Contemporary packaging for O Te Rā’s is rooted in the philosophy of Te Ao Māori by Unordinary

O Te Rā began on a rugby field in France. Three men from vastly different worlds — tā moko artist Maia Gibbs from Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, New Zealander James Penman, and Gregory Sébastien, born in Martinique and trained in the perfumery town of Grasse — built something none of them had anticipated: a French perfume house rooted entirely in the philosophy of Te Ao Māori.

The packaging brief was to make that felt from the first moment of contact, before the bottle was even opened. Every visual element traces to Maia’s hand. His painting Te Pō — dark concentric circles from which a single gold ring emerges from the void — became the structural DNA. The circular sun motif directly translates that work.

The same motif pattern repeats around the tube collar, while the crossbar in the 'A' of the custom wordmark echoes the same details — French classical letterforms redrawn through a cultural lens. Colouring articulates the sky's light phases while differentiating the range.

The amber glass bottles capture light and depth through their sculptural forms. A spherical wooden stopper nods to the orb of the sun, introducing a natural counterpoint to the refined glass. The concentric sun motif appears throughout, creating a considered thread across every packaging touchpoint.

Unordinary is a design studio based in Auckland, NZ. Whether it's tackling intricate FMCG packaging or extensive branding endeavors, they leverage their brand strategy expertise to ensure that projects not only possess striking visual appeal but also exhibit remarkable efficacy in both local and global markets.