Glasfurd & Walker’s Belle Époque-inspired design for Bellamie deserves a place on your drinks bar

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.”