ICMA, a leading global name in the sector of paper finishing for luxury packaging, will take part from the 1 to 2 July 2025 in Luxe Pack Paris 2025 (Le Carrousel du Louvre – Les Salles du Carrousel, Stand D03), presenting the WABI-SABI collection, which has redefined the aesthetics of sustainable packaging.
The WABI-SABI collection arose from the encounter between Japanese philosophy and Italian paper finishing excellence. The project combines two basic concepts: WABI, which extols beauty and serenity through simplicity and calm, and SABI, the unique charm of objects marked by time and history.
“WABI-SABI represents an important development in the recycled paper landscape and joins our already established KIND collection,” explains the company art director. “We drew inspiration from the wabi-sabi philosophy to turn what could be perceived as a limitation in recycled paper – namely, its natural anomalies – into a distinctive element of authentic beauty.”
With a corporate DNA code based on research and sustainable development, ICMA has created a finishing process that brings out the innate beauty of the recycled paper. The result is subtle, exclusive surfaces, in which essential simplicity merges with sophisticated contrasts and textures inspired by natural fabrics, such as the “rice” embossing pattern.
The WABI-SABI vision materializes in the exclusive use of 100% recycled paper certified with the FSC Recycled Credit, to which essential finishes are applied using ICMA’s traditional embossed printing technique. This process enables the paper to be dyed and embossed in a single step, using a reduced amount of pigment.
The company’s innovative approach transforms the slight irregularities typical of recycled paper into distinctive, valuable aspects, proving that sustainability can become a byword for authentic beauty and superior quality.
The WABI-SABI collection was created in the ICMA 2030 Lab, the company’s innovation laboratory devoted to implementing virtuous practices in terms of corporate, product, and process sustainability. This research center represents ICMA’s solid commitment to a future that integrates design, functionality, and environmental responsibility.
All the papers in the WABI-SABI collection are recycled and recyclable and are part of the journey undertaken by the company that aims to gradually replace its pure cellulose bases with 100% sustainable solutions.
