- Crystals from Swarovski

SPRING / SUMMER 2012
€12
© 2012 Swarovski AG
SWAROVSKI® is a registered trademark.
YI Q IN G Y IN ’S C RE AT IONS ARE MADE W I TH SWAROVSKI E L E M E NT S .
A DD SPA RK LE TO YOU R LIFE AT
W W W. S WA RO VSK I- ELE MEN TS .CO M
CONTENTS
Above, from left:
Hopi bracelet,
Atelier Swarovski
by Eric Daman; loose
net long-sleeved
jumper, gold skirt
with Swarovski
Elements, belt and
knitted briefs, all
Craig Lawrence
Quick Response (QR)
codes can be found
throughout this issue,
enabling the reader
to view additional
multi-media content
via a smartphone.
To scan the code, simply
download one of the
many available QR
apps, such as QR Reader
13 THE CUT
Swarovski news from around the world,
beginning with launches and award events
28 UNdiSCOvEREd gEMS
Meet the winners of Helena Christensen’s
Unsigned model search
14 NEWS
The latest global news, including Christian
Lacroix’s costumes for the ballet in Paris
31 NEWS
A Mugler movie; a crystal bicyle; Dubai’s
designers showcase Swarovski Elements
16 NEWS
Supporting young talent; a Victoria’s Secret
showstopper; a dazzling Catwoman
32 AUTO ExOTiC
Car designer Vicki von Holzhausen applies
her aesthetic to a range of handbags
18 ROMAN TREASURES
Kate Moss explodes into a thousand crystals
at Rome’s Fashion Week. On film, that is
35 TRENd TAlK
The latest looks, hot off the runway: bold
prints, candy colors and silver shimmer
20 ROSE iN blOOM
The crystal-bright eyewear of Kerin Rose
is a hit with the likes of Rihanna and Gaga
36 gRANd diSplAyS
Christmas saw Swarovski add extra glitter to
the Harrods windows – and the whole store
22 MESSAgE fROM lA
An exciting art installation on the
glamorous shopping street Rodeo Drive
38 All SEEiNg
Frederikson Stallard’s ‘Iris’ installation for
Swarovski Crystal Palace catches the eye
24 jOy Of giviNg
Swarovski joins philanthropic forces with
Bianca Jagger, Marc Quinn and others
40 ligHT WORKS
Chandeliers that use Swarovski Elements
are design highlights at One Hyde Park
26 NEWS
Rodarte’s works of fashion/art in Florence;
Vogue Bambini’s sparkling kids’ fashion show
42 NORTHERN bRigHTS
How Christian Dior fell for Swarovski
crystals, basing an entire line on them
05
CONTENTS
44 PARTNERS IN SHINE
Works of beauty featuring Swarovski
Elements, by fashion leaders such as
Viktor & Rolf and Jason Wu
58 dIvINE ANd mATERIAl focuS
Swarovski Crystal Palace joined creative
forces with architect John Pawson on a
striking installation at St Paul’s Cathedral
62 RockET mAN
Richard James brings a touch of Savile Row
tailoring to Elton John’s Vegas stageshow
66 SucculENT PIEcES
How leading designers have incorporated
Swarovski Elements into their jewelry
74 mARy, QuEEN of RockS
Mary Katrantzou has wowed fashion with
her prints and crystal-bedecked creations
76 cloTH PuRPoSE
Denim designer Scott Morrison describes
how a new generation of the fabric has
developed – plus the most exciting examples
82 gIRlS oN fIlm
Duran Duran; Naomi, Cindy and the supers;
Dolce & Gabbana and Swarovski… music
videos do not come any more glamorous
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86 SuITE dREAmS
Swarovski Elements give sparkle to fashion
inspired by the halcyon days of partying
96 WoRld RomANcE
The latest innovations in shape, cut and
color from Swarovski Elements
106 SImPlE PlEASuRES
Swarovski Elements’ trend themes for
spring/summer 2013 home in on the
important things in life, such as heritage,
authenticity, craftsmanship and romance
114 sketch Looks
Long-time Swarovski collaborator Giles
Deacon has an exclusive artistic reponse to
the latest Swarovski Elements innovations
116 SHININg THRougH
Patrick Goossens continues the work his
father began 60 years ago, designing jewelry
for fashion icons Schiaparelli and Balmain
120 SWARovSkI STockISTS
Swarovski store locations and contact
details worldwide
122 cRySTAl uNIvERSE
The phenomenon of brinicles – strange
columns of ice crystals in the Arctic seas
Above, from left:
Fredrikson Stallard’s
recent lighting
creation at the
Swarovski Crystal
Palace; Viktor &
Rolf’s dress for
Swarovski Atelier’s
S/S12 collection; new
hue Crystal Luminous
Green, as featured in
this season’s range of
Swarovski Elements
giuseppe zanotti design
shop at www.giuseppezanottidesign.com
printemps-été 2012
welcome to salt
Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Salt,
which showcases and celebrates the creative use of
Swarovsk i Elements in the worlds of jewelr y,
architecture, art, design, film and stage.
In these pages we look both at the technological
precision and artisanal skill involved in the creation of
Swarovski Elements, and the way in which these then
inspire the most innovative and artistic talents all over
the world in a myriad of different cultural areas.
Therefore, as in previous issues of Salt, we profile
a combination of collaborators both long-established
and new – creative talents as diverse as the rising star
of fashion design Mary Katrantzou, legendary couture
jeweler Patrick Goossens, pop royalty Duran Duran,
architect John Pawson, design duo Fredrikson Stallard
and denim guru Scott Morrison.
Swarovski’s passion for nurturing new talent stems
from our commitment to innovation. Thus, in this new
edition of Salt you will find evidence of our ongoing
partnerships with designers in a wide variety of fields.
We are continually delighted with the results. We hope
you will be too.
Nadja Swarovski
Member of the Executive Board
08
Stay with Armani.
Now Open
armanihotels.com
CO NTR IB UT ORS
Celebrating SwarovSki ElEmEntS VOL.4
Salt
SHOW MEDIA +44 20 3222 0101
Ground Floor, 1-2 Ravey Street,
London EC2A 4QP
[email protected]
www.showmedia.net
Andy Barter
Mitchell Feinberg
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni
Beau Grealy
Photographer
Photographer
Writer
Photographer
Born in Wiltshire, England,
Andy Barter works from his
studio in Clerkenwell,
London. Alongside his
personal work, Andy shoots
for magazines such as
Wallpaper*, Vogue and Elle.
He also works for commercial
clients such as Dunhill,
Harrods and Blackberry. Andy
lives in north London with his
partner and three children.
An American who divides his
time between Paris and New
York, Mitchell Feinberg has
been taking luxury still life
photography for more than 15
years. He has built a large and
prestigious base of clientele,
shooting major campaigns for
Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and
Yves Saint Laurent, as well as
editorial content for Numéro,
The New York Times Style
Magazine, L’Officiel Hommes,
National Geographic and Vogue.
Based in Paris, Natasha
Fraser-Cavassoni is a British
journalist and writer. She
writes for the International
Herald Tribune, Vogue, Condé
Nast Traveler and Elle Decor.
Her biography of Sam Spiegel,
the Academy Award-winning
producer, was published in
both the UK and the US.
Australian-born photographer
Beau Grealy started taking
pictures as a teenager
following in the footsteps of
his photographer father. Now
residing in Brooklyn, Beau’s
close-cropped portraits and
atmospheric fashion and
beauty images draw
inspiration from everything
around him. Beau has
contributed to many
publications and advertising
campaigns including Topman,
Vogue, i-D, V, Interview, Man
About Town and Quest.
Editor-in-Chief Peter Howarth
Creative Director Ian Pendleton
Managing Editor Abby Rawlinson
Art Director Dominic Bell
Designer Pete Avery
Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin
Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan
Copy Editors Sarah Evans, Ming Liu,
Tanya Jackson, Rupert Mellor
Editorial Director Joanne Glasbey
SWArOvSkI CryStAl BuSINESS
Member of the Executive Board
Nadja Swarovski
Fashion Communications Director
Pascale Montaner
Designer and Press relations Director
Saskia Sissons
SWArOvSkI ElEMENtS
vice President Global Marketing
Christoph Kargruber
Director of Branding and
Communications
Andreas Brakonier
Senior Communications Manager
Vera Klotz
Salt is published in Chinese, English
and Japanese. Translation by Etymax;
www.etymax.com
Simon de Burton
Nick Compton
Daniela Agnelli
Nick Smith
Writer
Writer
Fashion Editor
Writer
Simon de Burton is a freelance
journalist and author who
specialises in writing about
cars, motorcycles, watches and
the luxury lifestyle. His work
appears in publications around
the world, including the
Financial Times ‘How To Spend
It’ magazine, GQ, Architectural
Digest and the award-winning
supercar magazine EVO. He
lives on Dartmoor, Devon,
with his family and a pair of
springer spaniels.
Nick Compton is features
director of international
design magazine Wallpaper*.
He has written on business
and lifestyle trends as well
as design, photography,
film, fashion and architecture
for magazines such as
Details, i-D, The Observer
Magazine and The Independent
on Sunday Magazine.
Daniela Agnelli is the fashion
director of ST Fashion and
Telegraph Magazine. She grew
up in Milan, Italy, and had a
love of all things fashion from
a early age. She moved to
London 14 years ago and
worked for publications in the
UK and US, including Marie
Claire, InStyle and Harper’s
Bazaar. She is dedicated to
developing new projects and
ideas for herself and the
Telegraph, where she has
worked for the past five years.
Nick Smith is a writer and
photographer as well as a
former editor of Geographical
magazine and a fellow of
The Explorers Club and the
Royal Geographical Society.
Nick contributes to The Daily
Telegraph, and his latest book,
Travels in the World of Books,
was published earlier this year.
10
Colour reproduction by FMG;
www.groupfmg.com
Printing by Gerin Mehrdruck;
www.gerin.co.at
Salt is published on behalf of Swarovski AG,
Droeschistraße 15, 9495 Triesen, Principality of
Liechtenstein by Show Media. © 2011 Swarovski AG.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording or any other information
storage and retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner.
SwarovSki SToriES from around ThE globE STarTing wiTh gliTTEring galaS, award ShowS and fabulouS EvEnTS
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PLANET PHOTOS
award TimE
The second half of 2011 was truly a
star-studded period for Swarovski with
a whole host of launch events, awards
ceremonies and celebrations on the
agenda. Highlights included the 14th
Moët British Independent Film Awards,
where Swarovski was proud to provide the
coveted trophies. In November, a host of
famous names attended the 20th Annual
BAFTA Los Angeles LA Britannia
Awards, among them Robert Downey Jr
and Helena Bonham Carter. Highlights
in December included the launch of ‘A
Crystal Christmas inspired by Swarovski
at Harrods’ at the iconic store in London’s
Knightsbridge. Meanwhile, in New York
Swarovski Elements and Gaia&Gino
unveiled ‘The Goddess Adorned’, an
auction of limited-edition vases designed
by Harry Allen and transformed by a host
of designers and celebrities. Swarovski
also proudly supported the first ‘Arts for
Human Rights’ fundraising gala to
benefit the Bianca Jagger Human Rights
Foundation. Held at international art
company Phillips de Pury, the memorable
event was attended by artists, designers,
architects and actors including Vivienne
Westwood, Tracey Emin, Ron Arad, John
Pawson, Zaha Hadid, Marc Quinn, and
Michelle Dockery from the smash-hit
ITV drama downton abbey.
7
STARS COME OUT
1. Nadja Swarovski
and Bianca Jagger
at the ‘Arts for
Human Rights’ gala
2. Beyoncé sparkled
in Ralph & Russo
couture adorned
with Swarovski
Elements on her
first TV special
3. Helena Bonham
Carter at the 20th
Annual BAFTA
Los Angeles LA
Britannia Awards
4. Robert Downey Jr.
at the 20th Annual
BAFTA Los Angeles
LA Britannia Awards
5. Desiree Gruber,
Kyle MacLachlan
and Nadja Swarovski
at Design Miami
6. Actors Ralph
Fiennes and Liam
Neeson at the
Swarovski after
party for the BFI
London Film Festival
Awards Ceremony
7. Actress Olivia
Grant at the
unveiling of ‘A
Crystal Christmas
inspired by
Swarovski at
Harrods’ 8. Gaye
Cevikel and Irmak
Tasindi at the
Gaia&Gino ‘The
Goddess Adorned’
auction 9. Christian
Lacroix and Nadja
Swarovski at the
Opéra National de
Paris at the Palais
Garnier. 10. Director
and writer Edgar
Wright and Best
British Newcomer
Candese Reid at the
BFI London Film
Festival Awards
Ceremony.
11. Isaac Manevitz
and Tinsley Mortimer
at the Gaia&Gino
‘The Goddess
Adorned’ auction
12. Best Actor winner
for Shame Michael
Fassbender with
actresses Imelda
Staunton and Olivia
Williams at the
14th Moët British
Independent
Film Awards
13
THE CUT
Crystals Come to life on staGe and a dr amatiC new men’s ColleCtion
Clockwise from
right: a Christian
Lacroix-designed
costume for La
Source; Jennifer
Lopez at the
Summertime Ball
2011 in London;
Marmèn’s ‘Trust
Me’ cuff; ‘Oscar’
bracelet by Laura B
DECADENCE IN DEsIgN
Established in 2004 by Dubai-based designer, Furne One,
Amato Couture gained instant critical acclaim for its opulent,
innovative fashion designs and hotly anticipated annual fashion
shows. Keen to collaborate with one of the most desirable new
talents in the fashion world, Swarovski commissioned Amato to
create a one-of-a-kind wedding gown for their collector’s item
book, Unbridaled, in 2006. Amato has since been inspired to use
Swarovski Elements, producing show-stopping designs such as
the Swarovski-encrusted gold couture dress modeled by Jennifer
Lopez at the Summertime Ball 2011 in London.
For an exclusive
interview with
Christian Lacroix,
scan this QR code
ON POINTE
The highly anticipated revival of La Source
opened at the Opéra National de Paris at
the Palais Garnier, and Swarovski
collaborated with designer Christian
Lacroix on the ballet’s stunning costumes.
A cast of nymphs, elves and other ethereal
beings was an exciting proposition for
Swarovski, and some truly spectacular
costumes were created with almost two
million crystals incorporated into
Lacroix’s designs. Swarovski is no
stranger to ballet collaborations, having
worked with English National Ballet,
New York City Ballet and the Rambert
Dance Company. ‘Swarovski has this
incredible tradition of crystal which has
its roots in the past,’ Lacroix said, ‘but they
are always looking to innovate... Swarovski
and La Source: what beautiful chemistry!’
14
MALE
ATTRACTION
Four cutting-edge designers have
collaborated on the new Swarovski
CRYSTALLizED™ men’s jewelry
collection – which includes cufflinks,
pendants, rings and bracelets – and is
inspired by and features Swarovski
Elements. Lauded by Harper’s Bazaar and
Japanese Vogue as the accessories designer
of the moment, Anton Heunis’s dynamic
rough-hewn shapes are found throughout
his collection. For a sleeker aesthetic there is
ian Flaherty, whose urban dash cufflinks
find beauty in a geometric and monochrome
design. Laura B has an impressive resume,
having worked with Armani, Versace
and Dolce & Gabbana before launching
her own line, and exclusive to Swarovski
CRYSTALLizED™ are her tribalinspired bracelets. Marmèn’s edgy and
chic contemporary designs complete the
fantastic four – making this elegant
collection perfect for a fashion-conscious
man ready to make a statement.
TO BE ONE O F A K I ND
lO NDON - 32, Bru TO N sTrEET w1
BrI ONI .C O M
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the cr e am of young de sign talent and natur e-inspir ed chaton shape s
BRIGHT SPARKS
Some of the world’s best new designers
toasted the close of this year’s International
Talent Support competition with the
ITS#TEN fashion and awards show in
Trieste, Italy. The contest supports young
talent, and the participation of Swarovski
Elements, which has long collaborated with
both world-class designers and international
fashion and design schools, underlines these
goals still further. 2011’s event was specially
notable, as Swarovski Elements, the main
sponsor of the new area ITS#JEWELRY,
founded the Swarovski Elements Jewelry
Award, whose two inaugural winners won
€10,000 and a six-month internship at
Swarovski’s headquarters in Austria.
NATURE’S dESIGN
The London Design Festival is a key cultural date, and in 2011 five
pieces by artist Arik Levy for Swarovski Crystal Palace were chosen
to feature in the Natural History Museum’s exhibition Designing Life,
as part of the international showcase. First launched in 2009 at the
Salone del Mobile in Milan, ‘Regeneration: Osmosis’ consists of three
monumental Chaton Superstructures made from aluminium tubes,
and two large marble Floor Jewels, and they were installed in the
museum’s courtyard to stunning effect. ‘Swarovski is above all about
technology,’ says multimedia artist Levy, ‘the crystal is the sparkling
and poetic result of the company’s heritage, innovation and skill.’
Designing Life let ‘Regeneration: Osmosis’ demonstrate the beauty and
technology of Swarovski Elements to an even wider audience.
16
THE CUT
br illiance of batman, student bursar ie s and an iconic linger ie show
SUPERHERO ANTICS
The drama of Gotham City was transported to
London’s O2 arena this year, as the Batman Live
stage production flew in. And to create something
specatacular, costume designer Jack Galloway knew
just what to do. ‘I immediately knew the costumes
had to be the dazzling centerpiece,’ explained
Galloway. ‘And when you want sparkle, only one
name comes to mind – Swarovski. Nothing even
comes close to the sparkle of Swarovski Elements,
especially on stage.’ Over 170,000 Swarovski
Elements and 120 meters of crystal fabric illuminate
27 stage costumes, including the iconic Cat Skull.
SECRET PASSION
A show-stopping highlight of 2011’s spectacular Victoria’s
Secret Fashion Show was a creation entitled Passion Matador,
bedecked with approximately 55,000 dazzling Swarovski
Elements and weighing more than eight kilos. Taking three
months to fashion, the masterpiece was one of six one-of-a-kind
creations by designer Jenny Manik Mercian. Mercian has
collaborated with Swarovski on superb bejeweled items for the
iconic lingerie show since 2005. ‘The pieces you make are only
as good as the materials they’re made with,’ said Collection
Designer Todd Thomas. ‘Therefore, the collaboration with
Swarovski and the use of their luxurious and innovative
Swarovski Elements make for some of the strongest and most
dramatic pieces I’ve ever had the pleasure of creating.’
To see a film of
the making of
the pieces, scan
this QR code
SwAROvSKI SCHOlARS
‘We are always excited to see how each designer
explores the creative possibility of crystal in jewelry
and fashion,’ said Nadja Swarovski at the launch of
Swarovski’s new scholarship programme with
Central Saint Martins. Fashion student Scarlett Tull
and jewelry design student Stephanie Bila have been
selected as the first to be awarded the Swarovski
Scholarships, by a panel including Nadja Swarovski
and course leaders from the college. The three-year
programme, which endows two final-year students
with a bursary for the year, marks a decade of
collaboration between the luxury crystal brand and
the London college, whose alumni include Stella
McCartney and Christopher Kane.
From top:
Catwoman in
Batman Live;
Swarovski adds
passion for
Victoria’s Secret;
Swarovski’s first
two scholars.
Opposite, from
top: Swarovski
Elements Jewelry
Award’s winning
design; Arik
Levy’s creations
17
THE CUT
roman TrEasUrEs Two unique collaborations
at Altaroma, Rome’s fashion week, showcase Swarovski’s
passion for innovation and excellence in design WORDS Chris Mugan
Join Italians on their evening passeggiata and you soon realize this fashionconscious nation is not only justly proud of its couture heritage, but also
passionate about cutting-edge trends. These two characteristics come together
twice a year at Rome’s Fashion Week, Altaroma, when Italy’s historic maisons
meet the latest global developments in creativity and production.
The Eternal City has a long history of high-end craftsmanship, a world away
from today’s fast-moving trends. The organizers of Altaroma seek to inject
the best of that heritage – the exclusivity and high standards – with newfound
energy. As well as the usual round of appointments and runway shows,
Altaroma devises one-off events in unique locations that draw together design,
art and fashion. Naturally, Swarovski Elements wanted to contribute to such
a vibrant event and for the July 2011 edition was involved in two forwardthinking projects, which reflected its desire to support both technological
breakthroughs and creative talent.
First, Swarovski Elements brought the film KM3D-1 to Altaroma for only its
second public showing. This piece was a landmark for the company – the first
time its crystals had been brought to life on film in three dimensions. Swarovski
has long played an inspirational role in movie-making, but still wants to help
set industry standards for high-tech innovation.
Created by artist Baillie Walsh and featuring Kate Moss, this short work sees
the filmmaker reunited with the supermodel for the first time since Walsh
made a holographic film of Moss that was famously screened at the close of
Alexander McQueen’s autumn/winter 2006 show. Devised by AnOther
Magazine and its creative director Jerry Stafford, KM3D-1 portrays Moss as
a goddess, inspired by those in Indian mythology, who shatters her image in
an explosion of hundreds of tiny crystals. The two-minute film was shot using
state-of-the-art cameras called Phantoms, specially built for the project to
capture the scene in super-slow motion, at 1,000 frames per second.
The sight of Moss near motionless is captivating even before the crystals
appear to hurtle out of the screen – so real you might think you could reach
out and touch them. Swarovski worked closely with AnOther Magazine’s team
to select varieties perfect for this groundbreaking technique, amplifying the
viewer’s experience. KM3D-1 was first presented as an immersive installation
for two days at the renowned London gallery Haunch Of Venison during
London Fashion Week in September 2010. Fittingly for a film depicting a
goddess, its second showing was at the site of the ancient Temple of Hadrian,
whose remains now provide the façade for Rome’s stock exchange. Watch out
for further showings in the future.
The second project Swarovski contributed to was a contemporary interpretation
of couture fashion that brought together avant-garde ideas and sartorial
tradition. Limited/Unlimited is Altaroma’s showcase for specially selected
designers to express their creativity through exclusive, limited-edition pieces,
whether garments, accessories or footwear. The theme for its third edition was
Ceremony – a subject that inspired everything from virginal whites to
mournful blacks. It was curated by Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of
the iconic label’s founders and its current head of accessories.
This mix of craft and innovation comes together in a concept Altaroma calls
‘neocouture’, which chimes with Swarovski Elements’ aspirations for the
fashion industry. Organizers devised Limited/Unlimited to promote cuttingedge creativity among designers, by challenging them to push boundaries and
express avant-garde ideas. Swarovski
Elements shares the same goal of seeking
out the new and exciting in fashion, so was
delighted to have the opportunity to add its
support. When the project f irst began,
Fendi and Altaroma selected just 12
designers. By last year Limited/Unlimited
was featuring the differing outlooks and
tastes of 42 entrants, all displaying their
skills and imagination at the Palazzo della
Civiltà Italiana over two days in July.
Among them was bespoke milliner Justin
Smith of J Smith Esquire, who presented
his first collection in 2007. Also present
were Corto Moltedo – the luxury goods
brand founded by Gabrielecorto Moltedo
– and the American shoe designer Nicole
Brundage. Swarosvki Elements gave the
designers advice and consultations on how
best to employ crystals in their creations
and access to the widest variety of shapes,
colors and sizes.
In the end, it was impossible to pick
favorites from the results – each piece told
its own story, highlighting the aims of
Limited / Un l imited. R at her t ha n a
competition, it is a platform for novel, even
challenging, ideas. The same idea applies
to Swarovski Elements – designers develop
their own relationships with this beguiling
material. Every relationship is different,
but each special in their own way.
Chris Mugan writes about culture for The
Guardian, Observer and Independent
Opposite page,
top: A bejewelled
Kate Moss in
KM3D-1. Below:
Altaroma
audiences queue
for the screening
and watch the
film in 3D glasses.
This page, from
top: Designs by S
Giardina and F
Puglisi from this
year’s Limited/
Unlimited that
used Swarovski
Elements. Below:
The venue, the
Palazzo della
Civiltà Italiana
THE CUT
The film portrays Kate Moss as a
goddess, inspired by those of Indian
mythology, who shatters her image in
an explosion of hundreds of crystals
19
THE CUT
Rose in bloom
Kerin Rose’s bespoke eyewear designs have
been worn by the likes of Katy Perry and Rihanna – and the future is bright wORDS Lauren Milligan
CW Upfronts;
Kerin Rose posing
for styling brand
Sebastian
Professional;
Rihanna at
Fashion’s Night
Out wearing a
custom pair of
Barracuda
sunglasses
New York-born and -based designer
Kerin Rose – whose A-Morir (meaning
‘till death’) eyewear label has been worn
by fashion-savvy musicians including
Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and
Nicki Minaj – is a busy girl. Despite
personally hand-making every one of the
500 or so pairs of glasses she last year
sold in high-end boutiques worldwide –
plus the nearly 100 unique projects or
commissions from stars including Grace
Jones, the Black Eyed Peas and Ke$ha
– Rose is philosophical about the
business’s projected growth.
‘I would love to have a team working with
me, people who I could teach to make
the pieces, but for now it’s all me,’ she
told us from her New York atelier, a
dedicated apartment studio space in
what once was her dining room. ‘In the
long term, I’d love to add a ready-to-wear
collection to sit alongside my couture
pieces, produced by a team I would
oversee. That would mean we could
create pieces that were less flamboyant
than my commissioned pieces. Some
people love them but say, “it’s a little too
much for me” – so I could do a line with
just crystal accents, for example. But at
the moment I want to focus on making a
name for myself in eyewear. I just want to
be the best at what I do, right now.’
Born and raised in New York, Rose’s
appeal to the music world is perhaps no
surprise considering her background.
After studying classical music, playing
piano and singing competitively as a
youngster, Rose headed to New York
University for an Honors Degree in Pop
Culture History, a course she describes
as ‘very nerdy’ despite its glamoroussounding title. Now, every piece she
makes is named after a composer, singer
or bandmember, and she uses the naming
process to educate her consumers about
music – passing on the ‘absolutely
inextricable’ link and ‘co-dependence’
between fashion and music, which she
learned from her studies.
conversation,’ she said. ‘I love that Will.i.am could be wearing a piece
named after a Judas Priest band member, and that makes people think
about listening to something they haven’t before. Fashion is one form
of self-expression and music is another. My ideal customer would wear
my glasses to the opera, and then to a punk rock show.’ And that brings
us to A-Morir’s most famous and, it would seem, most perfect customer:
the always surprising, never dull, queen of the opera-to-punk-rock
concept, Lady Gaga.
‘I’ve been very fortunate to work with her,’ Rose said. ‘She and her team
really challenge me to do things I can’t do for other people. Gaga, Rihanna
and Katy Perry have been my three biggest clients for commissions and
it’s great to work with such different and unique people who all understand
the theatrical. Katy is more showgirl, so the pieces we create for her reflect
that, while Rihanna is more obviously sexy. It’s great to have that mix.’
Indeed the creator of such envelope-pushing shapes has a unique style
of her own, too, and as of summer 2012, Rose will be the new face of
styling brand Sebastian Professional, joining the likes of DJ Harley-Viera
Newton and fashion icon Cory Kennedy, who have both been selected
for their ‘fearless’ personalities.
And the materials that Rose uses for her designs, all of which are sourced
in New York, also sets her apart. ‘Badass great quality’ is how she sums
up her USP, and collaborating with Swarovski has helped the young
designer maintain that standard. ‘It means I have access to a huge range
of materials and Swarovski Elements,’ she said. ‘I showcase crystal in a
different way, and recently my designs were exhibited at the Swarovski
Elements platform at Accessorie Circuit in New York.’
The current and upcoming trends in eyewear look back to decades past,
with labels including Miu Miu and Ralph Lauren taking a trip down memory
lane: ‘We were really excited about the beautiful vintage eyewear from
the winter collections,’ Rachel Duffy, accessories buying manager at
Selfridges, told us. ‘For spring/summer we saw a big nod to the Forties,
Fifties and Sixties on the catwalks and for eyewear and accessories,
making vintage a key trend taking us right into summer.’
So are Rose’s creations so unique that they bear no relation to what
is going on elsewhere in the eyewear world? ‘There’s definitely a general
zeitgeist – something in the air for designers that means there is often
a common thread to what we do,’ she said. ‘I don’t really look at the
catwalk or what other designers are doing, but it’s reassuring to know
other people are on the same wavelength. My latest collection references
shapes and details from the Nineties, the Seventies and the Twenties, but
generally speaking, what I do is pretty independent. It has to be: other
eyewear companies, with ready-to-wear production, operate on a totally
different schedule.’
That is, until Rose launches her own ready-to-wear collection, which we
hope, for us, will be sooner rather than later.
For more information, please visit a-morir.com
‘I like to name my pieces after musicians
who are of ten not in the current
20
Lauren Milligan writes for vogue.co.uk
PORTRAIT OF KERIN ROSE BY EmIR ERAlP COuRTESY OF SEBASTIAN PROFESSIONAl; GETTY ImAGES; WIREImAGE
This page, from
top: Lux, Dekker
and Santana
designs.
Opposite,
clockwise from
left: Bootsy and
Mars designs;
Katy Perry wears
Dekker
sunglasses at the
‘Fashion is one form
of self-expression;
music is another.
My ideal customer
would wear my glasses
to the opera, then
to a punk rock show’
THE CUT
mEssagE from la Last Christmas, Los Angeles’ world-famous
shopping destination Rodeo Drive was lit up by a sparkling installation WORDS Sarah Deeks
Clockwise from
left: Swarovski’s
‘Transmission’
installation;
Hollywood actress
Jessica Alba
unveils the
installations;
Rodeo Drive. These three short blocks in Beverly Hills, California,
add up to one of the most famous luxury shopping destinations in
the world. Last Christmas, Swarovski Elements partnered with
The City of Beverly Hills to transform the street into a dazzling
light experience. Three state-of-the-art, custom-made, interactive
Swarovski Elements installations lined the street’s center median,
inspired by methods of information transmission – from DNA to
Morse code, from text messaging to Twitter. Communication was
at the heart of the collaboration, as each innovative sculpture
housed an electronic screen, and by simply using a hashtag,
shoppers could send their own Christmas messages which then
became part of the installations.
‘We are very excited by our “Let it sparkle” partnership with
Swarovski Elements,’ said Beverley Hills City mayor Barry
Brucker. ‘Their creative team is phenomenal. They have integrated
the theme into the decor and holiday events in original and exciting
ways. The holidays are always special, but this year with Swarovski,
shopping in Beverly Hills will be a magical experience.’
22
Actress Jessica Alba unveiled the installations as darkness fell and
Rodeo Drive dazzled with crystal and light. ‘I am honored to be a
part of this,’ she said. ‘What makes this evening most special is
that Swarovski’s concept store Swarovski CRySTALLIzED™ is
lending a helping hand to a charity that is very dear to me.’
Alba is a patron of Baby2Baby, a charity helping families in need
with essential baby gear and clothing in the greater Los Angeles
area. She continued, ‘I am so proud to be here and hope we are able
to raise money for those who need it most this holiday season.’
Against Swarovski’s spectacular background, the boutiques of
Rodeo Drive including La Perla and Escada joined in the
celebrations by showcasing their exclusive products made with
Swarovski Elements. Anne Fontaine and Barbara Bui were among
the stores who ‘crystallized’ their windows, and Roberto Cavalli
and Margherita Missoni were the first of many designers to tweet
messages on to the installations. Who would have thought this
glamorous shopping destination could sparkle any brighter?
Jessica Alba with
fellow screen star
Jennifer Hudson;
feather gown
by Bebe; black
shoe by Swarovski
collaborator
Stuart Weitzman
THE CUT
JOY OF GIVING
Swarovski loves to contribute creativity
and celebration to a whole spectrum of charitable causes wORDS Josh Sims
(from left)
granddaughter
Assisi Jackson,
daughter Jade
Jagger and
granddaughter
Amba Jackson
at the Breast
Cancer Research
Foundation
auction in New
York where
the chairs
were unveiled
When, earlier this year, Elizabeth Hurley
appeared in New York surrounded by
versions of Arne Jacobsen’s famed ‘Swan’
chair, it wasn’t because she had decided to
retire from the glamour business to move
into the more secure one of soft furnishings.
Among the chairs were two, lavishly reimagined by DB Kim of PYR and London
fashion designer Holly Fulton – both onetime designers for Swarovski – and put up
for auction in aid of the Breast Cancer
Research Foundation. Upholstery, 2,700
crystals and flash-happy paparazzi made a
perhaps unlikely combination, but there
was method in this madness, at least from
Swarovski’s standpoint.
Once upon a time, a company produced
and sold a product and that was about the
end of its concerns. But, thanks to the
access to information and comment
provided by the internet, combined with a
greater consideration as to how to spend
their money, increasingly savvy consumers
are taking a more forensic look at the
brands they wish to support. As more
progressive brands realize they have a role
beyond the merely commercial – as part of
society at large – so corporate responsibility
has moved center-stage. How a company
behaves and uses its power and profits is
now as much what it sells as anything else.
Hence, while the Pink Swan sale was ‘a
wonderful creative project’, as Member of
the Executive Board Nadja Swarovski
noted, what was more important was that
‘it will make a tangible difference to the
lives of women affected by breast cancer.’
Swarovski is, of course, not alone in upping
the ante on such charitable work over recent
years. But it can make a claim both to its
fair share and to a long-term commitment:
back in 2006, for example, the company
transformed London’s Royal Albert Hall
into a literally glittering affair – the tables
were lit by the Glitterbox lanterns designed
by Georg Baldele as part of the Swarovski
Crystal Palace collection for the Dream
Auction in aid of the NSPCC.
The interim years have seen similar
contributions made to a diverse range of
other charities, among them Unicef,
Women for Women Making a Difference
24
and Swarovski’s own WaterSchool, through an equally varied range of events
and performances: Swarovski has supplied crystals for the sets and costumes
that have featured in several productions by the English National Ballet
but, more importantly as far as good causes are concerned, has also provided
items for its fundraising gala auctions.
Earlier this year, Swarovski supported the Artists for Women for Women
International initiative at London’s Gagosian Gallery, in which a number of
contemporary artists, including Bridget Riley and Richard Serra, donated
specially commissioned artworks for auction. As well as the money raised, the
publicity generated by such high-profile involvement raised awareness of
Women for Women’s work, as well as social issues in the art world.
The art world was also the backdrop this autumn when, during London’s
Frieze week, the company supported Arts for Human Rights, the first Bianca
Jagger Human Rights Foundation gala. Its auction raised more than £700,000,
with £25,000 of that coming from the auction of a Swarovski ‘Blossom’
chandelier by Tord Boontje. One key award given during the evening – the
Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award, given for the first time to
individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to human rights or
environmental issues – was also supplied by Swarovski, fashioned from a hefty
3.7kg piece of precision-cut crystal to a design by the artist Marc Quinn.
It was a suitably heavyweight award for a more figuratively heavyweight
accolade: one of the Swarovski/Quinn awards went, in absentia, to the artist
Ai Weiwei, in recognition of his fight for free speech and democracy in China;
the other was awarded to a less well-known individual, Chief Almir
Narayamoga Surui, chief of the Gamebey Clan of the Surei People of Rondônia
in Brazil, who has done much to defend the clan’s ancestral lands in the
Amazon rainforest from rapacious commercial interests. The worlds of both
recipients are, clearly, a long way from Swarovski’s usual territory of craft,
jewelry and fashion. As Nadja Swarovski stressed at the time, ‘the opportunity
to help raise crucial awareness to help defend human dignity, liberty and
freedom of expression was a privilege. Artists play an important role in
exposing injustice and defending the vulnerable.’
Josh Sims is a style writer for Esquire, Wallpaper* and The Rake
Thanks largely to access to
information, increasingly
savvy consumers are taking
a more forensic look at the
brands they wish to support
NICK HARVEY
Opposite: DB Kim’s
(top & bottom)
and Holly Fulton’s
(middle) sparkling
reinventions of
Arne Jacobsen’s
‘Swan’ chair.
This page, from
top: Nadja
Swarovski (left)
with Elizabeth
Hurley; Bianca
Jagger (second
from left) with
To watch footage from the
Bianca Jagger Foundation
gala, scan this QR code
THE CUT
RodaRte’s ItalIan-InspIR ed collectIon and spaR k lIng ev ents In new yoR k and mIl an
From top: One of
10 unique Rodarte
pieces for Pitti W;
Swarovski and New
York department
store Henri Bendel
teamed up for
Fashion’s Night
Out; la Rinascente
department store
and Vogue Bambini
hosted an event for
children’s wear
PERFECT TEN
Designer duo Rodarte debuted a 10-piece couture collection at this year’s Pitti
W, the womenswear trade fair held in Florence, Italy. The breathtaking gowns
were suspended in mid-air and illuminated by neon light constructions in a
site-specific installation held in a disused building in the heart of the city.
Inspired by Italian artworks such as Fra Angelico’s frescoes at the convent of
San Marco, each intricate garment took hundreds of hours to create by hand,
and were finished with over 30,000 sparkling Swarovski Elements.
liTTlE gEMS
Big CiTy STylE
Fashion’s Night Out returned to the Big Apple
for a third year running in September, and
Swarovski teamed up with iconic store Henri
Bendel to create an exclusive evening of glamour.
An opulent Swarovski Crystal Palace chandelier
– Vincent Van Duysen’s ‘Cascade’ – stood 14ft
tall in the atrium, creating a grand entrance as
guests arrived. An exhibition of eight costumes
featuring Swarovski Elements from Phantom
of the Opera and Nine added to the experience,
which also included crystallized beauty
makeovers by Frédéric Fekkai, and limited
edition FNO shirts embellished with Swarovski
Elements in black diamond and fuchsia.
26
Italy’s Vogue Bambini partnered with
Swarovski Elements this September to
host a sparkling back-to-school event at
department store la Rinascente in Milan’s
Piazza Duomo. Little ones were kept
busy with a photoshoot on the children’s
wear floor, where an ‘enchanted world’
set was created for the day. Parents were
free to indulge in some retail therapy,
too, as Bonpoint, Hogan Junior, Il Gufo
and many other labels showcased their
captivating, crystal-inspired designs.
TOD’S BOUTIQUES: TEL. 020.74932237 - 020.72351321
THE CUT
UndisCovErEd gEms The winners of a UK-wide hunt for unsigned
models discuss their newfound success and shooting with Helena Christensen
FRESH FACES
Reece Sanders,
19, and Freya
McHugh, 21, were
selected for a
shoot by Helena
Christensen
SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ joined a model search across
Britain last July and August to find the new faces of 2012. In
partnership with the exciting new talent scouting agency
Unsigned, they conducted the ultimate ‘street casting’ to scout
out young, undiscovered models and give their careers a firm
foothold in the industry.
The lucky winners, Freya McHugh, 21, and Reece
Sanders, 19, spoke to Salt about the scouting
process and being shot by a supermodel.
The tour visited 17 UK cities before culminating in London on
2 September with a spectacular in-store casting event at the
SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ Café.
Freya: I was shopping with my cousin Sinéad in the
Arndale center in Manchester and I was approached
about the SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ model
search. I was at first surprised and a little
embarrassed but also very flattered to be asked.
Supermodel Helena Christensen headed the judging panel
and photographed the winners for the SWAROVSKI
CRYSTALLIZED™ campaign. She said: ‘I have been
approached to do so many reality TV shows, model searches
and design platforms, but I’ve always said no. I hate the fact
that people feel judged in a public way. Sometimes it is more
about the entertainment value than it is about the discovery.’
28
How were you scouted, and how did you feel
when that happened?
Reece: I had just left a tattoo parlour in Nottingham
and I was walking across the market square when
Cesar [Perin] ran up to me. I recognised him as the
scout who found [model] Alexander Beck and was
pretty amazed!
How was it to shoot with Helena
Christensen?
Freya: Incredible! And so very surreal. Having never
done any modeling before the shoot, it was great
that Helena, as a respected model and photographer,
gave me lots of direction and made me feel really at
ease. She was so lovely and it was a pleasure to
have worked with her.
Reece: I loved shooting with Helena! She was so
supportive and so nice. Also, as she is my celebrity
crush, it was even better! Fantastic woman! Couldn’t
think of one bad word to say about her.
the Cut
Fashion inspir ations in par is and dubai and a be dazzle d bicycle
From top: models
sparkle at Mugler’s
spring/summer
2012 show; Ben
Wilson’s Crystal
Lowrider Bicycle;
the ‘Sense of Two’
show in Dubai
lighting up the sCreen
Mugler’s breathlessly awaited spring/summer 2012 collection is the
subject of a short film produced by Swarovski and co-directed by
the fashion brand’s creative director Nicola Formichetti. Going
behind the scenes at the Mugler show at Paris Fashion Week, the
film explores Formichetti’s inspiration and vision in bringing the
collection to life with crystals. ‘The collection revolves around ideas
of the anatomical and concepts of the esoteric,’ he says. ‘The idea
that we had was to create different textures, and with the use of
Swarovski Elements, we were able to explore and experiment with
new ways of presenting garments and textures.’
To watch backstage
footage of the
Mugler show, scan
this QR code
eastern promise
Crystal CyCle
In celebration of the role that craft plays
in our lives, the Power of Making
exhibition at London’s Victoria and
Albert Museum featured acclaimed
industrial designer Ben Wilson’s stunning
Crystal Lowrider Bicycle. Custom made
for Swarovski, the bicycle is encrusted
with 110,000 Swarovski Elements. The
frame, handlebars and pedals are all
adorned with crystal cupchain, and the
wheels feature 140 crystal-covered spokes.
The glamorous Crystal Lowrider Bicycle
was one of the highlights of the V&A
exhibition, which showcased over 100
finely crafted objects.
NICK JELL COPYRIGHT
Swarovski Elements brought a new design
experience to the Middle East last
November with the ‘Sense of Two’ show.
The event showcased 11 designers from
the region, who were challenged to create
two pieces of haute couture, incorporating
Swarovski Elements, to represent
contrasting sides of their inner selves.
These avant-garde designs were exhibited
side-by-side on the runway in a dazzling
fashion show at the Armani Hotel, Dubai.
The event also featured exhibition areas
highlighting how Swarovski Elements
can be used to stunning effect on various
items, from interiors and jewelry to
clothing and accessories.
31
THE CUT
AUTO EXOTIC
A high-flying background in car design underpins
Vicki von Holzhausen’s stunning collection of red carpet-ready handbags wORDS Simon de Burton
DESIGN-DRIVEN
Below: Vicki von
Holzhausen,
suitably at home
behind the wheel.
Opposite page:
The ‘Fury’ liquid
crystal clutch
in, from top, flame,
gilt and black
Any aficionado of Walt Disney’s movie
Peter Pan will know it is wise to ‘never
smile at a crocodile’, but followers of
fashion cannot help but fall in love with
the latest creation from luxury handbag
designer Vicki von Holzhausen.
In 2009, however, von Holzhausen decided to realize a long-standing
ambition to establish her own fashion label. ‘I wanted to create a collection
that combined luxury with an artisan approach and old-world qualities
with innovation,’ she says. ‘I spent many months looking for the right
people to work with until I eventually found an innovative leather craft
workshop close to my studio in Malibu.’
The ‘Fury’ clutch is made from the skin
of a caiman and hand-sewn with up to
70 Swarovski Elements that shimmer
and sparkle like water flowing over the
reptile’s armored skin. But while it might
appear nothing more than a luxurious
and exotic bejeweled accessory, this red
carpet-ready statement bag is actually
brilliantly designed and chimes with the
designer’s creative ethos: function is
just as vital as form. 38-year-old von
Holzhausen’s practical approach stems
partly from an earlier phase in her career,
when she worked for more than a decade
in the traditionally male-dominated field
of automotive design.
As unlikely as it may sound, von Holzhausen has adapted her automobile
design skills to the creation of her handbags, and conceives each model
using three-dimensional computer visualization. ‘I lay out the different
views rather like an architect designing a house,’ she explains. ‘The main
feature of my bags is that they have a minimalist look but are, in fact, highly
utilitarian and functional. You might get a bag within a bag, or a bag with
hidden functions, or one that looks like a handbag but is actually a “global
traveler” bag. Working with Swarovski on the “Fury” clutch has been an
amazing experience. Swarovski people simply love design and the
process of creating something innovative. And, naturally, if they’re going
to co-brand, the product they choose to partner with must be original
and of exceptionally high quality. I feel quite honored to be involved.’
Von Holzhausen had the good fortune to
be raised in Pasadena, California, home
to the Arts Center College of Design,
which is famous for producing many top
car designers. ‘I started at the Arts
Center as a teenager, studying figure
drawing, but then I discovered it was
possible to learn about industrial design,
which proved to be something that
appealed to my problem-solving nature,’
she explains. ‘Industrial design covered
everything from furniture to computers
to household appliances. But the
automotive side interested me most
because it encompassed an entire
world. A car is an environment in which
people spend so much of their time
that it’s vitally important they enjoy
their surroundings.’
She finished her training in 1996, after
which she worked in Europe for Audi
before moving to Mercedes-Benz,
creating show cars and advanced
concept designs. Eventually returning
to California, she took a job with General
Motors’ Advanced Design Department,
where she helped develop several highly
acclaimed vehicles, including the
niche-market Saturn Sky Roadster,
a driver-orientated sports car.
32
Although they have been available for less than two years, von
Holzhausen’s bags have already been embraced by the high-end fashion
community, which has lauded everything from the clever, transformable
iPhone cases to the range-topping, $2,500 alligator and washed lambskin
handbags – and, of course, the ‘Fury’ clutch, which has made several red
carpet appearances. But no matter how immersed von Holzhausen
becomes in the world of fashion, it is unlikely she will forget her automotive
roots – not least because her husband, Franz, is the design director of
cutting-edge electric car maker Tesla.
Gerry McGovern, head of design at Land Rover and Range Rover, is
appreciative of her crossover skills. ‘I completely understand how Vicki
has managed to transfer her automotive design experience to fashion,’
he says. ‘Car interiors have come a long way in terms of quality and
innovation, in both mainstream and luxury sectors – they’ve almost
become extensions of our homes. The materials being used are far more
interesting and varied, and the female influence is being felt more strongly
all the time. Women’s expectations of a car have become very high and
it has become more and more acceptable to acknowledge fashion in an
interior. It should be all about a sense of occasion, about being uplifted
and special – all qualities that apply equally to a haute couture bag.’
Simon de Burton writes for The Daily Telegraph, GQ and Financial Times
‘I wanted to create a
collection that combined
luxury with an artisan
approach and old-world
qualities with innovation’
Smallz & raSkind/contour
W WW . L A P E R L A. CO M
THE CUT
TREND TALK
Flashing flesh, clashing prints and mesmerising
metallics are all high on the SS12 fashion agenda. Salt breaks it down wORDS Sarah Deeks
02
01. Sea siren
Make like a mermaid in shimmering
fabrics and pearlescent tones.
Movement is key, so choose fluid,
draping shapes that allow you to
sashay with style.
03
01
04
Chanel, spring/summer 2012
02. Dare to bare
Flash a taut and toned midriff this
spring with an on-trend crop top.
Wear in loose silk or body-con
cotton with high-waisted bottoms
for a sophisticated look.
Dolce & Gabbana, spring/summer 2012
03. Printworks
Prints are big and bold for the new
season, so prepare to be brave.
Wear yours head to toe or clashing
for a high-fashion finish.
Lanvin, spring/summer 2012
04. Candy colors
Cute, nostalgic party frocks in
good-enough-to-eat candy colors
were big news on the catwalks for
spring 2012. Look for A-line
shapes and frills in powder pinks
and baby blues.
Viktor & Rolf, spring/summer 2012
05. Laced up
Lace got a futuristic makeover on
this season’s runways, with
precision laser-cutting techniques
creating beautiful delicate detailing.
JASON LLOYD EVANS
Louis Vuitton, spring/summer 2012
06. Razzle dazzle
It’s time to shine. Whether sparkling
in silver or gleaming in gold, make
sure you sprinkle some stardust on
your wardrobe this season.
06
05
Giles, spring/summer 2012
35
THE CUT
GRAND DISPLAYS
A debut collaboration with Harrods
at Christmas saw Swarovski create a set of unforgettable holiday windows and work with
more than 70 brands on a series of irresistible one-off pieces WORDS Emma O’Kelly
By the time celebrity chefs had started popping up
on TV late last year to share the secret of the perfect
roast turkey, my doormat was heaving with charity gift
catalogs and my Christmas palpitations had begun.
All that cooking! All that shopping! Oh, to hop on a
plane and escape the long, cold nights. Then I thought
of the Harrods Christmas windows that my mother
always took me to, and lo! My inner Grinch was gone.
In recent years, I remember the James Bond
windows, to mark the launch of Quantum of Solace
in 2008, the ruby-slipper boudoir that was central
to the Wizard of Oz theme, and the magical Peter
Pan and the Lost Boys display. The latest display
was Narnia meets 21st-century Doctor Zhivago,
courtesy of Swarovski, which filled the store’s 24
windows with its ‘Crystal Christmas’. Mannequins
with dreadlocks channeled Tilda Swinton’s White
Witch and struck ballet poses in opulent rooms
where pre-Russian Revolution furniture was teamed
with fur rugs, feathers, silverware, and chandeliers.
There was crystal everywhere: giant shards of it on
which mannequins languished, thousands of beads
sewn on to dresses, and hundreds of strands of the
crystal curtains Swarovski designed for the Oscars.
Passers-by stopped to photograph a carousel of
feather-clad dancing girls, while commuters waiting for
a bus gazed at the £230,000 Ralph & Russo couture
gown, bedecked with 152,000 Swarovski Elements.
With its fishtail silhouette and dramatic train, the
‘Winter Floral’ dress was the installation’s pièce de
résistance. Ralph & Russo’s creative director Tamara
Ralph drew inspiration from Twenties Hollywood
and the dress oozed vintage glamour, but she is no
stranger to the modern-day red carpet, having
designed bespoke frocks for the likes of Angelina
Jolie, Eva Longoria, and Penélope Cruz. She and
partner Michael Russo have used Swarovski
Elements on their gowns since they started out in
2007 and, in 2010, Harrods was the first store in the
world to stock their creations, so the collaboration
was an obvious one. ‘Many of our gowns incorporate
Swarovski Elements and their variety is endless,’
Ralph said. ‘Each stone and color provides
a different effect, and the type of crystal we use
depends on the design and look we’re after.’
All Ralph & Russo gowns are made the old-school,
haute-couture way. Each one begins as a sketch
and is draped, cut and pinned around the client’s
body, then stitched and embellished by hand in the
duo’s London atelier. Ralph said: ‘“Winter Floral”
took hundreds of hours to complete, and
25 couturiers were needed to hand-bead
and embellish the cascade of crystal.’
In another window, in what was,
remarkably, a first for Swarovski, a popup jewelry store featured the autumn/
winter 2011 collection, several limitededition pieces created exclusively for
Harrods, and Argentinian jeweller
Rodrigo Otazu’s collection for Atelier
Swarovski. Dotted around the store were
archive pieces from the Runway Rocks
catwalk jewelry collection. Among them
was the ‘Bird’s Nest Headdress’,
designed in 2006 by Shaun Leane, Philip
Treacy and Alexander McQueen, which
featured eggs made of blue topaz and
smoky quartz, and the ‘Goddess’ crown
by Farah Khan that Beyoncé wore for the
shoot for her latest album, 4.
Swarovski’s glittery presence was felt on
every floor: in menswear, crystals were
embroidered on to socks by Falke, men’s
suits and slippers by Billionaire Italian
Couture, and sewn into Thomas Pink
shirt cuffs. Cards, wrapping paper,
lingerie, shoes and perfume bottles were
all sprinkled with Swarovski. If you
fancied a crystal-encrusted Mini there
was one by the food hall. How about
sparkly bed sheets by Frette or glittery
cushions by Fendi Casa? Or a jewelcovered Kinesis training machine by
Technogym? It was all there. Swarovski
collaborated with an astonishing 70 brands,
from Lancôme to Estée Lauder, Ladurée
to La Perla, to name a few, to produce
one-off and limited-edition pieces.
Unsurprisingly, the iconic Harrods tote
bag was also Swarovski-ed. Marios
Schwab and Erdem each created one for
a silent charity auction (minimum bid:
£500). When I passed by, the bidding box
was nearly full. As store image director
Mark Briggs said: ‘Working with Swarovski
on Crystal Christmas was the perfect
inspiration for us to deliver a truly
spectacular set of displays.’
Emma O’Kelly is editor-at-large at Wallpaper* magazine
SEASON SPARKLE
Above Ralph &
Russo’s ‘Winter
Floral’ couture
gown. Swarovski
collaborations,
facing page,
clockwise from
top short white
dress, Azzoro;
high heels,
Salvatore
Ferragamo at
Kurt Geiger;
classic gift box,
Godiva; holder
for La Prairie
skin caviar luxe
cream; women’s
wax cotton biker
jacket, Barbour;
macaroon box,
Ladurée; rings,
Atelier Swarovski
by Rodrigo Otazu;
vase, Prouna;
creme de corps,
Kiehl’s. Center
Champagne
truffle box,
Charbonnel et
Walker
37
THE CUT
all seeing
Fredrikson Stallard’s piercing and dramatic lighting
design for Swarovski Crystal Palace is more than meets the eye wORDS Michael Prodger
The eye is an object inescapably rich in symbolism. Among
other things it stands for the window to the soul, the door to
perception and, as it appears on every dollar bill, an image of
God’s all-seeing omniscience. The eye acts simultaneously as
both the physical and the metaphysical means of seeing; and
it expresses love and hate, clarity and befuddlement. The
diameter of the human eye is a mere 24mm, but its depths are
fathomless. It is no coincidence that, from Disney films to
manga comics, the eyes of the characters are shown oversized:
as the visionary artist William Blake put it, ‘As a man is, so he
sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers.’
Despite all this, in art, the eye has rarely been treated as a
subject in its own right. Ways of seeing, yes; perspective, yes;
color perception, yes; even optical anomalies, yes. But the eye
itself? Hardly ever. Perhaps that is why it appears as such a
fascinating subject for the Swedish-British design duo
Fredrikson Stallard – they come to it without cultural baggage
and can, in a literal sense, see it afresh.
Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard are not product designers in
any traditional sense. Their work straddles the design-art
divide and, although they produce objects that are nominally
chandeliers or benches or tables, what they really make is
sculpture. Over the past decade, they have been honored with
the Red Dot Design Award and the Furniture Design Fellowship
and have had pieces bought by the V&A in London and New
York’s Museum of Arts and Design. They have also had a long
partnership with Swarovski Crystal Palace (SCP).
SCP is Swarovski’s experimental project in which many of the
world’s leading designer-makers – such as Ron Arad and Zaha
Hadid – have collaborated with the company and used its
crystals as a key material in pieces that expand the possibilities
of lighting, design and architecture. Now in its 10th year, the
project has since expanded into the art world, and for the first
time will be present at Design Miami/Art Basel. For this globally
important show, SCP’s natural choice was Fredrikson Stallard.
James Harris
This is the fifth collaboration between the two. It started in 2007
when Fredrikson Stallard designed the exploding Pandora
chandelier, and continued to encompass the new chandeliers
they created for the Savoy Grill in 2010. What they have come
up with for Design Miami/Art Basel is something new again.
‘Iris’ is a suite of four separate circular pieces in metal and crystal
that imitate both the human eye and the large-scale directional
lighting used in hospitals and photographers’ studios.
Each semi-circular object is 1.5m wide and filled with 600
hand-cut Swarovski Elements. The outer ‘dish’ and ‘pupil’ are
made of metal that has been treated with
various different finishes, from gold to
Corten (weathered steel). One of these
eyes tilts on a huge tripod as if it had
been taken from a crystal-encrusted
filming stage. Beneath the crystals in
each is a light source that brings the
whole thing to life.
The geometric layout differs – in some
they are arranged in straight rays of
crystals of increasing size; in others, the
rays are curved, mimicking the Fibonacci
patterns found in the center of sunflowers
and other plants. Because of the way the
crystals are laid out, each piece is almost
a pixel, refracting light in a different way,
so just as every human eye is like no
other, nor are these. The way the
diffracted light interacts with the sheen
of gold or the matte patina of lead gives
them further liquidity, and plays games
with different levels of sparkle. The more
you look, the more you see.
Eyes are designed to absorb light;
however, the pieces comprising ‘Iris’
generate it so that object and viewer lock
in a bizarre who-blinks-first staring
match. The design duo hopes this
interaction will give the spectator
a glimpse into psychological realms,
‘a reality where all things are deeper,
darker and altogether more fantastic’. It
is the sort of magic that is practised by
stage hypnotists who can distor t
perception by instructing their volunteer
to ‘look into my eyes’.
Such transitions depend, of course, on
the susceptibility of the viewer, but even
the most unromantic will admit that,
irrespective of their emotional potency,
these are objects of great beauty and
craft. They might find, too, that, as is
often said of portraits, these huge,
sparkling, disembodied eyes follow you
around the room.
Michael Prodger is the art critic for Standpoint magazine
DOUBLE VISION
Top Patrik
Fredrikson (left)
and Ian Stallard
with their ‘Iris’.
Above To watch an
interview with
Frederikson
Stallard and Nadja
Swarovski, scan
this QR code
39
THE CUT
light work
Pioneering interior design
company Candy & Candy’s long relationship with Swarovski continues
with a wonderful collaboration at One Hyde Park WORDS James Medd
beautiful and unique chandeliers, one of
which contains a bespoke-cut crystal
which was specially produced for
exclusive use in One Hyde Park.’
This one-of-a-kind creation is housed in
the Formal Reception and takes an
abstract form composed of unique
bespoke-cut crystal components in
hundreds of strands. For the Entrance
Hall, the design is a classical rectangular
crystal light feature that telescopes from
ceiling to floor, while the dining room is
graced by a semi-spherical lattice of
crystals, a modern take on Art Deco.
One Hyde Park is perhaps the world’s most
prestigious address. In the heart of London’s
K n i g hts b r i d g e, i t c o m b i n e s c u t ti n g- e d g e
architecture by Rogers Stirk Harbour with unrivaled
views of Hyde Park to one side and Europe’s most
famous luxury shopping district on the other. Built
to the highest specifications, it has also been
finished to the very highest degree of diligence and
quality by Candy & Candy, the pioneering interiordesign company.
CLEAR VISION
One Hyde Park is
a superb showcase
for one of many
inspired
collaborations
between
Swarovski and
Candy & Candy
40
In short, it’s precisely the kind of venue you would
expect to find Swarovski, so it’s no surprise that the
two companies are collaborating to create three
new chandeliers for one of the building’s famed
Penthouses. ‘One Hyde Park is one of the most
iconic property-development projects in the UK and
we are excited to be part of it,’ says Nadja Swarovski,
Member of the Executive Board, Swarovski Crystal
Business. ‘Candy & Candy’s design team have
incorporated Swarovski Elements into three
For Nicholas Candy, co-founder and CEO
of Candy & Candy, the decision to work
with Swarovski was a simple one. ‘As a
luxury brand itself, Swarovski is all about
making a unique, glamorous and
spectacular statement,’ he says, ‘and
there is no other brand or manufacturer
able to do this in the same way.’ The
relationship dates back 10 years to
Monaco’s La Belle Epoque property,
refurbished in grand style by Candy &
Candy with two Swarovski Elements
chandeliers taking pride of place.
‘Swarovski Elements were the perfect way
to instantly convey glamour and luxury,’
says Nicholas Candy. ‘We used over
23,000 in a custom-made chandelier in
the Grand Entrance and another sevenmetre high floor-to-ceiling chandelier
was created for the main staircase – one
of only two of its kind in the world.’
It’s easy to see why the two work so well
together. ‘Candy & Candy are pioneers
in bespoke design and sumptuous
interiors and Swarovski’s innovative
lighting products sit well within these
environments,’ says Nadja. ‘We share an
appreciation of elegance, sophistication
and cutting-edge design.’ Nicholas
agrees. ‘At Candy & Candy, we don’t
have a specific type of interior suitable
for a high-net-worth individual,’ he
explains, ‘we design fully bespoke
interiors of any style for any client. Our
designers work hard to push the
boundaries of design, and that’s
something Swarovski understands and
is able to achieve.’
www.canali.it
126-127 New Bond Street, Tel. 0207 2903 500
[email protected]
THE CUT
norTHErn brigHTs Discovering a mesmerizing
effect on crystals led to the collaboration with Christian Dior
on a collection inspired by the Aurora Borealis WORDS Maria Doulton
Smack bang in the middle of the Fifties, while the world
was fascinated by jet travel, space exploration and hairspray,
Manfred Swarovski was tinkering away at the Tyrolean
headquarters of the crystal company founded and named
by his predecessors who made a business out of their clever
ways with cutting crystals.
In Wattens, Austria, Swarovski was working on tests for
coating the surface of crystals. The result, whether intended
or not, brought a mesmerizing effect similar to nature’s
greatest spectacle, the Northern Lights.
‘Even on initial examination, my father recognized that he
was holding a spectacular innovation in his hands,’ says his
son Helmut Swarovski, who worked on the project with
his father. ‘He immediately sent the Swarovski Elements
to Liechtenstein-based Balzers, the first company in the
world to produce coating machines, in order to investigate
the possibilities of serial production. The unbelievable
happened! The crystals transformed by means of coating,
and shimmered and changed from a fascinating green to
blue, and then violet and then to a magical red.’
Realizing he had a winner in his hands, Swarovski showed
remarkable commercial and marketing savvy. Rather than
add them to the house’s growing ranks of products, he
thought that these crystals, which played with light much
like an opal, had to be treated differently, and he had
ambitious plans for them. He started by naming them after
the awe-inspiring phenomena, the Aurora Borealis.
Swarovski then prepared for a trip to Paris to visit one of the
biggest names of the decade: Christian Dior, the man who
brought glamour to post-war Europe. Dior’s opulent New
Look of nipped-in waists, extravagant flounces of fabric
and structured jackets shunned the scrimping and ‘make
do and mend’ mode of the war years. As Dior was busy
with his chic creations, Swarovski turned up in Paris with
the perfect accompaniment: a suitcase full of enticing
crystals of the highest quality.
Dior saw the potential in the Aurora Borealis crystals and
he went on to create a range of costume jewelry to
complement his couture offerings. In fact these jewels are
now considered to be his most iconic costume jewelry
designs. So taken with these crystals was Dior that even
some of his evening gowns were embroidered with them.
Like all great designs, Dior’s Aurora Borealis jewels lure
our subconscious into conjuring up rich references, and
they elicit an emotional reaction as would, say, a whiff of
perfume or a distant tune. In the case of these gems,
splendidly bedizened maharajahs or magnificent Tudor
monarchs come to mind. Large crystals cut like old-mine
diamonds, surrounded by robust gold settings, are
swagged in rows, suggesting power and splendor:
a message not lost on the most influential women of the
time who were photographed adorned with clusters of
such shimmering color on their lapels, necks and wrists
– signed Dior and masterminded by Swarovski.
Maria Doulton edits specialist website thejewelleryeditor.com
COUTURE STARS
As with Christian Dior,
designers such as Jeanne
Lanvin and Roberto Capucci
featured Swarovski Elements
42
PArtners
in shine
Swarovski has teamed up with top designers using Swarovski
Elements to create dazzling new looks for spring/summer 2012
PHOTOGRAPHY Beau Grealy STYLING Kate Sebbah
Mugler
White asymmetric dress, made
with Swarovski Elements, Mugler
J.W. Anderson
Multi-paneled dress, made
with Swarovski Elements,
J.W. Anderson; shoes, Manolo
Blahnik for Antonio Berardi;
gold-plated ‘Camden’ bracelet
with jet crystals, Atelier Swarovski
by Juan Carlos Obando;
all other jewelry, stylist’s own
Mary Katrantzou
Chiffon and silk ‘Iron Lung’ dress,
made with Swarovski Elements,
Mary Katrantzou; shoes,
Manolo Blahnik for Antonio Berardi;
pyramid-shaped ‘Giza’ bracelet in Crystal
Sahara, Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy;
all other jewelry, stylist’s own
Viktor & rolf
Blue silk dress, made with
Swarovski Elements, Viktor
& Rolf; pyramid-shaped ‘Giza’
bracelet in Crystal Sahara,
Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy;
all other jewelry, stylist’s own
RodaRte
Purple draped satin dress,
embroidered with Georgette
and Swarovski Elements,
Rodarte; pyramid-shaped
‘Giza’ bracelet in Crystal
Sahara, Atelier Swarovski
by Zaldy; all other jewelry,
stylist’s own
Jason Wu
Hand-embroidered peplum
dress, made with Swarovski
Elements, Jason Wu;
jewelry, stylist’s own.
craig lawrence
hand-knitted rose-gold dress, made
with swarovski Elements, Craig
Lawrence; jewelry, stylist’s own
Fashion
Coordinator: Pop Kampol
hair: shin arima
MaKE-UP: ralph siciliano
PhotoGraPhEr’s
assistant: Greg Lewis
ModEL: alyona at Marilyn Models
divine
and
material
focus
In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the completion of St Paul’s
Cathedral in London, Swarovski Crystal Palace teamed up with
the architect John Pawson to create a unique installation. ‘Perspectives’
invites visitors to see the cathedral’s interior in an entirely new light
WORDS Nick Compton PhOtOgRaPhy Gilbert McCarragher
The architect John Pawson knows how to handle ecclesiastical architecture and ascetic
spaces. When he emerged on the architectural scene in the early Eighties, he seemed
heaven-sent, promoting calm and order after the clutter and discord of post-modernism – an
architectural movement that made some sense on paper but little if any in bricks and mortar.
An Eton-educated Yorkshireman, Pawson did not start formal architecture training
(which he never completed) until he was almost 30. However, by then, he already had
a clear idea of what he wanted to do anyway. He had been traveling and teaching in Japan,
arriving intent on becoming a Buddhist monk, but abandoning that idea after half a day
of polishing floors in a monastery, and drifting into the circle of the designer and architect
Shiro Kuramata. And when he finally came to create spaces, whether a monastery in
Bohemia, a Calvin Klein store on Madison Avenue or a house in Tokyo, they were
organized around the principle of having as much ‘nothing’ going on as possible. They
were temples to high-end emptiness, the slow movement of light and shadow, elegant
balance, the best materials, perfect proportion and pure white, sometimes grey, planes.
These were spaces that not only offered little in the way of distraction, but sought to pitch
you toward your personal deity, be it the Buddha or the god of tight-fitting trunks. Pawson
became the favorite architect for those who liked their spaces luxuriously vacant. And, as
much as it might leave Prince Charles palpitating, his architecture has come to represent
the contemporary ideal for sacred, or at least spiritual, places.
Last year was the 300th anniversary of the completion of Sir Christopher Wren’s
masterpiece, London’s St Paul’s Cathedral. As part of London Design Week, Swarovski
Crystal Palace was asked to mark the anniversary by creating a unique installation – a piece
59
NEW REFLECTION
Previous page The detail
of St Paul’s Geometric
Staircase seen afresh.
This page, from left
A sketch of the tower
and the two lenses
above and below the
staircase; the 40cm
meniscus at the foot of
the staircase is the
largest lens Swarovski
has ever produced; a
spherical convex mirror
was then hung 23m
above it; John Pawson
with his design.
Above To watch footage
of the the installation of
this artwork in St Paul’s,
scan the QR code
that would at once celebrate and provide a fresh take on Wren’s masterpiece.
Pawson seemed the natural, if not pre-ordained, collaborator on the project.
The result, ‘Perspectives’, installed last September and in situ until January,
represents perhaps a new high point of Swarovski’s series of one-off design pieces.
Now in its 10th year, the Swarovski Crystal Palace program began with a simple
mission: to reinvent the chandelier. But it quickly grew in ambition and scale,
pulling in the cream of the world’s designers and architects, including Tom Dixon,
Ron Arad, Zaha Hadid, Arik Levy, Yves Behar and Ross Lovegrove, to create
startling experiments in glass, crystal, technology and light. These pieces wowed
audiences at major design fairs and became a real showcase for innovation.
Pawson’s piece is perhaps the simplest and the most effective. But then his mission
was different: to create a piece that responded to the remarkable things around it.
As he suggests, the only way to approach this commission was – excuse the pun – to
focus. ‘St Paul’s is one of the most recognizable buildings in the country,’ he
says. ‘Inevitably, it’s the grand architectural moves that everyone knows – the west
elevation, the nave and the dome. The cathedral is an immensely complex work.’
But, while St Paul’s is about extraordinary baroque spectacle, Pawson is very
much not. So he headed to a quiet, but quietly dramatic, part of the cathedral.
‘I was given the chance to turn the focus on a less familiar element, the
Geometric Staircase, which is a detail, but also a complete architectural
moment in its own right,’ says Pawson.
The staircase is a remarkable cantilevered helix spiraling upwards through
a stone chamber and only the second example of the form in the country – the
first was by Inigo Jones, after an idea by Palladio. It was
designed originally to give the cathedral ’s dean
a private walkway to his library. Pawson’s idea – and
a respectful nod to Wren’s fascination with science –
was to turn the staircase into a giant, if impossibly
elegant, optical device. ‘This is about offering a spatial
experience based around a single, sharply honed
perspective. The form this experience takes is shaped
by Wren’s own interest in creating scientific instruments
out of buildings.’
For Swarovski, Pawson’s project was a real technical
stretch, using the largest lens Swarovski has ever
produced. Actually, it measures only 40cm. But
producing a perfect lens of this size is no mean feat – it
takes three weeks just to cool after production. This
meniscus – in lay terms, a lens that is concave on one side
and convex on the other – was sat at the foot of the spiral
staircase on an even larger mirrored-steel hemisphere,
another remarkable creation, produced by craftsmen in
Cantù in northern Italy. A spherical convex mirror was
then hung 23m above it in the tower’s cupola.
Visitors who stood around it at the bottom of the
staircase could then enjoy an astonishing composite
double-take of the tower’s 88 steps. The installation
allowed them to see both up the tower and down at the
same time. For Pawson, always intent on pushing away
distractions to leave something essential, the device
also offered a way of editing the view of the tower,
producing radical crops and focusing in on details.
For some of the people who get to enjoy being in and
around St Paul’s every day, the Swarovski/Pawson
collaboration is as much about the divine as it is the
material. The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, treasurer
of St Paul’s, is in charge of the cathedral’s devotional
arts program. ‘The meditative meniscus enriches our
understanding of Wren’s work,’ he enthuses. ‘It alerts
us to the fact that transformations often occur when we
become more visually literate.’
Visitors who stood around
this lens at the bottom
of the staircase could
then enjoy an astonishing
composite double-take
of the tower’s 88 steps
As Oakley points out, Pawson’s piece is part of a long
history of artistic patronage for the cathedral. But what
marks it out is its generosity. ‘This is not a work of art
that is asking you to look at itself. It’s not a show-off
piece. It’s saying, don’t look at me, look at this. Look
at this staircase, this beautiful geometry, this work of
art. John Pawson invites us to observe the Geometric
Staircase with a deepened focus. Like the spiritual life
itself, here we are invited to look within to see out with
greater clarity and wonder.’
Nick Compton is the features director of Wallpaper* magazine
61
rocket
man
The man behind Elton John’s sparkling stage costumes is Savile Row tailor
Richard James. The designer follows in the footsteps of Gianni Versace and
Yohji Yamamoto, and it has been quite a show from start to finish
62
There are few more prodigious shoppers than Sir Elton John.
After all, his purchasing power is almost macroeconomic in
scale and he indulges himself regularly. And it was through
a shopping trip to Mayfair that Sir Elton met Richard James,
the man credited with having reinvented Savile Row when he
first opened his shop there back in 1992.
‘It was about 16 years ago,’ explains James, ‘and David Furnish
came into the shop, bought some clothes and must have
recommended that Elton come in. So a few days later he arrived
and was very sweet. He also bought a lot of things – as he does.
Indeed, by chance Patrick Cox was in the shop at the same time
and Elton had heard that he had just customized a series of
Velocifero scooters in gold, so he immediately ordered one for
David. Elton then phoned me up the next day and asked if I would
like to come to his house in Windsor for lunch. I was terrified
but had a great time and we have been friends ever since.’
Of course for someone like James, having Elton John as
a friend can be very helpful. Indeed, he recalls the time when
the bright green signature Richard James bags (these days
they are white) containing the star’s purchases stretched the
entire length of the Savile Row shop. Then there was another
time when Elton called him from the car, ‘to say he was coming
in with Gianni Versace,’ he remembers. ‘He arrived with David,
Versace and Versace’s boyfriend, Antonio D’Amico. We do four
sizes in the shop – 38, 40, 42 and 44 – and they were each
one of these sizes so they bought everything!’
But despite this very fruitful relationship, it was only in 2011
that Sir Elton and James would actually work on a project
together – and that project was the stage outfits for Sir Elton’s
Las Vegas spectacular, The Million Dollar Piano.
‘I think it came about after Prince William and Kate’s royal
wedding,’ explains James. ‘We had dressed Elton in his
morning suit for that and he looked slightly different and
garnered some very nice comments. We had given him
a lemon waistcoat – very traditional – and had brought him
some black-and-white ties but when my assistant arrived at
the fitting in Windsor, he was wearing a satin lilac tie and Elton
liked it so much he took it off him! And he looked great.
‘A week after the wedding he called me up and asked me if
I would do his stage clothes for Vegas. I was gobsmacked.
I know how big that is. I have known him since Versace was
doing his stage clothes. Then it was Yohji Yamamoto. And now
it’s me. That’s pretty good company to be in.’
James had worked with other musicians on tour in the past,
including the Eurythmics and Oasis. ‘But that was with great
clothes, rather than costumes,’ he admits. So he and Jo Levin,
the fashion director of British GQ and another old friend of Sir
Elton’s, decided that the costume should be based on the
morning suit – this was particularly suitable as Levin once
famously declared that Elton John was a ‘modern-day Mozart’.
One of John’s professional quirks, however, is that once he has
his team on board he does not want to see anything – not the
set, the lighting or the costumes – until two days before the
show. So the first people James had to speak to were the
lighting engineers. ‘The only rule they had was that it should
be sparkly,’ he says, ‘so we decided to go rococo in colors of
bottle green, burgundy and midnight blue.’
Next stop was Swarovski to see what they could come up
with. ‘They were thrilled,’ says James. ‘They had never done
64
to see what the
crystals would
look like in
action, James
persuaded John’s
office to find him
a professional
studio. they got
him the royal
opera house
such a big project for menswear before
and Nadja Swarovski became personally
involved. So much so I persuaded
Swarovski to be a sponsor of the show.
pride of vegas
Previous page The star on
stage in one of James’s
many creations
TrUe specTacle
This page, clockwise from far
left The standout piece is
a crystal-encrusted cloak
John wears for his homage
to liberace; John’s show
costume collection is one
of swarovski’s biggest
menswear projects to date;
James in his studio; bottle
green, burgundy and
midnight blue were the
show’s main color themes.
Above To watch an exclusive
interview with richard
James, scan this Qr code
‘The cr ystals themselves come on
a sheet and you simply iron them on.
They are amazing.’ Obviously John had
to b e a b l e to m ove d u r i n g h i s
performance so the Swarovski Elements
were most heavily encrusted on the
shoulders, and then fewer further down
the body. ‘But we put crystals on the
panel under the vent of the jacket so that
the audience would have a flash when
Elton flicked the tails up to sit down,’
laughs James.
James still did not know, however, what
the crystals would actually look like on
stage, so he managed to persuade
John’s office to find him a professional
studio where he could see them in
action. ‘In fact, they got me the Royal
Opera House,’ he says. ‘We were given 15 minutes on the stage with a big
white spotlight to test the effect. When Elton found out he called me up to
say “How camp!”’
The next problem was to get the clothes out to Las Vegas. ‘I was terrified
about this,’ says James. ‘A few years previously we had made a £2,500 pair
of white gold and baroque pearl cufflinks for a customer, and had sent them
by courier to San Francisco. For a piece like this, the pearl is glued in but the
freezing temperatures in the aircraft’s hold had affected it so the pearls
simply fell out. I didn’t want this to happen to the crystals.’ So it was arranged
to fly everything in the pressurized section of the hold, where temperatures
are much higher. And so far, not a single crystal has dropped off.
The most spectacular piece is a metallic gold cloak so densely smothered
in Swarovski Elements that you can’t see the cloth underneath. It stretches
about 10ft along the floor – and is too heavy for John to take off by himself,
so in the show, he has to rely on two cellists who are also on stage
performing with him. ‘It was designed for the finale – ‘The Circle of Life’
from The Lion King – but Elton loved it so much he wanted to wear it for
his entrance as a homage to Liberace. He played Vegas. Elvis played
Vegas. And now it’s Elton.’
Robert Johnston is the associate editor of GQ
THIS PAGE:
Cuff, SWAROVSKI
CRYSTALLIZED™ by
Jayde by Melissa Kandiyoti.
OPPOSITE: Crescent
pendant, ATELIER
SWAROVSKI by
Konstantin Kakanias
succulent pieces
Several leading designers have incorporated Swarovski Elements
into their work to create sumptuous jewelry for spring/summer 2012
PHOTOGRAPHY Mitch Feinberg STYLING Molly Findlay
OppOsite:
Laurel necklace, Atelier
swarovski by philip
Crangi. this pAge:
hopi bracelet,
AteLier swArOvski
by eric Daman
THIS PAGE:
Elden pendant, ATElIEr
SwArovSkI by Juan
Carlos obando.
oPPoSITE: Necklace,
SwArovSkI
CrySTAllIzEd™ by
Jayde by Melissa kandiyoti
OppOsite:
triangular ring; shadow
ring; and square ring, all
Atelier swArOvski
by Zaldy. tHis pAGe:
long Bolster necklace,
Atelier swArOvski
by Christopher kane
MARY, QUEEN
OF ROCKS
Not long ago she was sleeping on a bed under
her desk dreaming of crystals and prints. But today
Mary Katrantzou is the toast of London fashion
WORDS Sarah Mower
‘You can see the moment it came on, in the video. Everybody in the front row
turns to the left in their seats and leans right out to see.’ Mary Katrantzou is
giggling about the reaction to the finale dress in her spring/summer show: a
15-kilo construct of crystal made to look like crushed tin cans and flowers. ‘It
took forever to make – a tornado or swirl of pink cans. I wanted to have one
piece which used crystals embellished to their full excess.’ She remembers,
boggling at the flashback, ordering ‘two huge crates’ of sparkling Swarovski
Elements for her team to work into the piece which, for her, epitomized the
visual message of the collection – a collision between the crushed car metal
sculpture of the artist John Chamberlain, and fields of tulips and daisies.
Through the internet, the sculptor John Chamberlain saw her work. ‘He wrote
out of the blue and said he liked it, and could we meet next time I’m in New
York,’ Katrantzou enthuses. ‘He’s a major, senior contemporary artist. I am a
huge fan, and I’d no idea if he’d even approve. It’s just amazing.’
She seems as happy about this as the considerable fashion plaudits she received.
But then this 28-year-old Greek has been garnering great reviews since she
set up her label, on a prayer and a few simple printed trompe l’oeil shift dresses,
in 2008, right in the middle of the last financial crisis. ‘I was just out of Central
Saint Martins. Banks were crashing. I didn’t even know if buyers would be at
all interested. So I was very cautious and just had this
one tiny rail of shift dresses – which the British Fashion
Council let me take to Paris with them. But, immediately,
they sold.’ With spring/summer 2012, the number of
stockists who placed orders for Katrantzou’s new
collection reached 160 – which has to set some kind of
a record for a young designer. At the British Fashion
Council’s showroom in the Marais in Paris, she was
mobbed by buyers from America, China, Singapore,
Korea and Europe.
Then came miles of Katrantzou editorial, as her clothes
for spring/summer and from the incredible hit autumn/
winter ‘objets d’art’ collection, were being worn by
Keira Knightley, Hailee Steinfeld, Alexa Chung,
Solange Knowles and swathes of American partygoers. ‘Usually, we don’t know what’s coming out [in
the press] because people are buying themselves,’ she
says, still sounding stunned at the scale and spontaneity
of her success.
So Mary Katrantzou might well and truly be said to
have ‘emerged’ – an all-round creative brainiac and
preternatually brilliant businesswoman who has shot
from nowhere in the space of three years. In the past
six months she’s traveled the world, and picked up the
‘Emerging Talent – Womenswear’ award at the British
Fashion Awards in December in London. ‘When I first
came to London, I thought, oh, nobody will ever be
interested in me. I thought what I do, coming from
print, wouldn’t be press-friendly, even,’ she says, with
characteristic modesty.
She is not just a darling of fashion editors, though.
Even her most extreme dresses are selling too, targeted
by avid private collectors and sought by the art
establishment. The most complex ‘Jewel Tree’ dress of
the ‘objets d’art’ collection (on the cover of the last issue
of Salt), hand-embroidered in cross-hatched 3-D
flowers and studded with vast crystals, was sold in 18
editions – a number that could rival orders taken by a
Paris couture house. Except in this case all the work is
being done by a team of fast-learning graduates and
interns at Mary’s studio in Islington, north London.
JASON LLOYD EVANS
The way she has built up her technique with Swarovski
Elements shines a revealing side-light on her
intellectual capabilities, creative curiosity, and sheer
ability to learn at speed. ‘Swarovski has been with me
from the very first show I did, which were dresses with
trompe l’oeil perfume bottles on the front with heat-fix
crystal applications. But I was so new to it, I didn’t
know how to use the materials in any other way than
classic and flat. I loved the way it glimmers – it’s really
pretty. But it took me two or three seasons to get into
what I could do, and Swarovski have been brilliant,
showing me their archive of how people have used
crystal before, so it opens my mind to what can be
done, how to go further than, or deviate from,
something done before. And I’ve discovered how to
heighten and decorate what I do in whole new ways.’
Hold the skirt of one of her embroidered ‘Aquarium’
dresses in your hand, and you see how far she’s come
– the violet and fuchsia embroidery undulates like a
coral-reef underwater. Mind-blowing.
Considering she was working out of a rent-free office
the size of a cupboard at the Centre for Fashion
Enterprise in London’s East End (and sleeping on an
airbed under her desk) while she was making her
PRINTS CHARMING
Opposite, from left:
Katrantzou on the
catwalk, AW10, AW11,
SS11, SS12; above, SS11,
SS12; below, Mary
Katrantzou at work
To see a film of the making
of Mary Katrantzou’s tin can
dress, scan this QR code
breakthrough collection last summer, Katrantzou has
arguably defied expectations. Print-trained designers
often struggle to cut clothes as well as ready-to-wear
designers, but she has defied that norm, too. ‘I think
about it as making a second skin for the body,’ she says,
speaking like the architecture student she once was at
Rhode Island School of Design, before transferring to do
an MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins in London.
‘And it helps to be a woman,’ she adds. ‘You think about
where things can be placed to be optically flattering.’
Now her ‘bowl’-shaped skirts have been copied in many
other designer collections and the daring and originality
of her work is setting the pace in print. Of all the
designers who have tried digital print, she is the one
who has become its artistic genius – a talent she exerts
at her computer, at night, ‘painting’ in pixels, long after
everyone at her office has gone home.
Sarah Mower is a contributing editor to US Vogue, and is the
British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent
75
FROM MARiLyN MONROE AND
JAMES DEAN iN AMERiCAN
BLUE JEANS TO THE LATEST
WASHES AND TREATMENTS
FROM JAPAN, DENiM HAS COME
A LONG WAy, SAyS DESiGNER
SCOTT MORRISON
I kind of fell into denim design as a career. That is to say my path
wasn’t very pragmatic. I always wore jeans and T-shirts as a kid in
California, but, at the age of 11, I started playing golf and enjoyed
everything about the game except the clothes. For the next 15 years,
golf clothing was something I despised wearing and I went through
college with the idea of starting a clothing company just to right
those wrongs. But eventually I stopped playing golf and my interest
in the clothing business turned to denim – more specifically, jeans.
I always liked design – architecture, furniture, and graphic design
in particular – and during my college years I interned for a few
different clothing companies in Seattle. It was during those years
that brands like Diesel and Replay had a big influence on me. But
I really fell in love with denim when I stepped into my first factory
and laundry, sometime around 1997. There I discovered that, for
me, the process itself was and is the inspiration.
Denim’s history is fascinating, and I have an appreciation for
workwear and the role of denim and jeans in the US. During the
Fifties and Sixties, denim crossed over into fashion thanks to
Hollywood. James Dean, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Steve
76
McQueen, Paul Newman and Robert Redford played a significant role in
making jeans both cool and accepted, outside the working cowboy genre.
Denim was as American as apple pie for years, until, towards the end of last
century, other nations added their input.
One big trend recently has been the premiumization of denim. This had
happened before of course, in the era of jeans by Calvin Klein, Gloria
vanderbilt and Guess, in the Seventies and Eighties, but there was a difference
with the premium jeans era of the late Nineties and early Noughties, in that
jeans had become acceptable in almost any situation. You could wear them to
restaurants, nightclubs, essentially anywhere. In that 20-year stretch, jeans not
only became expensive, but trendy, thus paving the way for broader interest and
acceptability. Another interesting development during that period was the
advancement of washing techniques. The use of resins, tinting, pigment sprays
and ovens gave designers the tools to create more interest on the product itself,
which also helped broaden its appeal.
78
rex features
Each country semingly brought its own approach to the denim industry and
that ‘make it your way’ mentality, which has always been synonymous with
denim and jeans, helped propel the industry as a whole. In short, Americans
invented denim and made it acceptable for the masses. The Italians made it
cool and chic in the Eighties and Nineties, while the Japanese started everyone
down the road of making beautiful denim again. The Japanese, in particular,
greatly appreciate Americana and there is a collectability to vintage and deadstock Levi’s products. A strong ‘replica movement’ also came from Japan, and
the idea of trying to replicate turn-of-the-century denim qualities and
construction pushed the industry to make better products and stress quality over
quantity.
BLuE wAvE
Previous page Marilyn
Monroe wears denim in
the early Sixties. Opposite
page, from top James Dean;
Steve McQueen. This page,
from top Scott Morrison’s
3x1 store in New York; the
designer at work
Jeans are so universal today, made and produced in hundreds of countries, that
they’re very much for everyone, everywhere, in every walk of life. Denim was
a natural fit for me, as I could identify with the associated lifestyle and the
thought of wearing a suit every day seemed next to impossible.
My role in the story began when I launched Paper Denim & Cloth in 1999
and then Earnest Sewn in 2004. Paper Denim was a huge commercial success,
but Earnest Sewn represented a step forward for me personally, as it was an
opportunity to bring a full-fledged brand concept to life, not just make a great
jean. Earnest Sewn paid homage to denim’s yesteryear, and helped launch a
renewed interest in ‘heritage’ brands and design aesthetics.
As a collector of denim, I’ve always been partial to Levi’s and really appreciated
those first Levi’s Red concept jeans. During my many trips to Japan, I have
purchased more than my fair share of early Evisu, Denime and Fullcount
jeans. More recently I’ve looked to brands like 45rpm and Kapital. The rest
of my collection is a random mix from my own labels, a selection of my favorite
jeans that I’ve designed throughout the years.
From a trend standpoint, I think the current direction is newness. Customers
already have six or seven pairs of jeans in their closet and brands today are
trying to find things to get customers excited and engaged again. In the
women’s market, there’s a lot of interest in printed denims and novelty fabrics.
Fabric and treatment or wash are always important, as is fit – probably most
important of all – and there is also a trend for decoration these days. People enjoy
being unique and putting their own stamp on things.
And that’s why I’ve launched 3x1. The idea of inviting people into the process
was a logical next step for me conceptually, and from a brand-building point
of view I think this is the ultimate denim experience. Any time that you, the
consumer, have the opportunity to be involved in the process from beginning
to end, a relationship is created with the product and the brand that is truly
special. 3x1’s head pattern-maker and I work with the customer to create a
completely tailor-made concept. The pattern is then digitized and kept on file
so that any subsequent orders can be taken over the phone from anywhere in
the world. Best of all, every pair is made right in our atelier, behind glass,
where you can see every step of the process.
In the future, I think customization will play an important role, especially since
consumers are always keen to discover new things and make them their own. It’s
getting harder and harder to find something truly unique, with most brands
selling globally and the opportunities there are these days to reach a customer
anywhere in the world via e-commerce. So at 3x1 we’re not only focused on
fabric and treatment, garment construction and sourcing really unique denims,
but also, crucially, on ways to make your jeans individual. Any way to further
customize or add an extra element of uniqueness is a positive, and the 3x1
customer is paying a premium for that opportunity. Swarovski Elements, for
example, could be just the type of thing that makes all the difference!
there is a trend
for decoration.
people enjoy
being unique and
putting their
stamp on things
Is there any fabric more versatile than
denim? It can be made in myriad hues
with countless finishes. Even better,
it provides the perfect backdrop to fine
embellishment, whatever the occasion
PHOTOGRAPHY Billie Scheepers sTYlinG Mary-anne Kearney
80
FASHION ASSISTANT: CLAUDIA BAHAMONDE
cloth
purposE
chain reaction
Opposite page Vintage
printed silk blouse by
céline at Vintage Modes
at Grays; jeans by
rossodisera; vintage
gold links necklace,
stylist’s own
lace of Grace
This page, clockwise from
above right ‘Kelly’ blouse by
felder felder at Browns
focus; jeans with black
lace by Vigoss Jeans; (on
left arm) large leather cuff,
atelier Swarovski by
Philip crangi; black and
gold stud bracelet, stylists’s
own; (on right arm) braid
bracelet and small leather
cuff, both atelier
Swarovski by Philip
crangi; clutch bag by
ted rossi. Jacket by
camouf lage couture.
cotton-mix cropped
jacket, and silk ruff led
blouse, both by Viktor &
rolf at ricci Burns; jeans
by lafei nier; thin silver
leather belt by theory
82
Girls
on
film
Take one supergroup, five
supermodels, two leading
designers and an acclaimed
director and music
producer, then throw in
thousands of Swarovski
Elements, and the results
can’t help but be dazzling
WORDS Simon Mills
Upstairs in the lobby, the paint is still barely
dry on the Savoy Hotel’s recent £220m
renovation. The atmosphere is polite,
understated, upholstered and genteel. This
is carefully choreographed, expensively
revived five-star luxury, and a subtle aroma
of squeaky new shoe leather, neatly laundered
staff and freshly polished marble pervades
as visiting out-of-towners scuttle off for
their pre-theater dinners. If they only knew
what was happening on the floor below.
Wander along the Savoy’s labyrinthine
corridors, descend a couple of f lights
towards the ballroom and suddenly it’s the
fabulous and unapologetically excessive
Nineties all over again: five supermodels,
Duran Duran, Dolce & Gabbana, hairspray,
crimping tongs, guy-liner, skinny trousers
and cheek-sucking. Fashion rocking a room
positively rude with glamour and beauty,
libidos and egos. Helena Christensen –
sultry, gypsyish, Danish dynamite – is
having her hair done. Naomi Campbell,
dressed in a fluffy white towelling robe, sits
in the corner sharing a room-service dinner
and an intimate chat with Eva Herzigova.
Yasmin Le Bon, still sensational at 46, legs
impossibly long, iron-straight auburn hair
dip-dyed blonde at the ends, is lying on the
floor, writhing provocatively while Nick
Rhodes films her for a Duran Duran home
movie. Cindy Crawford, meanwhile,
somehow still manages to smoulder with
utterly devastating effect while playing
Scrabble on her iPad. I’m a fairly decent hand
at Scrabble too, so I approach her. ‘Want to
play?’ I ask, tentatively. ‘With you?’ she
replies. ‘Think you are good enough to take
me on?’ If only, Cindy. If only.
T his super model summit has been
masterminded by the combined efforts of
Duran Duran, director Jonas Åkerlund
(remember his amazing ‘Video Phone’ clip
for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé?) and Swarovski
Elements in order to shoot the band’s new
‘Girl Panic!’ video. The delicious concept
is that models replace the group, miming,
throwing shapes with their guitars and even
giving fake interviews to the music press. It’s
all very confusing. ‘I’m Roger,’ says Helena
to camera. ‘And I play drums in one of the
coolest bands in the world.’
The actual band members, meanwhile,
have walk-on parts as bit players as bellhops,
chauffeurs and journalists. The Dolce &
Gabbana boys have f lown in to do the
styling. ‘One of the things that has proved
to be an enduring bond for everyone in the
band is that we’ve always worshipped
beautiful girls,’ says Nick Rhodes as he
introduces the new line-up: Helena on
drums, Naomi doing lead vocals, Eva on
keyboards, Cindy slapping John Taylor’s
bass and Yasmin on lead guitar.
Unbelievably, despite being the real singer’s
wife of more than 20 years, this is the first
time Yasmin Le Bon has ever been asked to
be in a Duran Duran video. ‘I was never
allowed before,’ she tells me. ‘Simon wouldn’t
let me. There was a rule that wives and
girlfriends didn’t appear in videos, which
was fine, but the thing was, I wasn’t allowed
to be in any other bands’ videos either.’
It quick ly becomes evident that this
flawlessly beautiful and stellar assemblage,
just like Versace’s legendary 1991 catwalk
show, Vogue’s iconic January 1990 cover and
George Michael’s ‘Freedom ’90’ video
before it, is turning out to be is a veritable
fashion moment – a billion-dollar money
shot, a heady glamour overload. And Nick
Rhodes is loving every minute of it. ‘We’ve
84
been involved in some pretty elaborate projects before,’ he says. ‘Our recent
live direct collaboration with David Lynch comes to mind, for instance. But
trying to get five supermodels in the same place to perform one of our songs
has been like working on an intricate military maneuver.’
But a sheer joy as well. ‘All that stuff about models being infamously badly
behaved, demandingly diva-ish and difficult just hasn’t been a factor. They’ve
all been super-professional, easy-going and enthusiastic. What is really nice
is that none of the girls did it for the money. All of them got involved because
they wanted to.’
I follow Simon Le Bon into the ballroom – a huge space, wedding-cake white,
with a circular stage at its center. The drum kit is white, the keyboard is
white, even the Marshall amps are rendered in white. A vast and shimmering
Swarovsk i Cr ysta l Cur tain ser ves as a backdrop, while a team
of technicians unwrap ‘Dead or Alive’ skulls made by Fabien Baron for
Swarovski Crystal Palace and, tweezers in hand, busy themselves applying
700 crystals to Naomi’s microphone. ‘Amazing, isn’t it?’ says Simon, trying
out the mic for size. ‘It makes you feel like King Microphone when you’re
holding it.’ The band members have also taken a liking to the bespoke, crystalstudded guitar straps that have been made for the video and tell me that they
intend to use them on their next world tour.
Nick is thrilled by the synergy of fashion, sparkle, models and rock ’n’ roll.
‘Our original manifesto was always to collaborate with fashion, art,
photography, design and architecture,’ he says, rather grandly. ‘I guess I’ve
always thought of Duran Duran as a kind of ongoing art project.’
There is something about the Mark Ronson-produced ‘Girl Panic!’, with its
skittish drum intro, disco bass, choppy guitars, swirling Roland synth top
lines and the fact that it has the word ‘girl’ in the title that seems to have classic
Duran Duran written all over it – it’s a return to form and a fitting way to end
what Nick Rhodes believes is one of the band’s best years ever. Certainly,
the group is in remarkable condition – now in its 33rd year, its members are
mostly over 50, yet heroically hirsute, slim and dapper, and striving tirelessly
for relevance, fashionability and modernity.
But tonight is not their night – suddenly, it’s girlie showtime. The opening
chords of ‘Girl Panic!’ boom from the sound system. Jonas Åkerlund’s camera,
mounted on a circular track, sweeps past on a fast panning shot. Naomi,
adorned with jewelry from Atelier Swarovski, takes the crystal-studded
microphone and mimes the lyrics ‘I came by invitation to general Chelsea
mayhem’, word- and Le Bon-shimmy perfect, apparently born to be
a frontman. Nick Rhodes, watching on a monitor, can’t stop smiling. ‘This
feels right,’ he says. ‘Sparkle and models. It’s what this band is all about.’
‘one of the things that has
proved to be an enduring
bond for everyone in the
band is that we’ve always
worshipped beautiful girls’
ROCK ROYALTY
Above To watch the
making of this amazing
video, scan the QR code
Left to right, from top
John Taylor and Cindy
Crawford, who wears
guitar strap customized
with Swarovski Elements;
Naomi Campbell holds
a Swarovski-encrusted
microphone and wears
Crystal Evolution ring by
Belly R. made with
Swarovski Elements,
available at SWAROVSKI
CRYSTALLIZED™;
Helena Christensen with
Simon Le Bon; the
supermodels play members
of Duran Duran; Yasmin
Le Bon; Nick Rhodes and
Eva Herzigova, who wears
ring by Michael Kaplan for
Atelier Swarovski and,
worn as a necklace,
bracelet by Ted Rossi made
with Swarovski Elements,
available at SWAROVSKI
CRYSTALLIZED™;
Helena Christensen as
Roger Taylor; Nick
Rhodes pushes Helena
Christensen on a luggage
cart; Stefano Gabbana
with Naomi Campbell;
Yasmin Le Bon appears in
her first Duran Duran
video; director Jonas
Åkerlund with
John Taylor;
Eva Herzigova
85
SUITE
DREAMS
On a spring morning, Swarovski Elements catch the light,
giving sparkling accents to beautiful Studio 54-inspired couture
PHOTOGRAPHY Adam Whitehead FASHION Daniela Agnelli
This page
Khaki cut-out
dress, made
with Swarovski
Elements, Mugler
This page Ivy lace
dress, with Swarovski
Elements, Erdem
Opposite Embellished
silk jacket, made with
Swarovski Elements,
Prada; high-waisted
shorts, Jason Wu; bra,
Eres; shoes, Prada
This page Leather tunic,
made with Swarovski
Elements, Balmain;
shoes, Céline
Opposite Silk one-shoulder
dress, made with
Swarovski Elements,
Dolce & Gabbana
Multi-colored
bodysuit, made with
Swarovski Elements,
Dolce & Gabbana
Opposite White T-shirt
and laser-cut leather
skirt, made with
Swarovski Elements,
both Giles; shoes,
Lanvin; necklace, vintage
This page Rose-gold
metallic yarn jumper;
high-waisted briefs, made
with Swarovski Elements;
and lace-stitched
skirt with box pleats,
all Craig Lawrence
FaShion aSSiSTanT:
Tara Greville
MakE Up:
kirstin piggot at Jed Root
haiR:
Tracie Cant at premier
ModEL:
Jessica hart at Select
Blended BeAuty
This page: through the power of
two colors harnessed in a single
crystal, Crystal Blend creates two
different worlds of imagination and
contrast tones for fascinating,
dynamic optical effects: while
Burgundy-Blue Zircon Blend glows
with the exotic tones of a Mediterranean
sunset, Fern Green-topaz Blend
evokes the meditative tranquility of
a secluded woodland at dusk
silver lininG
Available in over 80 colors and
effects, the new complex XiliOn
rose Hotfix strengthens swarovski’s
trusted position as an innovation leader.
this new mirror made of real silver is
unique in the Hotfix market and
creates a warmer and brighter look
with intensified and livelier colors
world
romance
Swarovski Elements takes to the globe this spring, inspired
by the high seas, ancient cultures, and even the future, with designs
that embrace elegance and innovation
PHOTOGRAPHY Andy Barter STYLING Annette Masterman
pretty in pink
Opposite perfect for ethnic-style
jewelry and organic, vintage-inspired
looks, rose peach highlights all
things feminine. the soft peach to
pink tone evokes cherry blossoms in
spring and english roses in late
summer to create a sense of
something bold, yet subtly romantic
and always elegant
old with the new
This page the double-edged effect
of Crystal luminous Green increases
the vibrancy of a design and lends a
warm glow to cold colors. the
shimmering green to violet shade is
inspired by fantasy, sci-fi and modern
technology, and is the perfect impulse
for fashion-forward, but also vintage,
serene, and romance-inspired looks
international waters
the wave Family is the confident
merger of two design worlds:
three-dimensional, graphic and
multifaceted, yet still organic and
conscious of the shapes that Mother
nature creates. Consisting of the
wave Flat Back, the wave Bead and
the wave Pendant, the wave family
evokes the motion of the ocean for
aquatic or maritime looks
check mates
This page the chessboard Family
is a highly functional product family
of matching cuts in a chessboard
pattern and comprises snap Fastener,
Decorative Button, Jeans Button and
Rivets. this new family is perfect for
adding a touch of class to accessories
and it also gives textiles a glamorous
twist: perfect for unisex, sport and
denim looks
gloBetRotteR
Opposite this very versatile new
product features a perfect
combination of a crystal Pearl
covered with sparkling crystal mesh.
It has a refined shimmer, yet is an
understated shape reminiscent of
colorful fashion decades such as the
seventies. the crystal mesh Ball is
superb for creating opulent and
sparkling, high-end looks
button with a twist
This page a crystalline take on the
classic wooden dufflecoat button,
this Crystal button lends a glamorous,
romantic twist to classic designs.
Ethnic, unisex, utilitarian and
functional, thanks to its large holes,
the Dufflecoat Crystal button can
also be threaded with thick and
unconventional materials
tribal tonEs
Opposite a take on the playful colors
within the diverse world of ethnic
design, Crystal Pearls Gemcolors
perfectly reflect genuine ivory,
turquoise, Jade, Coral, and lapis.
they illustrate the tales of our
diverse cultures, from the colorful
ornamentation of the Cherokee to the
powerful, untamed beauty of african
culture; and from the holy symbolism
of tibetan artifacts to the magnificent
adornments of ancient Egypt
PhotograPhy Katya de Grunwald SEt DESIgN Georgia Lacey
SIMPLE
PLEASURES
We live in a world on fast forward. Every day brings a quickening of pace,
another demand, a looming deadline. And in the wake of this we find
ourselves looking to simpler pleasures, a stripping away of the extraneous
in order to celebrate life organically – and the trend themes for spring/
summer 2013 hone in on the zeitgeist. Authenticity, craftsmanship and
heritage are at the heart of the movement, as the design world reflects the
need to embody the past, while also looking ahead to the future. These
new trends reflect the celebration of life and what is most important:
the simple joys of being that do not cost a thing
ClaSSIC
EMBRACING TOGETHERNESS
Nothing is hidden in this design
aesthetic, which is defined by a focus
on quality, artistry and thoughtful
detailing. Strong, clean lines and a neutral
palette are the cornerstones of this new
classicism, and imperfections only add
to its beauty. Crystal adds subtle sparkle
to well-worn materials and imparts
definition to discreet designs.
Crystal
Crystal Ivory
Pearl
White Opal
Crystal Silver
Shade
Black Diamond
Crystal
Luminous Green
107
PROGRESSIVE
JOURNEY TO THE MOON
Futuristic and imaginative, this Trend
embodies our thirst for adventure and
exploration. Sci-fi meets magic and
mystery as designers look to outer space
and beyond for inspiration, with crystal
capturing the light in geometric,
space-age designs, scattered randomly
to create a cosmic effect.
Crystal
Moonlight
Crystal Volcano
Crystal Comet
Crystal
Argent Light Luminous Green
Crystal
Bermuda Blue
Crystal Dark
Lapis Pearl
Aluminium side table; large light; silver vases; black chair,
all chaplins.co.uk. Brionvega Radiofonografo, conranshop.co.uk
Dresses hanging, Ekaterina Kukhareva. Platform shoes with flowers, David Longshaw. Crystal-encrusted peep-toe shoes, Jimmy Choo. Rug, knotsrugs.co.uk
ROMANTIC
BLOWING KISSES
Life is too short to be serious – especially
when it comes to romance. Creating
an enchanted world allows us to explore
other sides of ourselves, to daydream,
tell stories and leave reality behind for
a moment. Crystal is used playfully
to create flirtatious designs, while black
and white pavé crystals add a touch of
classic sophistication.
Crystal Ivory
Pearl
Crystal Pink
Coral Pearl
Rose Peach
Padparadscha
Crystal Red
Coral Pearl
Jet
GLAMOUR
A FEELING OF FREEDOM
Glamour is reinvented for 2013, as we
celebrate all that is hedonistic, daring
and desirable. Different cultures and
experiences come together to serve as
inspiration, colors clash and materials
mix to create a look that is new and
unexpected. Crystals appear in bright,
dazzling hues, woven into designs
and creating riotous patterns.
Crystal Red
Coral Pearl
Crystal Lapis
Pearl
Light Smoked
Topaz
Light Topaz
Crystal Jade
Pearl
Rose Peach
Photographer’s assistant Samuel J Bland
Fashion stylist Dani Hides
SKETCH
LOOKS
Fashion designer Giles Deacon
responds to next season’s Swarovski
Elements’ trends and innovations
In each issue of Salt we bring you pages that showcase
the latest developments in Swarovski Elements. These
are presented through the use of innovative and
evocative photography, and feature the latest cuts,
colors and designs of crystal to be developed by the
artisans and technicians at Swarovski. The idea behind
this is that these pages should serve as inspiration for
creative minds.
For this issue, we decided to ask long-time Swarovski
collaborator, Giles Deacon, to show us what ideas
these pages stimulated, and after some discussion
about what form his response could take – collages,
words, swatches, photographs – he opted to send us
some sketches in his own distinctive, elegant style.
You are therefore the first to see the designs on the left.
They may stay as they are, as conceptual works-inprogress. Or they may make it through into his next
collection. Either way, we would like to thank Giles for
his time and for allowing us this privileged glimpse
into the workings of his talented mind.
SHINING
THROUGH
Patrick Goossens is the guardian of a proud, Paris-born
tradition of creating couture’s dazzling finishing touches
WORDS Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni PhOtOgRaPhy James Merrell
For more than 60 years, Goossens has been a legendary
name in the costume jewelry world. Hailed for its
contribution to fashion, it has won a reputation for
superbly sophisticated, exquisitely crafted pieces that
use intricate chiseled metalwork, Swarovski Elements,
brightly colored resin, polished wood and raw lumps of
rock crystal, Goossens’ signature stone.
The fabled company was founded in 1950 by Robert
Goossens. Often described as a visionary due to his
avant-garde ideas and methods, Goossens boasted the
confidence of an artisan who possessed taste and knew
every single angle of his business. It helped, too, that
he was the son of a Paris-based metal foundry worker.
116
At his father’s knee, Goossens gleaned all the rules of
handling gold, silver and bronze, then furthered and
refined his knowledge as an apprentice at Maison
Bauer – known for its strong links to Cartier – and
Lefebvre, another stellar French jeweler and silversmith.
In 1948, Goossens changed direction when Max
Boinet introduced him to the fashion world. Now a
largely forgotten figure, Boinet designed on a seasonal
basis for haute-couture luminaries such as Christian
Dior, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain and Elsa Schiaparelli.
In many ways, it was this association that allowed
Goossens to cut his teeth and learn from his mistakes,
in preparation for a defining professional relationship
with Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel that began in 1953.
MASTER CASTER
Opposite page Patrick
Goossens with a necklace
for Alexandre Vauthier
This page Goossens brooch
made for Thierry Mugler
Chanel had a discerning passion for jewels and, with
Goossens, created styles inspired by the Renaissance,
Byzantine and Baroque periods. She called Goossens
a ‘marvelous artist’, and for her he dreamed up eyecatching necklaces featuring fake rubies and emeralds,
hammered gold bangles and crystal crosses.
‘Thanks to Chanel, my father transformed the
reputation of costume jewelry,’ says Patrick Goossens,
the pioneer’s son. ‘Prior to his Chanel collaboration,
costume jewelry merely copied and faked real pieces.
But his work for Chanel had both outstanding artistic
merit and designs that stood out on their own.’
Goossens Snr quickly caught the eye of other greats
such as Cristóbal Balenciaga. ‘He made one-offs for
the Spanish designer’s clients such as necklaces with
six rows of pearls,’ says Patrick. Still, few creators
impressed Goossens like Chanel. Such was his
dedication that when the couturière died in 1971, the
jeweler went into retirement.
Goossens decided to reopen his atelier in 1974, and the
renaissance that followed led to the opening of
a boutique on Paris’s prestigious avenue George V and
commissions from new fashion icons such as Yves
Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel and Marc Bohan, then
at Dior. It also saw him working alongside his son.
118
‘THANKS TO COCO
CHANEL, MY FATHER,
RObERT GOOSSENS,
TRANSFORMED THE
REPUTATION OF
COSTUME JEWELRY.
HIS WORK HAD
bOTH OUTSTANDING
ARTISTIC MERIT AND
DESIGNS THAT
STOOD OUT’
SHAPE AND TACK
Opposite page, top left
Necklace for Balenciaga
Top right The workbench
Below A pyramid brooch
being made for Balenciaga
PIECES OF WEIGHT
This page, left Prototype
manchette for
Alexandre Vauthier
Right Bracelet created for
Balenciaga and pink brooch
made for Sonia Rykiel
But for Patrick, now 54, his initiation was already well
established. Immersed in his father’s world, Patrick
recalls from his childhood all the sachets of Swarovski
Elements meticulously laid out in the atelier, as well as
learning to solder metal at the age of 10. ‘After school,
I would drop by and watch what my father was doing.’
Nevertheless, the master jeweler was also a stern
taskmaster. ‘I often accompanied him on deliveries,’
Patrick says, ‘and once we were at Chanel’s rue Cambon
building when Coco suddenly appeared.’ Rather than
introducing his son to the style icon, ‘he hid me in the
house models’ changing room’.
In his early twenties when his father’s business hit its
stride a second time, Patrick was well suited to a
fashion landscape that had expanded to include Thierry
Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. The flashy Eighties
became a golden period for Goossens. ‘At the time, we
had 60 people in the atelier,’ Patrick says.
Problems, however, loomed within a few years. ‘We did
sensational runway pieces, such as corsets for Mugler
which took 700 hours to create and were entirely
embroidered in Swarovski Elements. But we sold little
else.’ Respected for its craftsmanship, Goossens
retained clients such as Dior’s John Galliano and
Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière, but business became
quite tough until Chanel bought the brand in 2005.
Indeed, with the idea of preserving French savoir faire, Chanel was buying up artisan
companies such as the embroiderer Lesage and milliner Maison Michel. And being
chosen as the sixth member of the luxurious stable often referred to as Métiers d’Art gave
Goossens new life. ‘And it was a natural transition for the business to be divided into two,’
says Patrick. ‘I would handle the fashion side and my elder sister Martine would be in
charge of the boutique and include homeware designs in her creativity.’
Nowadays, Goossens’ workshops are located in St Denis, in north Paris. Whereas the
downstairs workshop is home to machinery for casting and well-worn benches where
Martine’s stunning interiors pieces take shape, upstairs is Patrick’s domain. More intimate
in ambience, it consists of a series of offices and a main atelier where several women sit at
walled-off desks – noticeable for their individual bright lighting and hammock-like
leather pouches that hang above the women’s laps to catch anything that falls – either
carving or polishing pieces that have been delivered from the foundry.
Next door, Patrick holds court. His office is divided into spaces for future deliveries – two
trays of bronze rings and bracelets are about to be sent off to the designer Tom Ford – and
a black table covered with Goossens prototypes that he is particularly pleased with. ‘Look
at this cuff that we made for the designer Andrew Gn,’ he says. It is a tour de force, using
pink and fuchsia Swarovski Elements, and has been seen gracing the wrists of certain
well-heeled international socialites. Patrick then picks up a matt gold necklace created
for Alexandre Vauthier whose crystal-clad couture designs are worn by Lady Gaga,
Rihanna and Daphne Guinness. ‘Considering Alexandre was trained by Mugler and
Gaultier, I was expecting him to order something extravagant,’ he says. ‘However,
his pieces were more classic, beautiful and infinitely wearable, and that remains very true
to Goossens’ philosophy, which is all about pleasing our female customer.’
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni writes for British Vogue, Glamour, Elle Decor and is based in Paris
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ABOVE: Hand-knitted
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with Swarovski Elements
by Craig Lawrence
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Crystal Univer se
Crystal tWisters
Underwater icicles dispensing super-cooled brine to the seabed
are killing all that stand in their way. This isn’t science fiction,
it’s an ice crystal phenomenon called the brinicle WORDS Nick Smith
© BBC 2011
LETHAL LADDERS
Salt-dense sea
water sinks to the
seabed, freezing
into beautiful but
deadly twisted
pillars of ice
In the world’s coldest and most remote
regions, just a few metres below the
Arctic sea ice and the coastal pack that
surrounds Antarctica, something very
strange is happening. Hollow tubes of
ice are descending to the seabed, taking
with them seawater so super-cooled that
it wipes out life on the sea floor. These
deadly ‘brinicles’ have only been known
to modern science for a few decades
and until recently, when the BBC’s
Frozen Planet TV film crew got to work,
they had never been filmed.
The word brinicle is a combination of
‘brine’ and ‘icicle.’ And while this
provides vital clues as to what the
phenomenon is, it doesn’t tell the whole
story, or explain the mystery of why the
ice appears to sink. ‘Freezing seawater
doesn’t make ice like the stuff in your
freezer,’ says Dr Mark Brandon, polar
oceanographer at the Open University.
‘Instead of a solid dense lump, it is more
like a seawater-soaked sponge with a
tiny network of brine channels.’
122
Brandon explains that in the polar regions, the air temperature
above the sea ice can be as low as -20 degrees Centigrade,
which is considerably colder than the water below it. The
normal freezing point of seawater is -1.9 degrees, depending
on its salinity. As ‘heat’ flows from the warmer sea up towards
the cold air, new ice forms on the underneath of the existing
layer. And here’s where it gets complicated. Brandon says that
the salt in the newly formed ice is concentrated and pushed
into the brine channels. ‘And because it’s very cold and salty,
it’s denser than the water beneath.’
What all this means is that the salt-dense brine literally drips
off the bottom of the ice and falls through the water. And as
this happens it freezes the warmer fresh seawater it comes in
contact with. This forms a fragile tube of ice around the
descending plume of salt water, and a brinicle is formed.
Doug Allan is one of the cameramen on Frozen Planet and he
has seen brinicles in action. He takes up the story. ‘What
happens next is that the super-cooled water drops flow down
through the hollow tube and pour out of the bottom like limejuice.’ If the conditions are right, says Allan, this tube will
eventually meet the sea floor to form a pillar, in the same way
that stalactites in a cave can. When this reaches the seabed,
the ‘juice’ flows out horizontally, making a river of frozen ice
that traps creatures such as starfish. David Attenborough puts
it in more apocalyptic terms. He says
that as the ice ‘touches the sea floor, it
kills whatever living thing it contacts by
encasing it in a tomb of ice.’
Doug Allan says that while brinicles
aren’t rare, they’re difficult to film because
you never know where they will form.
And he thinks that the recent Frozen
Planet series is the first time they’ve been
caught on f ilm using time -lapse
photography. ‘You can go underwater in
the morning and there will be none. And
you could come back later that day to
find plenty.’ The problem is, according to
Allan, that brinicles can disappear as
quickly as they arrive, detached from the
surface ice by a strong current, or an
inquisitive leopard seal. And if one of
those bumps into your cameras, the
time-consuming process of shooting a
brinicle has to start all over again.
Nick Smith is a contributing editor on
The Explorers Journal and is a former
editor of Geographical
LONDON NEW YORK SHANGHAI VIENNA
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