Celebrity Life

Chanel brings Place Vendôme to Hong Kong as it stages a brilliant display of spectacular pieces hailing from some of its most notable high jewellery collections.

For nearly two decades, Chanel by tradition would present a themed high jewellery collection once a year and in Paris, no less. It has grown to become a highly anticipated annual event – one that clients and journalists would fly from all corners of the world to see and experience, where the pieces are presented in a themed exhibition that would be a treat to the senses.

This year, as we’re unable to travel to Paris, Chanel brings a piece of the magical city to Hong Kong as it transforms a space at PMQ into Place Vendôme, the famed square Mademoiselle Coco Chanel crossed hundreds of times between her residence at the Ritz, to her high jewellery atelier at 18 Place Vendôme, and boutique and one-time home at 31 Rue Cambon.

Strewn within this imagined space that featured “French windows” overlooking the square’s famed bronze obelisk and lined by those charming Paris street signs, are spectacular pieces from some of its most iconic collections, including the 1.5 1 Camelia 5 Allures, L'Espit Du Lion, Café Society and 1932.

Discover some of the pieces that were featured at Chanel's aptly named exhibition, "18 Place Vendôme" – referencing to Chanel's high jewellery atelier – held last week. We begin with the 1.5 1 Camelia 5 Allures, a collection comprised of 50 jewels – 22 of which transformable pieces – offering the wearer a multitude of ways to wear them. It features Coco Chanel’s favourite flower, the camellia, which she adored for its austerity, geometric aesthetic and the subtle but elegant manner with which it complemented her clothing.

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Then there’s the L'Espit Du Lion, which pays tribute to Mademoiselle Chanel’s zodiac sign, Leo, and a city that’s captured her heart and spirits in more ways than one – Venice. The lion would come to adorn many of her creations – from buttons, bags to yes, jewels.

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To mark the 80^th anniversary of the Bijoux de Diamants collection, Coco Chanel’s first foray into the world of jewellery, Chanel creates an 80-piece line named after the year she launched it: 1932. This exceptional collection draws inspiration from the many motifs and symbols that permeated Coco’s imagination – from constellations, comets, stars, to fringes, ribbons and feathers — which were crafted using a dreamy combination of white, yellow and black diamonds, blue and pink sapphires and of course, a generous helping of luscious pearls.

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Last but certainly not the least, the Café Society collection, a testament to Chanel’s willingness to deviate from the brand’s classic, time-and-tested motifs and references to explore novel designs and further widen the diversity of Chanel’s high jewellery offering. Café Society take up a geometric approach by means of assembling beautiful stones in rhythmic patterns, and introducing intriguing  combinations of rigid and jagged lines. It is arguably Chanel’s most up-to-the minute high jewellery collection yet.

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The post Chanel’s Exhibition is as Much a Stunning Homage to its Classics as it is a Shift From it appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Why The Canary Diamond Co. second-generation head Johnny Lam launched ByCanary, a digital-first jewellery brand.

The post Digitising a jewellery business appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Why The Canary Diamond Co. second-generation head Johnny Lam launched ByCanary, a digital-first jewellery brand.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Even the most elaborate designs have a gentle fluidity.

The post Embrace modern sensuality with Hermes’ Lignes Sensibles high jewellery collection appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Even the most elaborate designs have a gentle fluidity.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

While classic white diamonds and pearls always rank at the top of our list for their timeless appeal and versatility, we can't help but be drawn to multicoloured jewellery designs that exude fun and flamboyance.

It's perfect timing then, that prominent names including Bulgari and Piaget have introduced resplendent new collections festooned with vividly-hued gemstones. Several fine jewellers have also followed suit by pairing stones in a variety of shades to create sparkling statement pieces.

Read on for our picks of the most magnificent multicoloured jewellery designs you'll want to incorporate into your wardrobe.

This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore

(Main image: Bulgari; Featured image: Piaget)

The post Fall in Love With These Glorious Multicoloured Jewels appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

By now, your bosses and colleagues have probably seen more of your abode than you would've ever expected to show them.

With many of us working from home these days, meetings held over video conferencing apps the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become the new normal. Inevitably, this means letting colleagues into our residences — albeit virtually — and having them catch glimpses of it via our backdrop. Depending on where your workspace is located, this view could range from a boring blank wall to windows or cluttered bookshelves.

Your makeshift office may not be the most glamorous, but there are several easy interior design tricks that you can employ to quickly jazz up the background of your Zoom calls.

Textiles and cushions

If your workstation of choice is the couch or bed, all it takes is a few snazzy throw pillows wrapped in eye-catching fabrics and prints to provide visual interest in the space behind you. Consider dressing your cushions in the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli collection, which is inspired by modern art — specifically works by Henri Matisse, Vasilij Kandinskij and Paul Klee.

It showcases striking colour blocks embellished with embroideries, ikat details and intertwined motifs. These are available in various patterns and shades ranging from pastel to neutral hues. More details here.

Houseplants and greenery

Adding houseplants to your home office will help the space look less spartan and bland. Smaller plants like cacti, succulents and spider plants can be displayed on shelves or tables, while larger ones such as philodendrons, snake plants and ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) can be placed on the floor to break the monotony of blank walls.

Online plant retailer Flora Houses offers a wide variety of houseplants that will thrive indoors and are generally low-maintenance. Its range includes Japanese fir, fiddle leaf fig and Bird of Paradise. The store provides free doorstep delivery with a minimum spend.

Artworks and paintings

Perhaps houseplants may seem like too much of a commitment, or you simply don't have green fingers. This is where paintings and art pieces make an easier alternative. You can simply hang a couple of them on the wall that constantly forms your video call backdrop.

An Andy Warhol or Basquiat will certainly impress your co-workers, but your art doesn't necessarily have to be expensive or by big name artists. Consider procuring artworks instead from indie galleries such as Odd One Out, which boasts an array of creations by local and international printmakers and illustrators. We can't take our eyes off the above acrylic painting by Micke Lindebergh, which is titled 'Small Yellow Flower Pot' and features colourful blooms accented by quirky squiggles and bright hues.

Statement ornaments and furniture

Inject a dose of quirk into your meeting setup by peppering your background with assorted decorative items and statement furniture pieces. These can be anything from figurines to colourful tiles and dramatic room dividers.

Our go-to is Lala Curio, which is a whimsical wonderland of objets d'art such as brass monkey sculptures, cloisonné birds, and, one of our favourites — an adorable trio of cranes adorned with rock crystal feathers and perched on crystal balls.

Wallpaper

Why settle for one specially curated work area, when you can turn your whole room into an Instagram-worthy space? Wallpaper is a bold and easy solution — if every wall in your room is clad in beautiful prints, you can essentially park yourself in any corner and still have an envy-inducing Zoom backdrop.

Designer wallpaper has seen a resurgence in recent years, and we're obsessed with Christian Lacroix's exquisite Oiseau Fleur vinyl wallpaper, which depicts vibrant botanical and bird motifs against a silk effect embossed base. It comes in two colourways of pink and grey.

(Main image: Brina Blum/ Unsplash; Featured image: Christian Lacroix)

The post The Boucheron Fenêtre sur Ciel Necklace Resembles a Celestial Portal to the Sky appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.

A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.

On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.

Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.

On land and sea

These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.

The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.

Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.

The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."

The post Grit, Guts and Glory: Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao’s Incredible Journey So Far appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.

A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.

On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.

Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.

On land and sea

These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.

The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.

Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.

The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."

The post Must-see Pieces at Bulgari’s Heritage Exhibition appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Her secret to success? Not listening to others.

The post How Yasmin Tjoeng forged her own path in jewellery design appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Her secret to success? Not listening to others.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

The gemstone, which was purchased by the fashion house, is the second largest rough gem diamond in recorded history.

The post Louis Vuitton brings its 1,758 carat diamond to Singapore appeared first on The Peak Magazine.