The Ten Green Bottles collection is the beautiful result of an exciting collaboration between two iconic and very British brands. Inspired by Gordon's superior gin, the Conran design team has created ten quintessentially British reinventions of the brand's iconic green bottle.
Each of these limited edition bottles, with hand-applied labels, was inspired by the distinct flavour of the gin and tells a story about the rich heritage of both Conran and Gordon’s.
Have a look at what went into designing these stunning artworks, with copy courtesy of Gordon's Gin:
No. 1 of 10 Green Bottles
This design reflects the eclectic nature of The Conran Shop. If you’ve ever been in one of these beautiful stores you’ll have seen the highly creative displays which are echoed in the contemporary design of this bottle. The keen eyed will have spotted the number one in the pattern – this is to celebrate that Gordon’s is the UK’s favourite gin brand* and, like The Conran Store itself, is now known throughout the world.
*Source: AC Nielsen
No. 2 of 10 Green Bottles
The distinctive hand-drawn script used for our Gordon’s logo is recognisable worldwide. It first appeared in 1909 and quickly became iconic. Typography used in clever ways is one of the many things that the Conran Studio designers do best and this numerical design is a celebration of typography in all its forms.
No. 3 of 10 Green Bottles
This bottle was inspired by a popular Conran fabric from the 1950’s which is now at the V&A museum in London. The delicate intricacy of the three leaves evokes a sense of attention to detail which is at the heart of everything we do, both at Gordon’s and Conran. Our gin, for example, is carefully distilled three times for extra dryness and smoothness.
No. 4 of 10 Green Bottles
Terence Conran once said: “Watching things grow – whether it’s plants in your garden, an enterprise you start from scratch or, of course, your family and the people around you – is one of life’s biggest pleasures.” Perfection in growth is something we take very seriously too. We handpick only the top 10% of juniper berries for our gin. If the botanicals aren’t perfect, you won’t find them in your G&T.
No. 5 of 10 Green Bottles
The best designs require joined up thinking. And just as the flavours in a good cocktail complement each other, so the Conran designers, retailers and architects work together for a common cause: to make people’s lives better through good design. This composition reflects the seamless way in which we’ve collaborated with Conran to create the Ten Green Bottles collection.
No. 6 of 10 Green Bottles
Terence Conran is a great art enthusiast and he has passed on this passion for the classics to his team who take influence from the wealth of patterns and colour palettes created by these traditional artists. Likewise, since 1769 we’ve been continually inspired by the cultural climate around us –reflecting art and design trends through our packaging and working with iconic figures in our advertising.
No. 7 of 10 Green Bottles
The precise design of this bottle reflects Conran’s passion for high quality carpentry and woodwork that is central to his business. At Gordon’s, we too have very high standards – in fact it takes seven years to become a Gordon’s distiller and a lifetime to perfect the art of making gin. And our recipe is so treasured, that currently only 12 people on the planet know exactly what goes into the UK’s favourite gin.*
*Source: AC Nielsen
No. 8 of 10 Green Bottles
If you had to choose one decade that encapsulates British design, you couldn’t go far wrong with the 1960’s. Both we at Gordon’s, and Conran were part of the British social fabric in the swinging 60’s and this floral design nods to those summers of love.
No. 9 of 10 Green Bottles
The design of our iconic Gordon’s bottle has made it universally recognisable – just seeing the broad shouldered bottles can make your mouth water for an ice cold G&T. This design takes its influence from the designers and architects at Conran who work all over the world, designing everything from matchboxes to skyscrapers.
No. 10 of 10 Green Bottles
This hand-drawn design represents Terence Conran’s kitchen garden and reflects his belief that preparation provides a fertile ground for good design. This is something close to our hearts too, especially when it comes to mixing a perfect Elderflower G&T – just add a dessert spoon of bottlegreen elderflower cordial to your classic G&T and garnish with lime, mint and cucumber.
Pick up one of a hundred full bottle wraps available exclusively at Selfridges, or grab one of a million bottles from your local supermarket - with their exclusive new material labels that have been applied by hand.
Images and info courtesy of Gordon's Gin