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Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal by Hanyun Gu and Yibing Hu

Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal by Hanyun Gu and Yibing Hu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Kado-artikelen Ûntwerp Competition Category.


BrûnsKado-artikelen· 2025

Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal

by Hanyun Gu and Yibing Hu

Client: Charlene Classic

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Kado-artikelen Category

Colors

The Design

About Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal

Charlene 10 Jier is in betinkingskadoseal makke foar de tsiende jierdeitentoanstelling fan in sieradenmerk. De seal hat de foarm fan in waaierkeas en mjit 260 by 95 by 40 millimeter. In iepeningsstruktuer docht tinken oan in finster, wat in eardere tentoanstellingstema oproppet. It tentoanstellingstema is yn grien reliëf op it oerflak oanbrocht, en de merksloguan is yn sulver reliëf op it deksel útfierd. Yn 'e seal sitte in haadwurk, in oanfolling, in bamboewaaier yn in wite doaze, in papieren útnûging en in bamboeskilderkaart. De oanfolling makket gebrûk fan tradisjonele akkordeanbining en foldjocht ta tsien meter.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Brûns

Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Charlene 10 Years Kadoseal foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The elegant name for a fan, "Ren Feng," implies the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, as well as the elegance of poetry, music, and odes. This concept serves as the creative theme for Charlene Classic and represents a unique emotional symbol used to interpret the values shared by the brand and its users. They are using jewelry as a medium to promote Chinese culture and supreme philosophical wisdom.
Dimensions & Packaging
Size: 260*95*40mm.
We designed a book box in the shape of a fan case with the theme of "Benevolent Breeze Presented in a Box". It adopts an opening structure like a window (qǐ yǒu), echoing the brand's first exhibition theme of "Opening the Window to Admire the Splendor". Inside the white fan box is a green all-bamboo fan. The supplement is in the traditional Chinese accordion binding and unfolds to be as long as 10 meters.
Tags
Oriental aesthetics, reading experience, book design, cultural dissemination, bamboo, painting scroll
Production Technology
While retaining the traditional form of paper invitations, the designer uses a fan as the main invitation for the event. The fan can not only represent the sentiment and taste of the fan holder, but also be used as a token to convey emotions. It will also be an exhibition souvenir. The designer takes the "Wonders of Xiao and Xiang" by Mi Youren, a painter of the Southern Song Dynasty, as the design concept of the entire set of books - summarizing the ancients' evaluations of this painting into four sections and carefully arranging the reading experience after opening the book box according to this structure. In the book case are the main volume, the supplement, the bamboo fan and box, the paper invitation and the bamboo painting card. Readers create an atmosphere of the poetic home of Eastern literati step by step through the rich changes in craftsmanship, materials and different papers during reading.
Design Challenge
The core of design is to convey "The Benevolent Breeze Spreads" and show the "elegant charm" of the Orient. We conceived from two aspects.

Outside: "Benevolent Breeze Presented in a Box". In research, we found ancient people used fine fan cases. We set the album theme as this and designed a book box like a fan case. For the structure, inspired by the brand name "Xuan" (meaning window), we added an opening structure for a window-opening feel, responding to the 2017 exhibition theme. Hoping Charlene keeps spreading Eastern culture.

Inside: "Spreading the Elegant Way". We suggest using a fan as the main invitation while keeping paper invitations. A bamboo fan, implying "there is bamboo at the origin", corresponds to two series. We want materials inside to draw on traditional Chinese binding forms. Albums, cards, and invitations should convey oriental charm through printing and paper texture. Overall, we aim to show the elegance of the Orient through design.
Research
How to convey the brand concept with the "Benevolent Breeze Series" as the core in the tenth anniversary exhibition is the focus of the design. In the first round of proposals, we took "The Benevolent Breeze Spreads¹" as the thinking direction of the design. Among them, "Benevolent Breeze" implies the meanings of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust; elegance, poetry, music, and praise." "Spreads" represents dissemination and promotion. We hope that through design, we can express Charlene's vision of spreading Eastern culture to the world like "The Benevolent Breeze Spreads." In addition, we also hope that when people receive this set of books, they can receive a strong breath of Eastern culture.
Inspiration
We designed a book box in the shape of a fan case with the theme "Ren Feng Presented in a Box." The structure mimics an open window, echoing the theme of the brand's first exhibition, "Open Xuan to View the Splendor." The book box's surface features the exhibition theme "Bamboo Shadows and Elegant Fans Presented by Xuan" embossed in green, with the brand's slogan embossed in silver on the left side of the lid.
Project Duration
In July 2023, it started in Beijing. The project ended in October 2023. In November 2023, it was exhibited in Shanghai, Beijing and London in succession.
Operation Flow
It appears in the form of a commemorative gift box in the exhibition. It helps the on-site audience better understand the brand story, history and development, and get to know the brand products more quickly.
Team Members
Chief Editor: Charlene Li
Editor: Xinlong Zhang
Authors: Sally Wang
Translation: Minzy Zhao
Photography and Post-production: Xinlong Zhang, Yunpeng Fu, Shasha Lu
Art Director: Hanyun Gu
Design: Hanyun Gu, Yibing Hu
Proofreading: Sally Wang, Ying Xing, Minzy Zhao
Project Coordination: Xinlong Zhang
Print: Beijing Yinyi Arts Cultural Development Co.,Ltd
Printing: Beijing QiHang DongFang Printing Co.,Ltd
Image Credits
Photography: Xinlong Zhang, Yunpeng Fu, Shasha Lu
Post-production: Xinlong Zhang, Yunpeng Fu, Shasha Lu
Picture: CHARLENE High Jewellery Workshop
Imperial Palace Fan Collection Design: Carina Yen, Jason Koo, Yuan He
Bamboo Fan Collection Design: Yuan He, Yingwan Sun, Hanshu Lai
Video: CHARLENE High Jewellery Workshop

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