“The product is one thing, but the packaging is everything!” exclaimed Carol Alt, supermodel and the mistress of ceremonies at Pratt Institute’s 29th annual Art of Packaging Award Gala, as she kicked off this year’s luxe event which honored Groupe Pochet.

The annual fund-raising affair, which was held May 22 at a private club in Manhattan, is a benefit for the Marc Rosen Scholarship Fund for Packaging by Design at Pratt Institute. In total, the dinner has raised more than $3.5 million for scholarships for graduate packaging design students at Pratt. The Art of Packaging Award is presented annually to a beauty industry company or individual that has excelled in the art form of package design. 

This year’s Pratt gala was the first to honor a supplier. Groupe Pochet’s executive board president Irene Gosset and managing director Tristan Farabet accepted the Art of Packaging Award. Pratt Institute president Frances Bronet made the introduction. Previous recipients include Batallure, Aramis & Designer Fragrances, Estée Lauder, Avon, Bath & Body Works, Calvin Klein, Clinique, Coty Inc., Coty Prestige, Dior Beauty, Interparfums, Lancôme, M•A•C, Mary Kay Inc., P&G Prestige, Procter & Gamble, Ralph Lauren Fragrances and Shiseido.  

In presenting the awards for the evening, Rosen said, “I am so inspired by Pratt’s students, who are the creators of tomorrow.” He teaches a course on cosmetic and fragrance package design at Pratt Institute, in which students are challenged to create a perfume bottle prototype, a scent card, box, shopping bag, and advertisement. To date, the fund has provided scholarships to more than 100 Pratt students, many of whom have become industry leaders. This year, student Hadar Kfir received the Marc Rosen Scholarship for Packaging Design, a full tuition scholarship. The 2018 student merit award recipients, whose fragrance packaging design work was on display at the event, are Huei Tai Chen; Hyewon Im; Hyeryun Nam, and Pandara Chanyatanavut.

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Slideshow: Guests Celebrate at the Glamorous Art of Packaging Award Gala