The film «Farewell My Concubine» (1993) by Chinese director Chen Kaige depicts the entire life journey of Peking Opera artists, exploring individual destinies against the backdrop of a nation’s history.
The film is rich with numerous thematic and visual contrasts, the central one being the opposition between the world of the stage and real life. On stage, the characters live according to a clear script; the plays they perform have a long history, and every step they take during a performance is a tribute to tradition. Every movement can be perfected — everything is extremely clear. The drama the actors experience is not personal emotion but a refined harmony of feelings, always predictable, unlike the ever-changing and turbulent life beyond the stage.
The film’s main conflict is the confrontation between reality and the play, which is revealed through the life of the protagonist, for whom these two worlds are inseparable.
Based on the film’s central conflict, the brand «The Edge of Devotion» was developed, incorporating the key insights of the cinematic work: — The search for a safe, «familiar» place, even if it no longer exists. — The pain of losing a loved one, even if they are still physically present. — The desire to return to the past, to a moment «before the fracture,» «before everything went wrong.» — The realization that a painful moment from the past has become a cherished and even happy memory.
1-2: The Contrast Between Art and a Harsh Life. 3-4: The Formation of Painful Relationships.
The Edge of Devotion
A niche perfume brand that captures events in scents, capable of transporting one to the past. The brand analyzes collective or personal memories, transforms them into fragrances that can either immerse one in moments of safety or, conversely, return one to a moment of breakdown (shock therapy), as some events become painfully precious over time.
A person is devoted to their memories; they shape their identity. But these memories always bring pain: be it the melancholic ache for bygone good times or the recollection of a traumatic or simply difficult situation.
The word «Преданный» has a double meaning. It can be a devoted person or a betrayed person at the same time.
Brand moodboard: the thaumatrope of memory
The core brand metaphor is the principle of the thaumatrope, where two separate images, when spun, create the illusion of a single, unified picture.
In the same way, a fragrance can overlay our perception of reality, adding brushstrokes to the images around us.
The brand’s aesthetic thrives on contrast: the handmade versus digital graphics, tradition versus innovation, the past versus the future.
Brand logo
An example of applying an illustration to fragrance bottles of different shapes/formats
The core brand symbol is a canvas for layered illustrations, each hinting at a significant moment or memory. The two image layers are akin to top and base notes of a fragrance, or the present moment overlaid with the faint, elusive traces of the past.
As a demonstration of the visual identity system, a series of labels and merchandise items have been designed for an exclusive collection based on a film narrative.
Merchandise: the thaumatrope
Media posts
Alternative movie posters in the brand’s style
A combination of posters referencing a scene from the film
