We are very excited to introduce you to one of our most colorful clients—Cast!
Enjoy this inside look at the stunning new brand in a revealing Q&A with its incredible creator, Rachel Skelly.
Rachel, congratulations on your successful launch and the incredible press and response Cast
has received for its stunning jewelry collection and its packaging! We applaud and support
Cast and its mission as a female-focused jewelry collective.
As the go-to jeweler for our new generation of collectors, did you always feel the packaging designs needed to play as critical a role as the jewelry designs themselves?
Thank you! It’s been a fun and busy few months since we launched and we are thrilled at the positive reception the brand and packaging have both received. Cast is all about luxury at play and our packaging is no exception. As product people we have always been obsessed with packaging and believe it plays such an important role in the expression of a brand. Funny enough it was the first piece that we designed before we even had the jewelry to go with it. Given that we were creating something to hold precious keepsake jewelry, we felt that this was the perfect opportunity to create something that was also meant to be kept cherished. Not only from a sustainability standpoint but also as something people could collect, travel with and use to store and display their pieces. It was important for us that we design a packaging case that elevated the entire experience and became a billboard for the brand. We worked closely with our partners at Prime Studio to land our gorgeous clutch design. Then tirelessly with Commonwealth to source the right components and get every detail just right.
You are recognized as one of the most influential creative branding designers in the US, what factors inspired you to develop the concept for the look and feel of the Cast packaging? Was being new to the jewelry space an asset as you were able to look at things differently?
I think what initially felt like a potential weakness—being new to the category—has actually started to feel like a strength. This is obviously such a well respected and established industry and we are thrilled to now be part of it and for the opportunity to bring a new perspective. We’ve learned in the CPG world that often packaging is an afterthought, when in fact it’s one of the most important aspects of the brand. It’s the first moment you get to convey your story on the shelf. It has been a uniquely fun challenge to bring some of that thinking to this category. Thinking of how this might be displayed in a retail environment and how it might be used at home, we landed on a round case design inspired by a vintage clutch. Given that the celebration and discovery of art/artists is in our DNA we knew that we wanted the clutch to be a canvas of sorts to allow for an ever-changing set of vivid patterns and prints, including the potential for limited editions, much like our jewelry. How to print an all over partner on a rounded form was one of the many challenges we faced early on. Needless to say, we were thrilled to find a solution with a water transfer process that allowed us to bring the concept to
life. We can’t wait to create new prints for the next run.
What are the main design components you consider at the design inception stage, as well as during your design process?
We had two top considerations—it needed to look iconic and gorgeous and most importantly it needed to function properly given the precious cargo. We started with the round shape and the desire for high end finishing details. The clutch is made with metal hardware which gives it a secure, audible close, important for protecting fine jewelry. The interior is lined with a soft
microsuede fabric with removable inserts to allow for travel and storage. We thought of these
cases as being useful not just for jewelry storage but for other personal items. Finding a printing technique that could hold a bold, vivid print and allow for multiple prints was critical to the concept as well.
Your jewelry features the consistent use of particular bold colors (aqua, oranges, navy blues) and patterns (floral, safari) that have translated into your packaging aesthetic. Do these colors or patterns hold a particular symbolism or meaning for you that you wanted to incorporate in your packaging as well?
As lovers of color and pattern we didn’t want to own just 1 color but rather color in general. We love the play of boldly mixing patterns, shapes, colors and silhouettes in our jewelry and do this across all of our brand elements as well. As mentioned the celebration of art is in our DNA and all of our patterns have been designed in collaboration with female artists, much like our jewelry. We set out to create an eclectic mix that pulls from different influences but there’s undoubtedly a mid-century modern flair to them all and an other-worldly wonder that we try to capture in every creative expression.
How many different design patterns are part of your overall packaging program, and will you design a special collection for the holiday season?
We currently have six Cast patterns that adorn the Cast Clutches. We plan to continue building the assortment, working with designers, illustrators and artists on special patterns in the future. The holidays are such a magical time, we would love to create a design to match the season.
Creating luxury packaging made of recycled materials is a challenging feat, but you’ve done this seamlessly. What components of your packaging are made from recycled content, and how do you hope to continue to evolve your packaging to meet your sustainability goals?
Each Cast clutch is made from 100% recycled resin and is meant to be kept and reused. We've designed them to be keepsakes to store jewelry and other favorite items. We are always looking for ways to improve, as we grow and expand, we will continue to refine and source the most sustainable materials and processes possible for these special clutches.
Could you kindly provide a testimonial about working with Commonwealth Packaging on your packaging?
From design to production, we create and curate every piece with care. We hand pick our
partners and sustainably source our materials where possible. The design and production of this packaging was no small feat and required a great deal of creativity and expertise. We started this journey early with Commonwealth given their background in the category. They were equally as excited as us to take on this challenge and worked tirelessly to ensure flawless
execution. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome and are excited for the next covetable run.
All Images ©Cast Jewelry
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