Glasfurd & Walker’s Belle Époque-inspired design for Bellamie deserves a place on your drinks bar — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

Marking the moment day meets evening, l’apéro is the perfect pause to slow down, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy a l’apéritif – a light beverage served to stimulate the appetite. In the case of Bellamie, a revival of the nearly forgotten French ‘Guignolet’ liqueur with a decadent cherry flavour, Founder Marie Voirin tells us she wanted the brand, label, and bottle design to be a celebration of life and French heritage. Working with global brand studio Glasfurd & Walker, the resulting look does just that, drawing heavily from the Art Nouveau movement. This style is closely associated with the Belle Époque, which, as Vorin explains, was a culturally and artistically flourishing – and very French – period during which life was celebrated. “So this artistic movement during the era of hope, prosperity and beauty seemed the most fitting,” she says, describing the point of inspiration.

“Ornament is at the heart of Art Nouveau,” explains Co-founder & Creative Director Phoebe Glasfurd, “its essence lies in the intricate interplay of typography, illustration, and frame-like compositions that create a sense of fluidity and elegance.” To capture this spirit, the research into historical Art Nouveau design elements was meticulous and comprehensive, with the team drawing from multiple archival sources, including the Treasury of Art Nouveau Design & Ornament (Dover Pictorial Archive), which provided inspiration into how typography and ornamentation worked in harmony. Drawing inspiration from La Pique glass books and vintage Graphis Annuals, they studied historical glasswork and luxury packaging design to inform their approach to texture, light, and embellishment.

Further, perfume bottles and their packaging became a guiding principle for Bellamie’s visual identity – “I wanted Bellamie to feel timeless,” explains Voirin, “and perfumes, whether vintage or modern, symbolise an ‘everyday luxury’ that everyone, no matter their age or background, can aspire to have. Beautiful, sophisticated, yet approachable – this is what I wanted Bellamie to embody.” Perfume packaging, Glasfurd tells us, is inherently minimal due to limited constraints – “Small labels, a prominent brand name, a restrained colour palette – every detail is considered.”

The final bottle design features an elegant fluted silhouette with graceful curves and a brass-finished top, exuding undeniable sophistication, which evokes the world of fragrance. In addition to its shape, Glasfurd emphasises that the design enhances this connection through its label, which is minimalist, with gold foil and registered embossing, refined framing elements, and typography that evokes luxury perfume – elegant, precise, and unmistakably Bellamie. “From a distance, it feels minimal, but up close, the craftsmanship is evident.”

Each letter of the wordmark, for example, was meticulously drawn from a different source (“We spent a great deal of time researching Art Nouveau typefaces – both historical and contemporary reinterpretations”) and then refined and harmonised to create a cohesive and distinctive identity. “We pulled together the elements we loved, carefully integrating them into a unified design. Notably, the ‘E’ was inspired by TAN Astoria, while the ‘B’ drew from De Arloy.” A hand-drawn, cherry-themed frame – influenced by the work of Alphonse Mucha – surrounds the wordmark. “Its flowing forms echo the organic beauty of the brand,” Glasfurd adds.

The team carefully selected fonts for the supporting typefaces that would complement the Art Nouveau aesthetic while maintaining legibility and functionality. “Designed by 205TF, Plaax draws inspiration from the lettering found on French street nameplates – a fitting connection to Art Nouveau and the brand’s French heritage.” Its design balances femininity and structure through geometric forms and extended proportions, serving both technical details and luxury aesthetics. “Meno Display was chosen as a neutral and classic counterpart for headlines and other details,” Glasfurd continues, describing the secondary typeface. “Proportionately, it works with the Bellamie wordmark, and whilst elegant and crafted, it lets all the other elements be the show.”

For the monogram, the team took a more hands-on approach, finding inspiration in antique French brooch designs on eBay and then incorporating their intricate letterforms into a design that bridges history with Bellamie’s modern identity. This branded visual element showcases the cherry tree beautifully, enhancing physical touchpoints like stationery and the caps of mini sample bottles, mainly where space is limited. “It felt important that we had a smaller element that was a distillation of all the brand elements to capture the spirit of the Bellamie world in a concise mark,” adds Glasfurd.

These elements work in harmony to create a sophisticated yet approachable brand identity and product that honours its historical inspiration and contemporary appeal. “The packaging is an essential part of Bellamie’s worldbuilding – it sets the stage for the entire brand experience. Every element, from the bottle to the label, was chosen to immerse the consumer in a sense of timeless French luxury and take joy in the moment,” says Glasfurd “The packaging sets the tone for Bellamie’s world – where the rest of the brand builds around her.”