We speak to James Croppers’ Moulded Fibre Packaging Designer, Rowan Nowell to discover more about the brand, its winning works and its upcoming projects

Who is James Cropper Luxury Packaging and what’s your area of expertise?

Since 1845 we have redefined the art of papermaking to go above and beyond the capabilities of any other paper mill. James Cropper is the only globally supplying mill to offer bespoke papermaking and paper converting under one roof. Choose your texture, weight, finish and colour and we'll create something truly special.

We are a creative solution to high-end luxury packaging, inventing new and exciting ways to bring brand identities and stories to life through the art of paper making. Whether it’s paper for a retail bag or a moulded fibre solution, we can do it all.

Congrats on winning 7 awards in the 2023 competition! What project did you enjoy working on the most and what was the creative idea behind the packaging?

For me, personally, working on the Dom Ruinart Chalk Wrap was an amazing project to work on. The award-winning project challenged us as a design team to create an organic rock that would evoke the unbreakable link between Dom Ruinart and the chalk, from the growing of the vine on chalky soils to the time when the vintage is aged in chalk cellars. It illustrates savoir-faire and respect for nature. Inspired by our moulded fibre 'Second Skin' pulp packaging cases, Maison Ruinart collaborated with us again. 

We delved into new techniques such as using clay modelling, to help us explore form and shape. As part of our collaboration, we crafted each individual facet to ensure the Chalk Wrap functioned as intended and aesthetically looked as if it were an organic rock shape.

‘Ruinart was and continues to be fantastic to work in partnership with. The team have an incredible eye for detail, pushing us to explore new levels of innovation and creativity; all without compromising on quality.

Is there an exciting new project you’ve been working on that you can share?

Another one of this year’s Pentawards winners is Belle Epoque 'Cocoon' by Maison Perrier-Jouët. Together we have created an eco-designed gift box that marries beauty with environmental commitment seamlessly in the luxury market.

For the first time, we crafted moulded fibre packaging from paper pulp and vine shoots, designed for the champagne house’s vintage cuvees Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé.

The box perfectly envelops the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque bottle, enhancing its shape. Offering a unique design profile with a pleasing sweep producing an organic and natural feel, only the golden cap crowning the champagne is revealed which is showcased by a small petal-like collar.

With an enchanting minimalist elegance, the emblematic Art Nouveau-inspired anemone of the Perrier-Jouët house is subtly conveyed through the intricately sculpted floral decoration which beautifully fades out at the packaging edge with a double-deboss.

In addition to its featherweight of 49 grams, which is 93% lighter than the previous gift box, the Belle Epoque Cocoon wrap doesn’t include any varnish or glue. It is designed with only two natural materials, paper pulp prepared from FSC® approved sustainably managed forests and vine shoots from France.

What are the latest innovations in the speciality paper world?

From a moulded fibre perspective it is such an exciting area where it feels like we are just scratching the surface of what is possible, we take concepts and try to generate new ways to improve the quality of our parts, but to name ‘some of the exciting innovations that have happened recently are, board less wash cutting parts to generate a high-quality 3D edge profile, this allows us to give unique forms and borderless designs to customers projects. Another is the ability to add hinges in multiple areas on a part which frees up the design process and allows much more dynamic designs which can move and flex.

Why is picking the right kind of paper so important?

Packaging is a brand's first touch point with a consumer, that portrayal must be inspiring and thought-provoking.

Therefore, picking the paper to meet those objectives for your packaging is crucial. With the customers desired specification in mind we can develop the right blend of fibres for the performance of the product, for our 3D thermoformed parts technically needs to do so many things, that range from hinging, retention features, complex geometry, embossing, deboss and Colour.

Why is sustainability important to the brand and how is it integrated into daily operations?

Sustainability is such a huge part of everything we do, we understand that every project we work on will hopefully have a positive effect whether it's directly replacing a package that may have been made from non-sustainable products, or inspiring and helping more brands make the transition from conventional packaging and branch into something more sustainable.

At James Cropper, sustainability spans every area of our business and is integral to the way we add value to our customers. We care deeply about delivering a greater positive impact, for our planet, the environment, our neighbours, and society in general.

Our rich papermaking heritage has always celebrated natural, renewable materials. Today, our strategic goal for sustainable growth takes on many more forms. Whether that is from upcycling or recycling materials for our sustainable fibre packaging, lightweight, decarbonisation, or innovative solutions in the green energy sector, we continue to evolve our business as we work to reduce our effect on the environment. It was from this core value that our innovation into moulded fibre began, creating a mono-material packaging solution.

As the world changes and evolves, so too does our focus on sustainability; it has been and will remain, a central element of how we do business.

How can you help creative agencies reduce their impact?

We are experts in creating beautiful papers by blending combinations of fresh and recycled fibres. FibreBlend is more than just a product or process, it’s at the heart of our purpose: Pioneering materials to safeguard our future. Working collaboratively with brands and agencies to tell their stories through paper. It was using this approach that the Plastic Free Poppy was born.

The paper used for the new design is made from a blend of renewable fibres from responsible sources, 50 per cent of which has been recovered from paper coffee cup production. Which reduced carbon emissions by 40 per cent. It is free from single-use plastic and can be recycled in ordinary paper recycling collections.

James Cropper’s FibreBlend Upcycled Technology model organises the plethora of fibre blend options available to customers into a clear offer, demonstrating the limitless expertise available to them. From the world’s first technology to upcycle used coffee cups to the industry-leading incorporation of used jeans into fully recyclable paper for packaging - transforming waste into beautiful paper and packaging is at the core of the FibreBlend Upcycled Technology mission.

With sustainable solutions at the heart of the James Cropper mission, the new poppy contributes to our vision to drive the growth of upcycled fibre within the company’s paper products to 50 per cent by 2025: pioneering materials to safeguard our future.

Find out more about James Cropper here and follow them on LinkedIn here.