Perrier-Jouet unveils “Belle Epoque Florale Edition by Makoto Azuma” in Japan

uly 13th marked a new historical event for Perrier-Jouët champagne House, with the international unveiling of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Florale Edition by Makoto Azuma – the first designed Limited Edition of cuvée Belle Epoque, since the creation of its iconic anemones by Emile Gallé in 1902. The launch event took place in Japan, which has a strong historical relationship with the luxury house.

And for this wonderful event I got invited to the launch where I met the entire Pernod-Ricard / Perrier-Jouët team in Tokyo for a amazing two days of unlimited champagne and delightful restaurants such as Beige by Alain Ducasse at the top of the Chanel store or a lunch at the infamous Tofu-ya UKAI. On the last day we went to the studio of Makoto Azuma for a little lesson on how to create floral composition, it was a lot of fun! I had an awesome time with everyone and wanted to thank you Perrier-Jouet for this lovely trip!

Created by a renowned floral Japanese artist Makoto Azuma, Belle Epoque Florale Edition is a reverential homage to Emile Gallé’s famous Art Nouveau design. This was originally inspired by Japanese art culture, and has become the iconic image of Perrier-Jouët artistic heritage through its prestige cuvée. Challenging the aesthetic boundaries, Makoto Azuma created a unique combined artwork, made of a single delicate botanical arabesque dotted with white Japanese anemones. These recall the original 1902 design, which is further reinforced with a handcrafted motif of golden flowers on the bottle of Belle Epoque 2004, carefully selected by Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps.

The artist explains:

‘I wanted to make something extraordinary, taking inspiration from the sensation of champagne inside the mouth, and the delicate movement of the ivy and leaves with a special attention and tribute given to Emile Gallé’s anemones”.

The unique Limited Edition was revealed as part of a very exclusive international event attended by over 150 media and VIP guests, at the most beautiful and traditional Japanese Happoen-garden at the heart of Tokyo city. Guests enjoyed an elegant and imaginative exhibition, telling the story of both Emile Gallé and Azuma Makoto in a creative and contemporary way. Amongst the stars attending the event were local Japanese celebrities such as actress Miki Maya, top model Ai Tominaga, Music producer Verbal, and musician Tomoyasu Hotei, as well as other international VIPs including Chinese Haute-Couture designer Wendy Yip and Hong-Kong Fashion Designer Dorian Ho, socialite Kennis Tai and actress Isabel Leung.

Commissioning Japanese artist Makoto Azuma came as a natural choice for Perrier-Jouet; Emile Gallé chose white Japanese anemones for its original design in 1902 because of his passion for botany but also his admiration for Japanese art that draws inspiration from the primal force of nature, the true spirit of the Art Nouveau movement.

Lionel Breton, Chairman & CEO Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët explained: “Makoto Azuma and Perrier-Jouët share the same values of tradition, passion for Nature, and genuine originality and we are delighted to have found in M. Azuma the Emile Gallé of modern times through his unique creation”
From the specific choice of flowers, to the endless series of adjustments and motif on the bottle itself, Belle Epoque Florale Edition perfectly expresses the luxurious and craftsmanship cues of Perrier-Jouët, whilst delivering a contemporary vision of beauty.