JKR

Above, for the style conscious but penny-wise man about town, a styling gel which squeezes every last drop from the pack and is styled in an engagingly utilitarian manner. And below, for the style conscious but less frugal oligarch about town, “L’Essence de Courvoisier”. A nice drop of brandy produced with Baccarat and a team of “thirty skilled craftsmen”. The liquid is suspended in an innovative teardrop, and the stopper acts as the diamond on the ring. If you have to ask “how much?”, it might be beyond your pocket as they say…

Both offer proof that, at the value for money and super luxury ends of the scale, structural design can be the most significant way of dramatising the brand’s ethos and usage, and both indicative of the way design is responding to the downturn – not necessarily by going back to basics.