The Art of Packaging

Marc Rosen

“Design is not just about making things look pretty,” says legendary cosmetics packaging designer Marc Rosen. “It's really about creating a sense of innovation, of quality, that's going to make the consumer understand the product within.”

Rosen says designers are responsible for creating a package that extols the product it's holding. “The package is the silent salesman,” he says. “And that's a great challenge.”

Rosen has met that challenge for more than 20 years, designing award-winning packaging for a long list of fashion names, including Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar De la Renta, Perry Ellis, Fendi, Halston and Nina Ricci.

He started his career at Revlon where he learned “the art of packaging” from an encounter with the much-feared founder, Charles Revson.

“Revson stares at me and says three words he has never uttered before: 'I like it.' Wow! The entire room: 'He likes it! He likes it!' In cadence: 'He likes it! He likes it!' Well, my whole career was made and that's when I discovered the art of packaging.”