La Mer x Kelly Wearstler Genaissance vanity box
Estée Lauder Cos.’ Crème de la Mer has teamed with lifestyle brand Kelly Wearstler on a limited-edition objet d’art that merges modernist and classic design.
The limited-edition vanity box draws inspirations from La Mer’s latest serum, Genaissance de la Mer, and the crystal elements within its essence. Known for her talent as a “minimalist designer with maximum range,” La Mer’s collaboration will likely appeal to its own enthusiasts as well as those who follow Ms. Wearstler’s work.
“My design incorporates rich, organic textures inspired by the raw beauty of nature,” said Kelly Wearstler, founder/designer at Kelly Wearstler. “A cornerstone of my aesthetic is my collection of raw, mineral crystals and stones that I use in my jewelry, home décor and furniture collections.
“I was excited when La Mer approached me to design a box that embodied their newest launch – Genaissance de la Mer,” she said. “Inspired by Genaissance and the Crystal Miracle Broth I was able to incorporate the beauty of crystals into a unique and decorative box that would embody my raw and refined aesthetic and as well represent the essential qualities of Genaissance de La Mer.”
Crystal clear
The Genaissance skin care serum was introduced to La Mer enthusiasts through a series of sponsored content posts shared on social network Facebook. La Mer’s offerings are among the cult favorites of many affluent consumers, so when a new product is unveiled, getting the word out to this community of enthusiasts is important.
La Mer’s new serum is made using a pure form of the Broth, called Crystal Miracle Broth, that is slow-crafted in small batches for optimum potency. By tapping into the “life-generating energies of the sea,” Genaissance renews skin from within and day after day, skin is “infused with a new look of life” (see story).
Following the initial announcement, La Mer began promoting its creative collaboration with Ms. Wearstler celebrating Genaissance. For the collaboration, which resulted in a limited-edition black walnut lacquer and bronze vanity box with a raw crystal handle, La Mer created a dedicated board on Pinterest and a behind-the-scenes video shared to its YouTube account.
Vanity box for La Mer, designed by Kelly Wearstler
The longform version of the video begins with Ms. Wearstler introducing herself and explaining that crystals are an important aspect of her design aesthetic. As she sketched the Genaissance vanity box on a pad, she tells of how long it often takes to find the right crystals to tell a particular story.
As the video continues, viewers see the craftsmanship behind the vanity box with Ms. Wearstler noting that “moving from an idea to a finished piece is a wonderfully singular journey each and every time.” The video concludes with Ms. Wearstler examining some of the pieces she has created.
Kelly Wearstler x La Mer | A collaboration
The dedicated Pinterest board delves deeper into this process by including sketches of the vanity box and the final product staged with paint brushes and other crystals. La Mer also included a short questionnaire touching on Ms. Wearstler’s inspirations, influences, the collaboration and La Mer must-haves.
Furthering the promotion, Ms. Wearstler also served as La Mer’s “Editor-in-Chic” on Instagram for the month of November.
Pin from La Mer’s dedicated Geniassance Pinterest board
The Ms. Wearstler-designed box, limited to 25 boxes, is available for purchase for $1,200, and includes a bottle of Genaissance. A bottle of Genaissance de la Mer on its own retails on the La Mer Web site for $620 for a one-ounce bottle.
Treasured collaborations
La Mer has worked with a number of luxury houses on limited-edition carrying cases and vessels for its beloved products.
In 2014, for instance, British handbag label Anya Hindmarch created a one-of-a-kind leather vanity for La Mer’s The Concentrate to be kept.
Consumers were be able to redeem the benefits of Anya Hindmarch’s craftsmen and La Mer’s products with this collaboration. The combination of these two brands allowed consumers to gain an understanding of both brands and the release timing likely intrigued holiday shoppers (see story).
Similarly in 2013, La Mer partnered with French jeweler Boucheron to create a limited-edition decanter for its Crème de la Mer moisturizing lotion, available exclusively at London department store Harrods to appeal to affluent consumers.
The 10-piece collaboration highlighted the jeweler’s craftsmanship while enhancing the allure of La Mer products. Partnering with a single retailer guaranteed exclusively and likely benefited Harrods due to the increased foot traffic of a limited-edition gift item (see story).
Collaborations with outside parties often result in a merger of aesthetics that lets both participants’ appeal come forth. In the case of Ms. Wearstler, it is her use of crystals.
“Crystals are inherently alluring and when this partnership was founded I was inspired to create a design that gives the gift of distinctive, natural beauty,” Ms. Wearstler said. “Each box is hand-crafted of the finest quality materials – a mixology of gems, metal and wood.”
Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter on Luxury Daily, New York