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Photo: Evian

Paul Smith is the latest on the list of illustrious names that’ve produced bottle designs for mineral water brand Evian, joining Christian Lacroix for 2008 and Jean-Paul Gaultier for 2009. The designs are meant to reflect the freshness and simplicity of water, and they seem to do just that with their simple bottle shapes and delicate designs. It’s great packaging, but there are many who think that it’s too lovely to remain just that, and have made them highly collectable.

Three’s company

Paul Smith is the third to design water bottles for the Evian brand – what did the other two have to offer? Christian Lacroix, the first in line, created a slim bottle adorned with white designed reminiscent of icicles, and even went as far as creating a second ‘couture’ bottle shape in a feminine sculptured form. Jean-Paul Gaultier’s bottle shape was sturdier, with a bold modern design that included the designer’s name and Evian branding in clean blue text.

It’s all Paul

Evian say that they chose the designer for his optimism and sense of youth, and it’s easy to see why: his many collections are strong and bright, often featuring the coloured stripes that have become his trademark. Paul Smith’s bottle shape is as simple and stylish as those of his predecessors, but his comes decorated with his signature stripes around its neck. The bottles are available individually or in cases of twelve directly from the Evian website, or from high-end food and beverage outlets.

Can we keep him?

Photo: Evian

Those who love the Evian bottles and want to keep re-using them as carafes or to store purified water have noticed one small setback: their metal bottle tops aren’t re-usable. Maybe this means that they really are intended as packaging rather than art, but for those who are determined to make the most of the gorgeous bottle shapes by turning them into stylish additions to a kitchenware collection, using a simple wine stopper that won’t ruin the bottle’s look is probably the best option.

Trendsetter

Evian’s not the only mineral water company to involve fashion designers in the creation of their packaging. Perrier has enlisted the help of fashion brand Paul & Joe to give their water a makeover, but this time, not one but three designs have been launched. However, these designers didn’t have to concern themselves with bottle shape – the designs are printed onto cans in which sparkling Perrier mineral water is sold.

On sale now

Paul Smith’s Evian bottle design is on sale in stores now. For an inexpensive investment in this collector’s piece, and perhaps a chance to make a profit later, it seems like a good idea to get to the shops as soon as possible.