Presse
Presentation Of Two Dynamic Design Projects That Nurture Creativity And Celebrate Originality
Throughout 2008, ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements, showcases two dazzling international design projects showing the vibrant versatility of ENLIGHTENED™– Swarovski Elements. The results are illuminating and enlightened.
DRIVING DESIGN
Through its genuine gemstones and created stones of unrivalled quality and consistency of cut and colour, ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements unleashes a new freedom of expression in the world of fine jewellery. This freedom and creativity is illustrated by work from two design projects, GEM VISIONS Couture and CZelebrate Light, which will be shown at various fairs and events throughout 2008.
GEM VISIONS COUTURE
Focusing on the jewel as one-of-a-kind work of art, richly layered with cultural depths, and acknowledging the new creative dynamism of High Jewellery today, Gem Visions Couture invites 12 leading designers and jewellers to create their ultimate vision of the art jewel, in which the gemstone, in some cases bespoke, specially hand-cut for the project, is always the hero, the heart and soul. In tune with Gem Visions current trends, Art is the theme of this collection.
Visionary architect, Zaha Hadid has created a fluid, architectural body sculpture that shows her hallmark energy and soaring lines. She explains her inspirations and motivation, “The art of our generation is its reflection of a much greater level of social complexity. Contemporary society is not standing still - and its art evolves with patterns of life.” Multi-cultural New York based designer-jeweller, Christine J. Brandt, has translated her signature organic style, into a monumental cuff bracelet of hand carved wood embedded with ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements' pre-set stones, from which erupts a massive, towering explosion of quartz crystal. Stephen Webster, the quintessential rock star jeweller, delivers a statement necklace, saying “Art to me is communication through a given medium: to share anything from an idea, a point of view or even an inner demon,” while from Parisian master jeweller, Patrick Mauboussin, comes a jellyfish necklace, alive with movement and energy.
The project also includes work by: Daniel Swarovski, Swarovski’s couture collection; British award-winning designer-jeweller, Shaun Leane, who regularly uses ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements in his collections; London-based eco-jeweller, Pippa Small, with her distinctive sophisticated ethnic style; Jessica Fong of Unicorn Jewellery in Hong Kong, with a fusion of East and West; Los Angeles based eyewear company Luxuriator Collection by Franco, who has broken boundaries by setting lenses with topas by ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements; Geraldine Larkin, a couture embroiderer, adds a bejewelled note to fashion and fabrics; Damas, celebrated fine jewellers based in Dubai; and John Dyer, pioneering gem-cutter, who is injecting new creativity into the gemstone industry. The avant-garde and emotive photographs of the Gem Visions Couture collection are the work of visionary photographer, Patrizio Di Renzo.
CZELEBRATE LIGHT
In a cutting-edge, contemporary mood, the second project Czelebrate Light, plays on the extraordinary light and lustre of cubic zirconia, immaculately cut by ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements, re-evaluating its unique qualities of richness, refraction and radiance, touched with modernity. The focus on light, its energy, emotion and spiritual dimension, and its ability to conjure up visions will be an important factor in fine jewellery throughout 2009. With this in mind, designers from all over the world were invited to put their spin on cubic zirconia, to find new creative expression for this exciting material, maximising its potential and bringing it to the forefront of the industry.
The startling results are the 11 designs that journey through past, present and future, through cultures and civilisations, weaving futuristic fantasy with high-octane glamour, exploring memories, dreams and reflections, and maximising the life and energy that emanates from cubic zirconia, from its spectrum of melting or vibrant colours. Meteoric rising fashion star, Christopher Kane, has recreated his hugely successful crystal Bolster necklace in dazzling cubic zirconia, while emerging talent, Belgian Salima Thakker, based in Antwerp has delivered a bangle, based on her conceptual modular designs, designed as light-filled bubbles that rise from the wrist. From the Italian design duo Cedri/Martini comes a huge statement necklace, in their trademark futuristic-organic style. Other designers to participate in Czelebrate Light include IBB, Topgold, Antonio W. Rodriguez, Crislu, Paolo Renna, Ayano Fukuoji and Storel.
