Plus Harry Winston references royals and Prada styles a rose-hued drop
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Messika’s Ode to Late Nights
The storied nightlife of 1970s Paris and New York inspired Messika’s latest high jewelry collection, headlined by yellow diamonds meant to be worn until dawn. Studio 54, the Mudd Club, the Palace, and Chez Régine were top of mind for Valérie Messika, who draws on the unwavering energy of evenings extended through the early morning hours for her 10th high jewelry offering, Midnight Sun. Naturally, singer and model Carla Bruni fronts the collection of Glitter Fever necklaces, rings, and earrings adorned with yellow diamonds meant to be worn close to the skin and Fiery pear-cut white diamond necklaces and two-finger rings built on the hypnotic beats and electric pulses of club sets. Dancing Moon and its oval-shaped white diamonds evoke celestial disco parties with revelry extended until daylight; Joy Cœur includes stones that float amid halos of light, conjuring the freedom of the dance floor. messika.com.
Fendi’s Triple Play
Powdery hues evoking neutral flesh tones created from black diamonds, pink sapphires, rose poudré pink spinels, white diamonds, and yellow sapphires — plus the bolder tones of gems like rubies — comprise the new Fendi Triptych high jewelry collection. The rings, earrings, lariats, tennis bracelets, pendants, and necklaces encompass a chromatic tour in three chapters dreamed up by the house’s artistic director of jewelry, Delfina Delettrez Fendi. Her first collection, a mix of architectural balance and the asymmetries of the natural world, is divided into sections: Roma Rosa, a play on multicolored marble and frescos in Rome; Gioiello Giallo, riffing on the house’s famed yellow; and Bianco Brillante, showcasing white diamonds. Tangled, abstracted, reversed, and hidden FF motifs appear throughout — catch them if you can. fendi.com.
Harry Winston’s Royal References
A new Harry Winston collection references important jewels of royal provenance that passed through the house and the jeweler himself. Colorful suites make up Royal Adornments, the latest gemstone-driven high jewelry collection comprising rubies, sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, pearls, and diamonds that nod to past nobles. Winston’s personal acquisitions included a slew of stones with royal ties to Marie Antoinette, the Hope diamond once sold to King Louis XIV, and the Arcots pear-shaped diamonds that once decorated a British crown. Now new pieces, such as the Heiress necklace with its rows of round brilliant diamonds and oval-shaped rubies, evoke the Baldwin ruby that once belonged to California tycoon Lucky Baldwin. The Baroness suite composed of diamonds and emeralds recalls a piece owned by the Maharaja of Indore, and there are brooches, earrings, tiaras, and a striking Crown ring referencing a diamond necklace given to Queen Elizabeth II. harrywinston.com.
Dior’s Garden Variety Designs
The entrancing fabric femme-fleurs of Christian Dior’s New Look designs and the ephemeral natural blooms in his storied gardens in Granville, Normandy, and the Chateau de la Colle Noire in Provence that sparked later collections are at the heart of Victoire de Castellane’s new high jewelry for the French house. The Dior Joaillerie creative director looked to the couture itself, to the motifs and techniques alongside the fabrics’ effects and textures, to create all manner of posies for her collection, Les Jardins de la Couture. Using diamonds, rubies, garnets, emeralds, and sapphires and pink, yellow, or white gold, she has crafted 170 imaginative baubles in tribute to the plant world. Tableaux of flowers, butterflies, and rainbows are intertwined, blossoms are assembled stone by stone, and gems set at varying levels echo the infinite assortment of the natural world. Three secret timepiece designs that read as bracelets are included, and transformable rings, earrings, and necklaces can be changed on a whim. dior.com.
Graff Is All Aflutter
Graff’s newest designs comprise a transformative collection built around the talismanic butterfly. The majestic winged fliers symbolizing freedom, a historic motif for the British house, inspired silhouettes with round and marquise diamonds and clusters of pavé stones in classic shapes and also abstract outlines of outstretched wings. Doubled necklaces, mini bracelets, drop earrings, and rings with the motif tripled are all crafted in white gold and diamonds. Timepieces, a collaboration between Graff’s Switzerland watchmakers and the house’s London atelier, include versions with dancing butterflies circling watch dials and editions depicting the elegant insects in flight with ruby, sapphire, or emerald dials and coordinating alligator watch straps. graff.com.
Prada’s Angular Summer Drop
The rosy hues of summer sunsets are echoed in Prada’s latest Eternal Gold drop. Four new pink gold styles join the initial offering of yellow gold necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets created entirely of certified recycled gold. Just as the house’s first foray into fine jewelry took inspiration from the Prada triangle — the ubiquitous logo used by founder Mario Prada — the new pieces also play off the three-cornered shape. The precious metals with sustainable, verifiable, and traceable production chains also reflect the house’s steps toward impacting environmental conditions and human rights standards. Two triangular ring designs, a floating pendant necklace, and petite earrings comprise the new releases, all aglow in warm blush tones. prada.com.
Louis Vuitton Blooms Bright
Louis Vuitton’s latest fine jewelry collection is a modern interpretation of blossoming flowers dreamed up by Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director of watches and jewelry. Inspired by the house’s emblematic Monogram Flower, the new Silhouette Blossom collection follows previous floral offerings, including the Idylle Blossom and Color Blossom launches. The openwork designs suggest an outline of the posies in bold sizes and shapes, including oversize hoops and rings, but there are also delicate stackable rings, ear cuffs, and petite pendants. The initial launch includes 11 designs in 18k rose gold with additional white gold offerings coming later in the fall — all set with diamonds or full pavé diamonds with the variation and singularity of a flower bed. louisvuitton.com.
Feature image: Louis Vuitton now introduces Silhouette Blossom to its emblematic Blossom jewelry collection, which is inspired by the maison’s Monogram Flower. Photography by Craig McDean.
September 7, 2023.
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