With her charming design sense and affinity for bright, bold, colors, it was a given that Clare V.’s new chocolate collaboration with Valerie Confections would be an aesthetic win. But, insists Clare Vivier, her sweets aren’t just another “pretty bar.”
“The packaging is so cute that I would have bought it and pinned it up on my mood board,” she says, “but the actual chocolate itself is also so delicious.” French-inspired, too, with names evoking a Parisian patisserie: Le Bonbar, made with darkened milk chocolate, roasted peanuts, and fleur de se, and Croquant, made with bittersweet chocolate, toasted brown rice, fleur de sel, and cracked black pepper.
“As a young adult I was obsessed with the haute couture shows, Chanel in particular, co-collaborator Valerie Gordon says. “So that classic French look is something that was deeply ingrained in what I perceive to be good taste.” Vivier agrees: “We really thought we needed to create something pure and very true to delicious tradition of European classic chocolate. We didn’t want to get crazy or too modern with the chocolate flavors, it didn’t seem right for our brand.”
Their partnership started after Gordon wooed Vivier by sending her a box of chocolates and a “slightly swoony letter.” The fashion designer, a chocolate fanatic, was smitten. Soon, visions of candy bars danced in their heads. Clare loved salty sweetness, so Le Bonbar was born. For their dark chocolate bar, they added spices and crispies, an ode to Clare V.’s own handbags— I’m always trying to keep things classic with a modern twist,” Vivier says.
Then there was the packaging, Vivier’s wheelhouse. She brought in her art designer, and together they brainstormed: if Clare V. was a candy wrapper, what would it be? They decided on primary colors to give it a pop. “I always love red and blue together. We did the red and blue stripe and then set to find the package that fit well with that—so we thought of the bright yellow.”
Despite being two creatives with distinct specialties and undoubtedly different processes, their whole collection came together relatively quickly. As Gordon sums it up: “We are decisive ladies.”