« Art isn’t confined to a frame; it could be anywhere.”
Meet Ornamentalist Pierre-Marie, who has reinvented the design of the iconic Martell Cordon Bleu for this year’s limited edition by telling a narrative across two bottles.
When he visited Château de Chanteloup in Cognac, he was immediately struck by the imagery of Maison Martell. He found inspiration when surrounded by the love affair between the vine and the oak that creates the unique blend of Martell. He witnessed the legendary history of Martell that has lasted for decades, and with his designs hoped to give credit to an ancestral “savoir-faire” on such an iconic bottle.
Pierre-Marie believes that “art isn’t confined to a frame; it could be anywhere”, and he proves that with his artistic two-part story illustrated onto the iconic Martell Cordon Bleu. As an ornamentalist, he crafts designs and patterns that can be applied to any object or decoration. He uses drawing as a weapon to express messages on any surface, illustrating stories to talk to people or to an audience. Pierre-Marie says that, “often, the stories that I draw are stories I invent. I love the idea of sharing – to take and to give back.” It is this idea that he used while illustrating his two-part fable for the iconic Martell Cordon Bleu: a special story to share with anyone.
During his visit to Maison Martell in Cognac, Pierre-Marie’s fascination with the archives of illustrated advertising campaigns became the inspiration for his two designs for the House Icon, Martell Cordon Bleu. His poetic and narrative style designs led him to two stories, “The Vine and the Oak” and “The Epic Voyage”, which take you into a whimsical world of illustration and animation.
“The Oak and the Vine” brings intricate tracery of leaves and rich colors to explain the “love affair” between the vine and oak from which cognac is born. With the intricate tracery of leaves, rich reds and bold colors, this gorgeous illustration takes you directly to the heart of cognac. Pierre-Marie then takes you on a journey with his design of “The Epic Voyage.” This special design, exclusively for travel retail, takes the vine and the oak on a trip around the world, just as Jean Martell began exporting his Cognac in 18th century. Ships, trains, and hot-air balloons take Martell Cognac around the world through red and gold clouds, a Chinese symbol of good fortune.
Within both beautiful stories for Martell Cordon Bleu is the blue ribbon of excellence, the emblem of this legendary blend and an ode to the signature ribbon designs of Pierre-Marie. Whether it’s a look into the birth of cognac or a trip around the world, Pierre-Marie takes you through the history of Martell in an imaginative and beautiful way.
