Exclusive | “Up’n Away!” by Eclectic M: A creative journey into imagination and possibility

March 24, 2025

In this interview, we delve into the creative vision of Igor Mitin, Design Director at Eclectic M, as he reveals the artistic process behind Nabila K Cosmetic’s signature fragrance, “Up’n Away!”.

Explore how this exquisite bottle, inspired by the charm of a hot air balloon, blends opulence and artistry to create a design that is both whimsical and luxurious. Crafted from polished gold-toned metal, the balloon-shaped body features sleek vertical ridges that evoke graceful movement and airiness. This perfume bottle captures the essence of freedom through flying and embodying the limitless creativity and wonder of imagination.

Tell us a bit about the brand – its heritage, its story, and its markets.

Nabila K is a cosmetics company specialising in natural beauty and skin care products. Its primary market is the United States, but products are available worldwide through the company’s website and Amazon. The brand’s philosophy has focused on creating formulations from natural and organic ingredients since its inception.

How does the design express the brand’s values? What inspired the design?

To create its products, the company sources natural ingredients from all over the world, recognising that certain plants and raw materials are exclusive to specific regions and continents. This geographical diversity inspired the brand to introduce a dedicated category on its website featuring travel essentials and stylish accessories infused with the spirit of exploration and discovery. A standout example of these accessories is the brand’s signature scarf collection, inspired by surreal landscapes and vintage hot-air balloon journeys. This beautifully romantic series perfectly captures the essence of the brand. Our studio designed the packaging for the brand’s signature fragrance, with the magnificent hot-air balloon naturally emerging as the leading concept, ultimately shaping the final design. Moreover, “Up’n Away!” perfume is, in its way, a journey—transporting you across vast citrus gardens, peony fields and endless forests filled by the scents and freshness of the places that you fly over.

What is innovative or unusual about your packaging?

The uniqueness of “Up’n Away!” perfume packaging, created by our studio, lies in its captivating hot-air balloon shape, inspired by vintage illustrations and Art Deco aesthetics, combined with polished metal as the primary material. Achieving a balance between representation and stylisation is crucial when designing packaging that imitates real-world objects. Our goal was to create a form that closely resembles the hot air balloon without becoming a simplistic, toy-like replica, which can feel predictable or uninspired. Instead, the magic occurs when the boundaries between the object and packaging blur, merging seamlessly into a unified artistic expression.

What technical challenges did you need to overcome to manufacture the packaging, if any?

One of our team’s primary technical challenges was incorporating metal into the design. Due to the shape and structure of the design, metal provided the durability required for a more openwork construction, including arched cut-outs revealing the glass bottle inside—without compromising structural integrity. The intricate, ribbed texture of the metal surface covers most of the packaging, and metal behaves quite differently from plastic, visually and tactilely. It adds a refined weight to the bottle and feels pleasantly cool against the skin. Another challenge involved integrating vibrant graphic accents at the base and centre of the bottle. These patterns, featuring stylised continents, hot-air balloons, and the brand’s logo, were designed by our studio to introduce colour contrasts and break up the golden sheen of the metal. Initially, we considered using a cold enamel technique, but it proved overly complex and labour-intensive. Instead, we chose to print the pattern and coat it with a transparent resin layer to achieve the desired visual effect efficiently.

What reactions have you had from customers?

Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since the launch of “Up’n Away!” perfume. From the rich, evocative scent of the fragrance to the intricate bottle design, the product successfully delivers our intended impression. In today’s market, where minimalist aesthetics dominate, our highly decorative packaging stands out, immediately capturing attention and genuine interest. Customers particularly appreciate the bottle’s unusual opening, which adds discovery and playfulness to the experience. Additionally, the design has generated considerable excitement among perfume collectors. The subtle vintage charm of the bottle lends it a romantic allure, distinctly setting it apart from other packaging.

Design Studio: Eclectic M Melbourne VIC, Australia

Design Director: Igor Mitin

Client: Nabila K Cosmetics