Nespresso has launched a limited edition Varieties range that subtly celebrates all that’s right with the festive period, enlisting the help of architect-designer and master of colour India Mahdavi to turn its low-energy capsules high-caffeine.
Inspired by the sweet flavours of this year’s Varieties selection – macaron, madeleine and praline – Mahdavi signed the packaging with her signature colour pop (that wouldn’t look out of place in her ethereal Tokyo coffee shop, completed earlier this year). To wit, the Iranian designer has also reimagined Nespresso’s mugs, cups, window displays and visual communications.
The jewel-like pods, which Mahdavi feels are ‘reminiscent of childhood’, recall old-fashioned sweets. Imagine them piled high in glass jars on kitchen counter-tops like a glut of humbugs.
‘I wanted to add a hint of reverie,’ she says of their memory-lane aesthetic. ‘The challenge was to try to add a dreamy dimension to a world leading brand like Nespresso,’ she continues. ‘There was space to bring roundness, sweetness and gourmandise to their world. These are not just flavours but imaginary delights; I’m infusing a touch of emotion and tenderness to the functional and urban universe of coffee.’
Likewise, Mahdavi’s new Origin Collection of coffee cups and serving tray elevates the coffee ritual with a commitment to texture; and of course, a splash of colour. The interior of the mugs are a perfect, flat white-brown. Inspired by the shape of the coffee bean, each matte-finished ceramic shell is rounded to fit into the palms, creating a satisfying sense of connection between cup, coffee, and coffee-lover. §
