Holdiay Package Design

SKIMS X NEST CONCEPT

01/12/24

YORK UNIVERSITY

PROJECT OVERVIEW

This project, part of the Package Design 3003 course at York University, involved creating an innovative design and campaign for a luxury holiday special candle. The concept was a collaborative effort between Nest and Skims by Kim Kardashian, leveraging the viral potential of Kim Kardashian's brand collaborations and the craftsmanship of Nest's luxury candles.

Objectives:

  • To blend the luxury of Nest's products with the high-fashion influence of Kim Kardashian to create a standout holiday product.

  • To design packaging that enhances the candle's presence as a luxury item and heightens the user's experience beyond the scent alone.

  • To capture the essence of Kim Kardashian's fashion style, translating it into a design that appeals to both Nest and Skims consumers.

Kim Kardashian’s Influence: Kim’s brand collaborations consistently go viral, yet she hasn’t entered the candle space—making this an exciting opportunity. Her fashion-driven influence and strong market reach could turn a Nest x Skims candle into both a luxury item and a collectible.

BRAND HISTORY & IDENTITY

Luxury Candle Market: Candles have evolved into luxury home essentials—valued for both scent and aesthetic. As the market grows, consumers are investing in candles that offer premium quality and standout design, highlighting a growing demand for more visually engaging products.

Room for Innovation: Many luxury candles still rely on outdated, minimal packaging. This gap presents a chance to reimagine candles as statement pieces in interior design, using bold, fashion-forward packaging to enhance consumer experience.

Nest Candles: While Nest is known for its high-quality scents and burn time, its packaging hasn’t evolved, creating a disconnect between the product’s price point and its visual appeal.

CONCEPT IDEALATION

Concept 1: Luxury Home Aesthetic
Inspired by Kim’s minimalist home collection — focused on creating a textured, stone-inspired box with elevated details like a candle snuffer. Aimed at the luxury home market.

Concept 2: Silhouette
Based on Kim’s iconic figure, with packaging shaped to mirror her outline. Visually strong but ultimately felt too literal for Nest’s refined brand image.

Concept 3: Mocha
Draws from Kim’s signature “mocha” tones and the popularity of food-inspired marketing. Explored packaging like a retro coffee cup or pot to create a lifestyle-focused theme.

Concept 4: Corset Packaging (Final)
The chosen concept — a lace-up corset-inspired design influenced by Kim’s red carpet looks. Elegant, tactile, and fashion-forward, it brought a couture edge to luxury candle packaging.

INITIAL SKETCHES

PHYSICAL MODEL IDEALATION

Design Execution and Prototyping: Outer Box

Using AutoCAD, I designed the outer box to complement the corset shape while providing protection and structure. I created a rough prototype and used laser cutting to achieve precise cuts and folds on high-quality cardstock — essential for a clean, structured form that aligned with the luxury feel.

To enhance the unboxing experience, I lined the interior with silver foil — a festive, on-trend detail that reflects light as the box opens, adding both visual impact and sophistication.

Prototyping and Material Execution: Metal Corset

To begin, I created a paper mock-up of the corset to test proportions and functionality before moving to metal. This allowed for early refinements without committing to expensive fabrication.

Once finalized, I transitioned the design into metal for its durability and sleek, high-end finish.
The process involved:

  • Cutting: Using precision tools, I cut each metal sheet to size based on mock-up dimensions.

  • Shaping & Assembly: Every piece was shaped and aligned carefully to maintain the integrity of the corset’s silhouette.

  • Finishing: The surface was polished to add texture and shine, enhancing both the look and feel of the packaging.

Challenges: Working with metal required accuracy, strength, and specialized tools for cutting and bending — a hands-on learning curve that pushed my craftsmanship forward.

Why Metal?
Beyond functionality, metal brought a sense of weight and sophistication that felt true to both Nest’s luxury feel and Kim Kardashian’s signature aesthetic. It made the corset not just packaging, but a collectible object.

The final product of the Nest x Skims collaboration is a holiday candle encased in an avant-garde metal corset, designed to merge Kim Kardashian’s iconic fashion influence with Nest’s elegant home aesthetics. This luxury packaging, crafted with precision from metal sheets, features intricate corset-like detailing, including a polished finish and silver foil lining that enhances the unboxing experience. The design transforms the candle into a statement piece that transcends traditional home décor, positioning it as an ideal luxury gift for the holiday season.

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