50 YEARS OF
AN EXHIBITION
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C O N T EN T S LEGACY OF LOVE 8 INTRODUCTION Cartier Aldo Cipullo New York City 16 THE LOVE BRACELET Inspiration Design Production 22
1970’s MARKETING Sales Experience Celebrity Influence Status Symbols
AN EXHIBITION OF LOVE 32
PHOTOGRAPHY Inez & Vinoodh The Portraits & Their Stories
38 EXHIBITION The Lowline Design & Experience 44 CONCLUSION
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INTRODUCTION “What ‘tis to Love?” Shakespeare said. Love can be described as the most powerful emotion a human can feel, even more powerful than the sex drive which W.H. Auden called an “intolerable neural itch.” Around the world throughout all of time it can be seen that humans are willing to do nearly anything and everything all in the precious name of love. People live for love. They kill for love. They die for love. There are countless songs, poems, novels, sculptures, paintings, myths, legends all based on the essence of love. Some have gone to great leaps and bounds to defend their love and maintain exclusivity of their lovers. How far would you go for LOVE?
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IN TRO DU CT I ON
CARTIER “ The Maison Cartier has kept a pioneering spirit since 1847.
”
The Cartier brothers traveled the
Cartier cultivates a unique style that
world at the dawn of the 20th century.
is borne from daring and boundless
Learned aesthetes and collectors,
curiosity and constantly inspired by
they marked the Maison with their
all that is extraordinary. Gracefully
insatiable curiosity and passionate
transcending time and driven by the
spirit. An exceptional woman shared
sparkle of distant horizons, Cartier
their convictions: Jeanne Toussaint.
gives life to exceptional pieces.
For many years she was the director
Cartier jewelry of renowned beauty
of the Jewelry department and a
has crowned kings, queens and
charismatic muse, who liberally and
maharajahs. The Maison’s legendary
elegantly communicated the brothers’
creations have conquered the world.
extraordinary journeys. This bold spirit is kept alive at 13 rue de la Paix, Cartier’s heart and soul.
Opposite Page Vintage Cartier advertisement, circa 1950. Photography by Jean Larivière.
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IN TRO DU CT I ON
ALDO CIPULLO “ Jewelery should be part of the body.
It should not stick out from it.
It should enhance the person wearing it.
”
Born in Rome in 1936, Aldo Cipullo
and broadened his range to include
came from a distinguished jewelry
textiles. He loved to use themes of
background. His family owned a
nails, knots, dollar signs and ropes in
jewelery company specializing in
his creations.
costume jewelry where Cipullo began his career. He moved to New York
Aldo Cipullo’s life was cut short at
in 1959 to study at the School of
the age of 48, when he died of heart
Visual Arts. He then worked as an
failure. His unique designs, however,
assistant designer for David Webb,
live on. He once said, “Jewelery
before moving to Tiffany, and then to
should be part of the body. It should
Cartier. Mr. Cipullo is most well know
not stick out from it, but it should
for creating the LOVE Bracelet in 1969
be part of it. It should enhance the
exclusively for Cartier.
person wearing it.”
Eventually
he opened his own design studio,
Opposite Page Portrait of Aldo Cipullo adorned with his LOVE bracelet and his other designs.
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IN TRO DU CT I ON
NEW YORK CITY “ It was the marking of a transition to something totally different which nobody was doing.
”
When Aldo Cipullo joined Cartier
The visionary designer’s range of
New York in 1969, the jeweler was
themes reflected life in New York City:
moving at a pace as fast as the city
modern love, the Women’s Movement,
itself. Dynamic plans for the coming
Pop Art, Minimalism, signs of the
decade involved the development
zodiac, backgammon and good luck
of contemporary collections for
charms. Delightful Cipullo creations
women - and men - to wear from the
are inextricably linked to the era.
office to the nightclubs. Cipullo had
Others have long since withstood
countless ideas about how this jewelry
the test of time. Indeed, during his
would look. “It was the marking
tenure at Cartier, Cipullo conceived
of a transition to something totally
some of the House’s iconic modern
different which nobody was doing,” he
jewels.
explained.
Opposite Page New York City.
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THE LOVE BRACELET
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THE LOV E BR ACELET
INSPIRATION “ Fascinated by the tales of medieval warriors ‘locking up’ their wives
around the waist with iron chastity belts...
”
In the Summer of 1969 a New York
belts to protect their marriage’s
Cartier jewelry designer, Aldo Cipullo,
fidelity before going off to battle,
began to craft a piece of jewelry
Cipullo created an 18k gold modern
that was a modern embodiment
interpretation.
of security, exclusivity, chastity, and love. Cipullo’s fixation with
The circle used of course for
reinterpretations of historic designs
functionality but also as a symbol
lead to the most famous status symbol
of eternal love shared between
of our age - Cartier’s LOVE bracelet.
two lovers. The screw-head motifs adorning the surface of the bracelet
Fascinated by the tales of medieval
were symbols of dedication and
warriors “locking up” their wives
solidified monogamy.
around the waist with iron chastity
Opposite Page A medieval castle in Sicily represents Italian design and eternal romance.
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THE LOV E BR ACELET
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
“ Jewelry that seals a passionate bond.
”
Cartier craftsmanship is the passionate
qualities is a symbol of permanence
communication between precious
and eternity. What other material
materials and the hand of man.
would better guard one’s love?
Historically, gold was reserved for
A gentle revolution, combining
elite classes in societies and was a
technical mastery and a quest for the
symbol of divinity, power, purity,
unexpected. Jewelry that seals a
royalty, and the sun.
passionate bond. Invisible perfection. Precious interpretation. The drawing
For over one and a half centuries,
is unleashed. The piece takes shape,
Cartier has been reinventing jewelry.
airy and bright.
Gold, due to it’s ever-enduring Opposite Page 18K yellow gold LOVE bracelet and precious ergonomic screwdriver.
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MARKETING IN THE 1970’s
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M A RK E TI N G I N T H E 197 0’S
SALES EXPERIENCE
“ Our customer is intelligent, sophisticated, and conscious of corporate-social responsibility.
”
The idea to tie modern aesthetics
proper wrist size of their partner
with historical reference was that
in order to make a purchase as the
Cartier would only sell a bracelet
bracelet would be screwed onto
to those who would be purchasing
that partner’s wrist with a signature
for their significant others and not
Cartier LOVE screwdriver and then
for themselves - this meant that the
given to the purchaser to wear around
customer would have to have the
their neck as the “key.”
Opposite Page A photograph of the LOVE bracelet being fastened to an early adopter in the early 1970’s.
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M A RK E TI N G I N T H E 197 0’S
CELEBRITY EMBRACE
“ As style icons of the times, these celebrities played a vital role
in the successful adaptation of the LOVE bracelet.
”
The LOVE Bracelet gained mass
the successful adaptation of the
popularity appearing on the writs of
LOVE bracelet. Everyone can show
Hollywood royalty such as Elizabeth
commitment by diamonds and rings,
Taylor, Richard Burton, and Cary
but only the stars seal their love
Grant - to name a few. In it’s initial
with a golden Cartier bangle. The
production, the LOVE bracelet was
screwdriver also became a modern
only offered to A-list celebrities and
“key to the heart“ when worn by the
other high net worth individuals.
lucky recipient’s beloved.
As style icons of the times, these celebrities played a vital role in Opposite Page Elizabeth Taylor accompanied by husband and fellow actor Richard Burton.
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M A RK E TI N G I N T H E 197 0’S
STATUS SYMBOL “ When I was younger I saved up to buy my first
LOVE bracelet in lieu of a car!
”
Today the collection has expanded
while maintaining it’s value and
into cuffs, rings, earrings, cuff-
collectibility.
links, and the use of other metals including white gold, rose gold, and
As an iconic status symbol of the 70’s,
platinum with options of including
the LOVE bracelet is still a timeless
diamonds in place of the screw shapes
piece worn by celebrities and non
or pave in between. The simple
alike. When asked about his youth,
lines and repeated screw-like shapes
designer Philip Lim stated “When I
circling the band make this creation
was younger I saved up to buy my first
still very modern and wearable
LOVE bracelet in lieu of a car!“ Opposite Page Designer Philip Lim poses with his stacks of LOVE bracelets for the Target & Neiman Marcus collaboration of Holiday 2012.
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AN
EXHIBI 30
BITION
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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P H OTOGR A P H Y
INEZ & VINOODH
“ Inez and Vinoodh are extremely rare in managing a successful
art career in parallel to these phenomenal commercial activities.
For over 25 years, Inez van
in parallel to these phenomenal
Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin
commercial activities. They have
have worked in the field of fashion
staged many solo exhibitions and
photography. Working together since
collaborative projects at the world’s
1986, the award-winning Dutch
foremost galleries, participated
partnership has built a peerless
in scores of international group
archive of work that is consistently
shows and their artworks are held
setting new standards. Inez and
in numerous private and museum
Vinoodh are extremely rare in
collections.
”
managing a successful art career Opposite Page Photographers Inez and Vinoodh pose for a portrait of themselves
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P H OTOGR A P H Y
THE PORTRAITS & THEIR STORIES “ I was changing my outfits, my look, my wigs, sometimes multiple
times a day. That’s when I know my soul is restless.
It has been said that a photograph is
the experience as well as a source of
worth a thousand words. Celebrities
reflection.
”
and non each have a story to tell, therefore the LOVE Exhibition will
One of the featured portraits will
feature famous and common faces
be of Lady Gaga where she reflects
shot through the honest lens of Inez
on finding love in her gypsy life
and Vinoodh. Beside their portraits in
- stripping back her spectacular
the exhibition, the subjects will have
image to reveal a passionate, young
a thousand word story available to
woman, trying to make sense of the
viewers on limited edition note cards
extraordinary events of the last
to take with them as a memento of
decade.
Opposite Page Lady Gaga photographed by Inez & Vinoodh on location at Avatar Studios, New York, featured in PORTER Magazine.
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THE EXHIBITION
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THE E X H I BI T I ON
THE LOWLINE “ Artificial lighting would be used to supplement the redirect sunlight,
and at night when the sun is obscured by clouds.
The Lowline, formally known as the
beneath the city streets. Light
Delancey Underground, is a proposal
collectors would be placed at ground
for the world’s first underground
level, with suggested locations,
park in the New York City borough
including the median on Delancey
of Manhattan that would be located
Street. Artificial lighting would be
under the eastbound roadway of
used to supplement the redirect
Delancey Street on the Lower East
sunlight, and at night when the sun
Side, adjacent to the Essex Street
is obscured by clouds. The area,
station. Co-founders James Ramsey
with ceilings 20 feet high, extends
and Dan Barasch have suggested
three blocks east from Essex Street
natural light would be directed below
to Clinton Street and was used until
ground using fiber optics — described
1948 as a station and balloon loop for
in the proposed plan as “remote
streetcars crossing the Williamsburg
skylights” — to provide an area in
Bridge to and from Brooklyn.
”
which trees and grass could be grown
Opposite Page A constructed rendering of the Lowline’s proposed light source.
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THE E X H I BI T I ON
THE DESIGN & EXPERIENCE “ Guests will glide between golded walls and feel feel how they radiate with LOVE.
”
The guests of the exhibition wander
The event will be one of the first
through the gilded walled structures
private events held in the Lowline,
commissioned of Richard Serra. They
thus demonstrating it’s innovative
will be met with a chronological
design and intimate, yet refreshingly
retrospective of Cartier’s LOVE
natural, setting underneath the
bracelet featuring candid portraits
bustling streets of the Lower East
captured through the lens of Inez and
Side.
Vinoodh. An opening reception will be held for distinguished guests who will gain initial access to the all new limited edition LOVE collection.
Opposite Page Gold-colored rendering of the LOVE exhibition inspired by artist Richard Serra’s Big Stuff.
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CONCLUSION When we say I love you to that special someone in our lives, what does that statement truly mean? Is it a promise to always be faithful and supportive of a partner unconditionally, or is it a cute comparison to garments that you also love. Has this sentiment become so trivialized and commercialized that it has lost its power or literary effect? Would there be nothing more profound than to be locked to your lover’s heart in precious metals? Monogamy, exclusivity, and fidelity seem to be testaments to love made in almost every culture throughout time. Cartier’s LOVE bracelet is a symbol of love that transcends time and is a voluntary promise of chastity.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR