Creating luxury product visuals that feel both realistic and emotionally expressive is no small task, especially when the brand in question is Chanel. In this interview, senior designer and CGI artist Sabrina Facchetti takes us behind the scenes of her digital recreation of Chanel’s iconic mascara. From studying the brand’s visual DNA to meticulously modelling the product in SolidWorks, Sabrina shares how she blends precision, artistry, and storytelling to bring luxury beauty items to life through CGI.

As the demand for high-quality CGI product design continues to grow across the beauty industry, her process offers valuable insight into what it takes to craft visuals that feel both modern and unmistakably premium. Through dramatic black-and-white compositions, refined lighting techniques, and a keen understanding of luxury aesthetics, Sabrina explains how CGI can elevate brand identity while delivering visuals that inspire, persuade, and captivate today’s digital consumers.

What was the brief?

The idea was to create a digital version of the Chanel mascara as realistic as possible and stage it in a way that would highlight the natural elegance of the brand and make the product stand out as with a sophisticated personality.

How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?

I always do research about graphic styles, photography and in general the brand. Not necessarily in the make section if I am working on a makeup product. Understanding the brand DNA and visual style is key to create designs that keep communicating a cohesive message and promote the brand properly.

What was the process behind ideating the concept?

The first step was to recreate the mascara design accurately in all the details making sure it matches the real product. I love this part, I feel like I am bringing to life a product just in a different world.

Then it comes the part where the scene comes to life through elements, materials, finishing and of course lighting. The goal was to be dramatic but in an elegant way, playing only with black and whites and shadows and letting the elements come to life all together as if the mascara itself was an elegant woman walking around Paris.

What was the production process like?

When the idea is very clear and defined, the most of the details fall into place. My usual process is to create the product with all the details and stage it defining materials, finishingand lighting. The lights make all the different in the kind of message that we are communicating and I take the necessary time to place and adjust until I reach the desired result. Here is where the photographic aspects of the job come to work. Creating a beautiful image is more than just putting all the elements there, it's an art that requires observation and making sure that the observer is focusing the attention where we want him to. Setting digital cameras around the scene is another one of my favorite parts of the project because it's where the message is created.

What kit/tools/software were used to create the project?

To create and develop this project I used my go to tools: Solidworks for the design, which guarantees me accuracy and extreme control over details, and Keyshot for rendering, which I enjoy a lot for the light and flexible approach and node based materials.

How long did it take from inception to delivery?

For a project like this usually from the first idea to the final renders is a matter of few days to a week.

Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?

Black and White in my opinion is always extremely elegant, it's a classic. And Chanel is classic. It can be challenging because it very minimal and narrowed down to the essential elements and that's where the idea of creating very graphic visuals came to mind, something sharp, powerful but also elegant and sophisticated.

Can you discuss any unique or unconventional production techniques or approaches used to bring the idea to life?

Since I consider myself a designer of visual feelings in my case a unique or unconventional approach to a project is step outside and back from the project, the computer, the room. The world around me is full of details that never fail to tickle my creativity. Nurturing my mind and creating balanced rhythm never failed to helping me feeling more inspired and deliver quality results.