JKR

Sometimes the package is the present. For £395 and a trip to Heathrow one can pick up a limited edition tin of “Love” Prunier caviar in a vintage design by Yves Saint Laurent. The theme comes from the new year’s cards Saint Laurent used to send out prominently featuring the word love. Each year is seeing a new variation on the theme (another is shown below). Whether such a “collectable” represents good value, I will leave for you and gourmands to decide. But in design terms it signifies a return to opulence, and the resurgent trend for vibrant decoration with a folk feel. It’s another example of how lifestyle and luxury goods are moving away from understated minimalism and classicism towards something more visually rich and artisanal in style – charm is back in fashion. The content of the design also has, I suppose, an aspect of social commentary, featuring as it does a lady wearing a burka. The message here I guess is one of tolerance and the universal sentiment of love. While the design might reflect Laurent’s Algerian roots, it is an interesting choice of design in the year Sarkozy has made rumblings about banning the garment.