here’s how, plus our pick of Oscar-worthy salad ware for your own table
-
Laila Gohar debuts bar accessories inspired by her travelsChef and designer Laila Gohar unveils a new range of bar accessories and cocktails with her signature surrealist flair
-
The Commerce Inn is a West Village Tavern inspired by the ShakersWe explore the simple pleasures of The Commerce Inn, Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ perfectly crafted, Shaker-inspired West Village tavern
-
Happy Independence Day, USA! Wallpaper* launches a month-long celebration of creative AmericaThis 4 July we toast the cream of creative USA with our very own cherry soda float. See more in August 2023 Wallpaper*, on sale 6 July, and all month on Wallpaper.com
-
Lavender and Truffles: plant-based ice cream with Asian-inspired flavoursFashion industry veteran Alicia Liu launches an ice cream brand like no other, with passion and grit as the main ingredients
-
In Washington, DC, Yayoi Kusama and Veuve Clicquot are in full bloomYayoi Kusama and Veuve Clicquot continue their long and fruitful collaboration with a series of art events in Washington, DC, headlined by the artist’s major show, ‘One With Eternity’ at the Hirshhorn
-
New York exhibition celebrates the history of African American cuisine‘African/American: Making the Nation’s Table’ is a new exhibition in New York City that examines the traditions and innovations of African American cooking
