Victoire de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Joaillerie, frequently draws inspiration from the history of the maison for her joyful high jewellery. Christian Dior’s favourite flower, the rose, is a recurring motif; referencing his childhood rose garden in Granville, Normandy, de Castellane has in the past tended to both its sentimental and romantic associations. Now, a decade after her fragrant Le Bal des Roses collection, the rose again becomes a focal point in new high jewellery collection Dior Rose.
De Castellane brings her love of vivid colour and bold design cues to these new high jewellery pieces, which are defined by a plethora of rainbow-coloured gems. The petals of one rose are drawn in Zambian emeralds and opals, another in warm South Sea pearls, while the heart of the flower is a bold tsavorite garnet here or a pink spinel there. A play on the intricacies of shades and cuts runs throughout the collection, reflected in the meticulous gradient of hues framing a Colombian emerald and juxtaposed oval and cushion-cut Sri Lankan sapphires, bringing a rich texture to the high jewellery rose garden.
With its colour and sculptural forms, the collection rethinks the traditional aesthetic of high jewellery. De Castellane says: ‘Unlike the romantic and realistic RoseDior, the Dior Rose flower mutates and displays some surprising changes in its natural state, characterised by four sub-chapters, from the most figurative to the most abstract, with a detour via the futuristic style.’ Her plays with colours and the fine variations between them make pieces appear almost pixelated, intertwining the romance of the rose with a sharp modernity.
‘Since I arrived at Dior, I have found inspiration in the identities of Dior,’ she adds. ‘I developed the house themes: the garden, the grand balls, and couture. Nevertheless the themes that inspire my collections are just a starting point and I mix them with my own inspirations.’
INFORMATION
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