Monnaie de Paris x Lacoste

Monnaie de Paris x Lacoste


Project

Sector

  • Public service

Years

2024

Expertise(s)

  • Design

  • Packaging

Context

Each year, La Monnaie de Paris creates an exceptional object to showcase French savoir-faire, in collaboration with a brand selected by the Colbert Committee. This exceptional object is presented in the form of a case that must reflect and reflect the image of the two houses and their unique expertise. The box contains an exceptional collector's coin weighing one kilo of pure gold. This year, La Monnaie de Paris has teamed up with Lacoste, a key brand in France's sporting and fashion heritage. Subdesign was asked to create the new Monnaie de Paris case for the 2023 edition. The box will be entirely designed (shape, materials, opening system, etc.) in keeping with the theme, and will be revealed on the occasion of the unmissable French international tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium, Lacoste's historic partner.

Challenge

How can the worlds of the two brands be expressed through this exceptional object? What codes and brand values should be used to celebrate elegance in all its forms?

Our answer

The definition of the shape for this object seemed obvious: the tennis court through the rectangle and dimensions taken from the actual dimensions of a court. The colors used are emblematic of the LACOSTE brand, namely white, which gives the case a pure, monochrome effect and enhances the different textures used throughout the box. The entire box is covered in lambskin leather, on which we played with embossing and debossing to create graphic zones from Lacoste's DNA: the golf ball, the check pattern of the tennis net, or the piqué of the brand's emblematic polo shirt. The open box reveals the 1 kg gold coin in a transparent holder (for transport), set against a velvet green background: LACOSTE green. This evokes a trophy, highlighting both the sport and the coin. The mirror behind the piece subtly reveals its reverse side, visible at a glance and creating a certain perceptiveness and depth. Finally, a drawer provides access to the project brochure and gloves for handling this exceptional piece. A subtle, elegant marriage of two brands in one exceptional object!