Bejewelled Bounty: Treasure Island by Van Cleef & Arpels Part III
The final part of our interview with CEO Catherine Rénier unpacking the essence of the High Jewellery collection and what it signifies to the Maison.
LO: How has the collection built on the Maison’s rich legacy as well as push the boundaries of High Jewellery in terms of design, craftsmanship and innovation?
CR: The collection celebrates extensively the Maison’s heritage and craftsmanship, such as the stone expertise and Mystery Set we talked about. But an interesting one is also the work on gold — the twisted gold of the Mousaillon necklace and some of the rings. The fantastic “neckerchief” piece is very much a couture piece in gold, but very supple and easy to wear, requiring green wax sculpting, a technique we use to realise the full 3D volume in the necklace to represent how the fabric would fold perfectly like a true neckerchief around the neck. This gold carving and gold work is truly a tribute to some of the crafts the Maison has mastered over the years. The collection has also opened up a lot of territories in the flora and fauna of the Maison, bringing turtles and seashells into our universe in a very natural way. Another example, evolving from fairies to the ballerinas, are the goddess and the pirate clips in an organic journey that pays homage to our past and continues taking us on a new path with new creatures and characters, complementing each other in the collection and our heritage.
LO: Why and how does a treasure hunt or quest hold universal appeal?
CR: The curiosity of the child is what brings this interest and appeal to the treasure quest. Treasure can be precious stones or jewellery, but it can also be learning, discovery and the accumulation of objects and experiences. As a child, everything is possible, and you dream of exploring the world and its different destinations. We tend to forget all that as we grow older so the treasure hunt serves to revive the memories, curiosity and discovery of the wonderful world. This inspiration of the collection, I believe, is cross-gender, cross-cultural and cross-generation, talking to us and reminding us of our treasure quest as a child.
LO: What important symbolisms are evoked by this collection?
CR: When you read Stevenson's beautiful and descriptive text, it conjures a very masculine world that’s full of adventure. Through that, we want the collection to bring out the child in us, reviving our childhood memories and dreams about treasures and adventure. I like the symbolism of the Treasure Map clip, which could be the treasure on the deserted island or maybe your hidden treasure collected through the years, which forms a strong connection to our lives, childhoods and memories.
An important aspect of how the collection relates to our dreams is through its playfulness. Depicting that is the Onde Mystérieuse box we created with fish flying through the paillonné enamel, a hidden clock and transformable clips, affirming how playful the Maison wanted to be with the collection and how far it is extending the inspiration beyond the literal while opening doors to celebrate our heritage. We did minaudières in the 1920s and 1930s which are part of our heritage still. It's nice to come back with a new inspiration with these types of objects for Van Cleef & Arpels to showcase our interpretation of the oceanic journey.
LO: What role does High Jewellery play in the Maison’s universe and how does this collection, in particular, engage younger clients in High Jewellery?
CR: High Jewellery is the canvas of expression, the epitome of creativity and craftsmanship, and a way to showcase our heritage, but also a contemporary expression of Van Cleef & Arpels. Like Haute Couture, it's vital to showcase who we are, remain relevant to the times and open up the public's interest in our world. We will be advertising the Treasure Island collection with David B.’s drawings and illustrations along with the pirate clips and other pieces not for commercial reasons but to pique the curiosity and educate about the beauty and artistic expression of jewellery. Younger clients are also attracted to the understanding of what jewellery can be in a very literal sense with the narrative, expertise and craftsmanship to counterbalance today’s modern technology. So, yes, High Jewellery plays a very important role. It's the most complex to make, taking the most effort with the longest development in all our designs and collections, but one that plants the strongest roots for the Maison and its future.
