Swarovski has managed some truly incredible feats. Firstly, its earliest cinematic debut on German-American Hollywood siren Marlene Dietrich in 1932 drama lm Blonde Venus was the talk of the town (Marilyn Monroe later made Swarovski even more popular after wearing its jewelry in the 1953 comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). Secondly, its crystals have embellished the work of fashion’s most promising designers including Rosie Assoulin, Jason Wu and Mary Katrantzou, and also pop-culture icons such as the glass and ruby slippers of Cinderella and Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz. Thirdly, it has developed pretty ingenious techniques (such as Pontiage, a method of freely setting crystals by hand on ceramic without prongs or glue), adding a new facet to jewelry-making savoire faire.
Creative Director Nathalie Colin
For a 121-year-old label with the expertise to make anything it wants using crystal, the possibilities in design are limitless. Creative director Nathalie Colin was inspired by a super colorful, imaginary underwater kingdom last season and created jewelry that resembled coral, shellfish and seahorses. This Fall/ Winter, in one of its most mesmerizing presentations yet, the Austrian jeweler looked to the intergalactic depths beyond earth’s atmosphere as its starting point.
“We wanted to take people on a journey through the universe. Entitled Crystal Galaxy, the collection plays with light and shadow, and boasts pieces which exude the mysterious appeal of outer space, either in a figurative or in a more abstract way,” says Colin, who works out of a studio in Paris. “We created round and 3D volumes, new shapes like double open rings and, of course, versatile silhouettes in a gradation of shades that recall eclipses, stars and constellations.”
There are four parts: The first, Stars and Constellations, capture the moon’s radiance on large cabochon crystals and crystal pearls; the second, Cosmic Night, recreates the enchanting Aurora Borealis using the iridescent coating that Swarovski developed for Monsieur Christian Dior in 1956 (when applied, the crystals shimmer in every color of the rainbow); the third, Planets in Orbit, comprises modern, spherical shapes that appear to oat weightlessly on sleek metal settings; and finally, Icicles consists of organic-shaped, frosted crystals that look like ice. “ The beauty of Swarovski is also its variety,” Colin adds. “ There is a good mix of statement and easy-to-wear pieces which are very contemporary. And the best part is that you can wear them according to your own style.”
This article was first published in L’Officiel Singapore.
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