A splendid
renaissance in
Florence

In the wake of Taormina and Lake Como, Florence – the capital of European art – served as the ideal location for unveiling the magnificence of Victoire de Castellane’s high jewellery creations. A dreamlike anthology – entitled Diorama – was further enhanced with Dior silhouettes by Maria Grazia Chiuri, couture odes to a dazzling dolce vita. An incandescent odyssey. By Marie Audran.

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^*The emblematic motifs of toile de Jouy graced Colifichets, the very first Dior boutique, dating to the House’s origins: an expression of French art de vivre, a symbol of the 18^th century and a privileged witness to Christian Dior’s phenomenal success. When this iconic – and pioneering – address was completed, its walls and counters were adorned with this exceptional ornamental fabric, which was adopted on the advice of the couturier’s dear friend, the artist Christian Bérard. That Dior signature has been reinterpreted ever since, collection after collection, by the House’s Artistic Directors. And here, for the first time, by Victoire de Castellane.

In May, in the magical light of Tuscany, in the heart of the cloister of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella – a Gothic jewel of the Florentine Renaissance, where Michelangelo is said to have practiced his genius – Victoire de Castellane revealed the inaugural chapter of her Diorama-Diorigami collection.

For the first time, the Artistic Director of Dior Joaillerie revisited toile de Jouy – an iconic Dior code since 1947^* and a traditional emblem of French savoir-faire – by sprinkling it with fantastical flora and fauna. A beguiling bestiary, sometimes half-hidden by foliage, populated this fairy-tale forest. The figurative art of Dior jewellery unfurled in splendid, fabulously vivid detail, etched out by stones in brilliant hues. “It’s the colour that makes the jewels; they make the face radiant,” Christian Dior wrote. More than ever, that aesthetic was embodied in a divinely multicoloured interweaving of couture and nature, a glittering narrative with striking plays of light. The tableaux were exquisite: here, a golden rabbit leapt into a shrub in sparkling diamond pavé; there, two owls circled branches adorned with flaming rubies, while majestic swans floated on a lake lined in sapphires. A swan, a squirrel and a doe also appeared, animated by the intensity of chrysoprase.

Golden foliage completed this theatre of the marvellous, in yellow or pink that mingled flourishing shrubs and flowerbeds studded with precious petals. Lacquer work, a signature process of Dior Joaillerie, embellished this palette, revealing vibrant hues such as the deep green of emeralds that chimed with the softer greens of tsavorite garnets.

While these one-of-a-kind pieces – necklaces, rings, earrings, earcuffs, belts and anklets – dazzled amidst roses scented by the enchanting fragrance trail of orange trees, one could only imagine the paintings, frescoes and other masterpieces by Italian Masters, adorned with the same chromatic range. This timeless enchantment was enhanced with a live performance by classical musicians, who played amidst the intoxicating freshness of an extraordinary Eden. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s silhouettes for Dior further enhanced these magnificent adornments, an homage to a dazzling dolce vita, spanning neo- Sixties Capri pants, irresistible Bar bustiers, infinitely delicate jacquards, moiré failles and shimmering skirts. A fascinating dialogue that translates an imaginary journey from Paris to Florence — an art of dreams.

Diorama-Diorigami: The Quintessence of the Dior Art of Jewellery

Diorama, the first chapter in the new high jewellery collection designed by Victoire de Castellane, is the epitome of beauty, an expression of the art and craftsmanship of Dior savoir-faire in all their excellence, in Florence. Today, a second act is revealed: Diorigami, a jewelled interpretation of the Japanese art of paper folding, as well as the art of pleating, a couture technique that Dior has continually highlighted, ever since the birth of the Bar suit and its perfectly pleated skirt. To reproduce that emblem of elegance, the Ateliers placed their prodigious skills in service of the Artistic Director’s formidable creativity. The edges of the pieces were set, lacquered and worked to become a motif in their own right. In so doing, parures gave rise to more abstract and geometric designs, always inspired by nature, flora and fauna. The birds and flowers Monsieur Dior so loved appear among rich, graphic compositions with a wide array of coloured stones and joyfully dynamic contrasts, each one embodying a superb virtuoso architecture.

A splendidrenaissance inFlorence

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A splendid
renaissance in
Florence