Carolina Herrera Istanbul Collection

Design: Rym Rahmouni
Location: Turkey
Project Type: Student Project
School: Bahcesehir University
Tutor: Didem Wong
Packaging Contents: Candles / Diffusers
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Corrugated cardboard

Istanbul Collection is a limited edition set of Candles and Diffuser by Carolina Herrera. The collection is inspired from the unique unforgettable experiences and sensations Istanbul gave me while living there. As someone who loves to travel the world and discover new cites, I find myself reminiscing over the smells, music, sounds and accents, specific cloths I wore there and perfumes, and most importantly the details in the architecture and landscapes. But when it comes to Istanbul I tend to miss it the most, and anything that reminds me of it is very special and sits close to my heart. That’s way this collection aims to reflect these beautiful experiences through a combination of scents and colors that are related to specific places that I like the most.

The concept behind is nostalgia, memories that links certain scenes to a place or a feeling, every person has it differently thats way i wanted to share my special relationship with the city through these designs to maybe help ease the homesickness i feel when i am away. I have been living in Istanbul for 8 years and ever since the first day I fell in love with it, but there has been couple of areas that left a unique impression on me, not only with the beauty and the history behind them, but also with details that sets them apart.

The 3 areas that I chose were:

1. Riva: A small quiet coastal village in the Anatolian part of Istanbul Province. The sound of the Kara Denizli waves hitting on rocks, the beautiful colors of sunset, and the smell of hot çay and the sea. The color palette has different shades of cool calm blues contrasted by yellow and orange.
2. Gulhane: The oldest historical park on the Topkapi Palace grounds. It is known for the most beautiful Tulip gardens in spring, beautiful flowers all around the year, and the smell of flowers and fresh herbs. The color palette has different shades of pastel pink, red and yellow contrasted by green and blue.
3. Balat: Narrow cobbled streets, colorful houses, art galleries, and the smell of fresh ground coffee and chocolate is how it’s known. It’s a very unique neighborhood and a must-go place in Istanbul. The color palette is bright vibrant colors like green, purple, blue, and yellow.

In the first design for candles, I tried to reflect sound by mixing the color palettes inspired from the chosen places with a textured brush as an implication of sound waves. In the second design for diffusers, I wanted to layer the colors in a sequence of unstructured rounded lines to differentiate between the two products but with the same essence. The House of Herrera is defined by the iconic style and effortless sophistication of its founder Carolina Herrera. It is a fashion and beauty house renowned for its fashion-forward collections and world-class couture atelier. The Fragrances are a staple for the house and known for their exquisite ingredients with avant-garde formulations that are timeless.

What’s Unique?
I tried to visualize nostalgia and memories by imitating random places and figures in an abstracted way through a combination of lines, textures, colors, and shapes. Yet keeping in mind and trying to respect the legacy and the soul of the brand Carolina Herrera, Which is always elegant, sophisticated and timeless