Kusmi Tea retail concept, by Christopher Jenner
Christopher Jenner has created a concept for Kusmi Tea, which will roll out in the US and emerging markets.
Kusmi Paris went into business in 1867 and was known for its Bouquet of Flowers blend, which was popular with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
The brief to Jenner was to design a new concept which would balance Kusmi’s baroque Russian heritage with its French provenance, creating a new luxury positioning.
Inspired by his travels to both Saint Petersburg and Paris, Jenner has taken his cue from French “savoir faire” and the exceptional craftsmanship of the Church of the Savior in Saint Petersburg, with its mosaics, brass chandeliers, marble flooring and onion domes.
Two large illustrations are inspired by Camellia Senensis, a small shrub with leaves and buds used in tea making, have been set in marquetry using more than 30 coloured veneers and mother-of-pearl.
A bespoke parquet floor in Italian marble and French oak sits below a three-tiered, Stainless Steel chandelier. Its 30 interlaced arms connect to a central shaft of turned components that disappear into a multi-coloured stained-glass onion dome set within the ceiling, evoking the Russian heritage of the brand.
