Salt AW12

Celebrating SwarovSki ElEmEntS

lEt thE liGht in WITH Yoko ono DonatElla vErSaCE JaSon wu Diana vrEElanD GilES DEaCon marY katrantzou hubErt barrèrE miChaEl SChmiDt

© 2012 Swarovski AG

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YI Q I NG Y IN ’S CRE AT IO NS ARE M ADE W I TH SWAROVSK I E L E ME NT S .

A DD S PA R KLE TO YO U R LIFE AT W W W. S WA RO VSK I-ELEMEN TS.CO M

contents

CRYSTAL COUTURE Left to right: silk organza ‘tapestry Burn’ printed dress with swarovski elements detail, Giles Deacon; siouxsie necklace, Atelier swarovski by Kostas Murkudis

13 THE CUT swarovski news from around the world, beginning with launches and award events

28 NEWS A fresh take on Romeo and Juliet; the Palais de tokyo re-opens; eric Daman’s interiors collection

14 NEWS the latest global news, including a new Atelier swarovski collection by eric Daman

30 MARLENE, MEET SIOUxSIE the debut jewelry collection by Kostas Murkudis takes inspiration from two iconic women

16 NEWS Digital crystal exhibition, an LeD video dress and swarovski elements adorn two pop divas

33 TREND TALk What’s on the runway this season: floral prints, soft knits, vintage glamour… and some serious leather

18 WU SENSATION Fashion designer Jason Wu’s rise to fame and the inspiration behind his latest collection

34 WORLD HORIzONS A showcase of four designers from china, India, Korea and the Middle east who create their unique collections using swarovski elements

20 STARRY STARRY NIGHT swarovski elements add an organic-looking sparkle to the oscars award ceremony stage

36 MISTER ExTRAvAGANzA From Rihanna’s torn chain-mail hotpants to the leather floors of a new York nightclub, designer Michael schmidt knows how to create an impact

22 BELLES OF THE BALL this year’s Vienna Ball featured a crystal-studded tiara for each young debutante Quick Response (QR) codes can be found throughout this issue, enabling the reader to view additional multimedia content via a smartphone. to scan the code, simply download one of the many available QR apps, such as QR Reader

39 THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL When swarovski invented its crystal-cutting technology in the 19th century, the creative potential of costume jewelry opened up

24 NEWS cFDA fashion awards, beautiful ballet costumery and a landmark exhibition of French couture

42 WINNING FORMUL A In a move that could revolutionise the market, swarovski develops its ‘Advanced crystal’ – a new, lead-free alternative

26 SHOW OF HANDS Audiences at the World Jewelry Facets event saw the finest artisan pieces and swarovski’s new publication

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COnTEnTS

catchinG the liGht Left to right: Jacket and trousers made with Swarovski Elements, leather platform shoes and felt and feather hat, all Louis Vuitton; new Light Turquoise Swarovski Elements for A/W 13-14; Yoko Ono in 1986, at the Hilton, Amsterdam

4 4 af te r the fire Giles Deacon directs a presentation of his A/W 12 collection, made with Swarosvki Elements

82 Br anD ne w he iGhts Donatella Versace has brought the feminine touch to her late brother’s phenomenal brand, bringing it into everyday life as well as the red carpet

56 mothe r of inve ntion Diana Vreeland, once the most powerful fashion editor in the world, had extraordinary character and resolve. Atelier Swarovski honors her legacy

86 a l a moDe Leather and chain mail are reinvented alongside soft mohair and embellished felt to create a new, modern femininity

62 oPe n the Door A look at the work of groundbreaking artist Yoko Ono and the magical new crystal collection she has designed for Swarovski Elements

96 the e ye of the ne e Dle We meet Hubert Barrère – the charismatic new head of Maison Lesage

6 6 sc hool of life Why graduates of Central Saint Martins such as Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Mary Katrantzou were never adept at following orders

101 tre nDs anD innovations Swarovski Elements’ themes for autumn/winter 2013 reflect a global inclination to hold fast to one’s roots when moving forward

68 the fUtUre’s BriGht Swarovski continues to sponsor and invest in the forward-thinking students of Central Saint Martins

118 Pe rfec t Print Designer Mary Katrantzou creates an exclusive print for Salt, based on Swarovski Elements’ autumn/winter 2013-2014 Trends and Innovations

70 harvest je we l s Breathtaking autumn/winter 2012 jewelry by leading designers, made using Swarovski Elements

12 0 swarovski stoc kists Swarovski store locations and contact details worldwide

78 a sPy for Gl a moUr In Swarovski’s 35th year of creating on-screen sparkle for the James Bond film franchise, we take a look back at its most definitive moments

122 sec re ts of the c rystal skUll Scientists unravel the myths behind the enigmatic crystal skull in the British Museum

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welcome to salt

welcome to the autumn/winter 2012 issue of Salt, which celebrates the use of swarovski elements in the worlds of fashion, jewelry, architecture, art, design, film and stage. this season we have been privileged to work with some of the greatest creative minds and have been delighted with the innovative results. In this issue we profile some of our long-term partnerships, such as that with fashion designer Jason wu and leading embroidery house lesage, as well as our more recent collaborators, including artist/designer Yoko ono and jewelry designer Kostas murkudis. we also reflect on 35 years of working with the world’s best secret agent, James Bond, and honor legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland. at swarovski we have a passion for experimentation. Because of this, we are excited to announce the launch of our salt app, designed to bring the magazine to life through exclusive film footage and additional photography, and to keep you up to date between issues. we hope you are pleased with the results.

Nadja swarovski Member of the Executive Board

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contributors

celebrating swAroVsKi ELEMEnts VoL.5

M a rci n T yszk a PhoTogr a Ph er

k aTi e gr a n d sT y lisT

n ick sM iTh W r iTer

ThoM a s sTr aU B PhoTogr a Ph er

Marcin tyszka began his career in the Eighties as a presenter on Polish tV and went on to appear in several films. but on winning the Kodak European Panorama Young Photographer award in 1995, Marcin decided to work behind the camera as well. since then, he has shot more than 500 international magazine covers.

in addition to her role as editor-in-chief of Love Magazine, Katie Grand is a highly regarded stylist and creative consultant. senior contributing fashion editor of Interview and contributor to: Arena Homme Plus, Vogue russia, and Industrie, Grand has also styled shows for: Giles, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, topshop, and Lanvin for H&M.

nick smith is a writer and photographer as well as a former editor of Geographical magazine and a fellow of the Explorers club and the royal Geographical society. nick contributes to The Daily Telegraph, and his latest book, Travels in the World of Books, was published in May 2010, to great critical acclaim.

thomas straub has been a photographer for the past 15 years and is based in Paris. His photographic work has led to regular bookings with magazines such as Vogue Accessory, Vogue Gioiello and Bloom, for whom he has created experimental photography alongside more standard shoots working with renowned stylists.

h a r r i eT QU ick W r iTer

k eV i n M ack i n Tosh PhoTogr a Ph er

Bron W y n cosgr aV e W r iTer

naTasha Fr aser-caVassoni WriTer

Harriet Quick worked for uK Vogue for the last 12 years, most recently as fashion features editor, and is now editorial director of online luxury venture, Luxup. she has been editor of Frank, and prior to that, style writer at The Guardian and the Telegraph.

Harriet is the author of Catwalking: A History of the Fashion Model.

Kevin divides his time between new York and London, shooting for us and italian Vogue, Wonderland, and fashion clients including Kenzo, Hermès and baccarat. recently Kevin collaborated with the set designer Daryl McGregor on a series of images for the royal opera and the royal ballet.

bronwyn cosgrave is author of Made For Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards. she is founding chair of the Dorchester collection Fashion Prize, contributing to the international editions of Vogue and Vanity Fair. she is guest curator of the current exhibition, Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style, at London’s barbican centre.

based in Paris, natasha Frasercavassoni is a british journalist and writer. she writes for the International Herald Tribune, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler and Elle Decor, as well as an online column for anothermag.com.

Her biography of sam spiegel, the Academy Award-winning producer, was published in the uK and the us.

SHOW MEDIA +44 20 3222 0101, Ground Floor, 1-2 ravey street, London Ec2A 4QP info@showmedia.net, www.showmedia.net

SWArOvSkI ElEMEntS Executive vice President of Marketing christoph Kargruber Senior Pr and Communications Manager Vera Klotz

Editor-in-Chief Peter Howarth Creative Director ian Pendleton Managing Editor Abby rawlinson Art Director Dominic bell Designers Jon Morgan, Julia Allen Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin Chief Copy Editor chris Madigan Copy Editor tanya Jackson Editorial Director Joanne Glasbey

salt is published in chinese, English and Japanese. translation by Etymax; www.etymax.com colour reproduction by FMG; www.groupfmg.com, Printing by samson Druck GmbH ———— salt is published on behalf of swarovski AG, Droeschistraße 15, 9495 triesen, Principality of Liechtenstein by show Media. © 2011 swarovski AG. All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

SWArOvSkI CryStAl BuSInESS Member of the Executive Board nadja swarovski Communications Directors Pascale Montaner and saskia sissons

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Liz collins; Giles bensimon

Salt

WWW.LAPERLA.COM

SALT FOR THE IPAD updated regularly with exclusive films, news and additional photography

COMING SOON

SOCIAL DIARY

THE

CUT

STAR OCCASIONS The year so far has seen a number of exciting projects for Swarovski. Pop artist Sir Peter Blake commemorated the 25th anniversary of Childline by creating a sparkling Union Jack phone box, encrusted with more than 40,000 Swarovski Elements. Across the Channel, a preview of Swarovski Entertainment’s first film, Romeo and Juliet, starring Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld and Ed Westwick, wowed audiences at Cannes Film Festival. In New York, Swarovski Elements gave vibrancy to costumes at the NYC Ballet’s Spring Gala, and Eric Daman launched his S/S 12 collection for Atelier Swarovski at its Rockefeller Center boutique. In London, the Old Vic Tunnels hosted Bill Clinton’s Millennium Network gala, held to raise awareness of climate change. Swarovski sponsored the English National Ballet’s summer party as well as a fundraising night at Whitechapel Gallery, and showcased an impressive collection of one-off pieces, such as the Iris Collection

by Fredrikson Stallard, at London’s leading art and antiques fair, Masterpiece 2012.

OUT AND ABOUT Top, left to right: Sir Peter Blake with his Union Jack phone box; Lily Collins, Joseph Altuzarra, Phillip Lim, Tabitha Simmons and Nadja Swarovski at the CFDAs; Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied at New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala; Gwyneth Paltrow with Bill and Chelsea Clinton at ‘A Night Out with the Millenium Network’.

Middle, left to right: Eric Daman with Sonia Evers at the launch

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of his S/S 12 Atelier Swarovski collection; Penn Badgley with Zoe Kravitz at Deca Dance; Lauren Laverne at the English National Ballet summer party; Thomasina Miers at the Whitechapel Gallery. Bottom, left to right: Michael Kors with Joan Smalls at the CFDAs; Ian Stallard of Fredrikson Stallard; Ed Westwick; and Douglas Booth, both at the Cannes Film Festival 2012

ThE cuT a radiant broadway revival and new collections from eric daman and erickson beamon

brilliant broaDway The spotlight was fixed on New York’s theater world in April for the first new Broadway production for more than 30 years of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical, Evita.

During the balcony scene, Eva Perón, played by Elena Roger, lit up the theater in her iconic ball gown, handcrafted with more than 160,000 Swarovski Elements. ‘She needed to be at her most beautiful, her most luminous,’ said designer christopher Oram, who created an unforgettable sight as the crystals sparkled and caught every light in the house.

Deca-Dance The debauchery and glamour of Twenties Paris and Thirties Berlin was the subject of the glitzy ‘Deca-Dance’ soirée in New York recently, which celebrated the first ready-to-wear collection by renowned jewelers Erickson Beamon. The ‘crystal to Wear’, collection features handcrafted cocktail dresses and jewelry, all adorned with Swarovski Elements.

‘We still enhance everything we do,’ said designers Karen Erickson and Vicki Beamon, ‘whether we make a chandelier, sculpture, earrings or bracelets: anything we do has an element of Swarovski.’

blue stone thinking At an exclusive event at the Swarovski Rockefeller center boutique in New York, costume designer Eric Daman launched his spring/summer 2012 Atelier Swarovski collection. Daman, who has won an Emmy for his work on hit show Gossip Girl, explained: ‘When reviewing the new Swarovski Elements collection, I immediately fell in love with their tumbled and mosaic stones. They were so different and beautiful; they reminded me of antique turquoise and sandstones.

They inspired me to do something very modern with original Native American-inspired classics.’

For footage of Deca Dance, scan the QR code above Clockwise from top: Zoe Kravitz performs at Erickson Beamon’s launch event; Eva Perón in sparkling Swarovski; Native American-inspired necklace from the ‘Atelier Swarovski

by Eric Daman’ collection

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THE CuT pop stars dazzle in swarovski elements, mosaic tiles glitter and an ‘led video dress’

digital switchover

Alessandro Moggi; Leo Torri

Honoring its affinity with contemporary design, Swarovski is collaborating with the Design Museum in London to examine the future of memory in the digital age. An exclusive exhibition, Digital Crystal, will allow leading international design figures to share their responses to the end of the analogue age and how it is changing our relationships with time and objects. Swarovski has also invited back a selection of designers from the Swarovski Crystal Palace project to rework existing pieces, redefining the face of contemporary creativity.

out on the tiles Famed for its creative innovation in the field of mosaic tiles, Bisazza has once again impressed with ‘The Crystal Collection’, a new series of decorative patterns in glass and white gold mosaic, bejeweled by Swarovski Elements. The collection includes six beautiful patterns in mosaic and crystal, representing an innovative proposal for the decoration of only the coolest living spaces. There is a motif to suit every style in the collection, all outlined against a monochromatic background.

Particular favorites include the ‘Rain’ motif (tiny bright dots, simulating a crystal rain) and ‘Skulls and Crowns’, a playful pattern with sparkling skulls and regal crowns.

Left: ‘Crystallize’, conceived

by Digital Crystal designer Paul Cocksedge for Swarovski Crystal Palace. Above: ‘Skulls and Crowns’ mosaic tile pattern, by Bisazza

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THE CuT

stage Presence

Getty Images

The stars were out at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and none shone brighter than Florence Welch, headlining the event in the Californian desert.

Inspired by the Florence + the Machine singer’s dynamic performing style and the lyrics to the song ‘No Light, No Light’, designer Hannah Marshall crafted her a dazzling and unrestrictive stage outfit, using more than 80,000 Swarovski Elements.

‘The crystals sparkle beautifully under the stage lights to add a gorgeous texture to the outfit,’ said the singer.

atlantic star

Moving iMages

Beyoncé Knowles outshone the lights of Atlantic City, New Jersey, in May this year, in her first performance since summer 2011. The concerts, at the New Revel Resort, celebrated the singer’s triumphant and energetic return to form since the birth of her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé dazzled audiences in four glittering bespoke outfits and two headpieces, designed by couture house Ralph & Russo and adorned with more than 500,000 Swarovski Elements.

Beyoncé applauded Swarovski on her website and Facebook page, saying, ‘Thank you to Swarovski Elements and the many brilliant designers who worked to make the show so beautiful’.

Summer arrived early in London, courtesy of Hussein Chalayan’s ‘LED Video Dress’, which lit up a major V&A exhibition celebrating the best of British design in the modern age. Incorporating a layer of Swarovski Elements, combined with 15,000 LED lights, which shone through the crystals to dazzling effect, the dress was one of two Swarovski design collaborations in the landmark collection. Also displayed was a showstopping multi-sensory installation, ‘Falling Light’, designed by London artistic talent, Troika. Originally created for Swarovski Crystal Palace, the design rhythmically radiated haloes of light onto the gallery floor using a custom-cut crystal lens.

Clockwise from top left: Beyoncé looked fabulous at her May concerts; Welch headlines the Coachella festival; Hussein Chalayan’s sensational ‘LED Video Dress’

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ThE cuT

Wu SENSATION in his latest collection, fashion’s boy wonder draws inspiration from his chinese heritage in a masterful fusion of tradition and modernity WoRdS: hARRIET QuIcK

‘I went back to Taiwan for my brother’s wedding and it became a relearning process about my roots,’ says Jason Wu of the lead up to his autumn/winter collection – a homage to the spirit of chinese Symbolism. The young Taipei-born designer who has lived in Europe, Asia and now the uS, is a bona fide multi-culturalist. his breadth of experience and love of craftsmanship is at the core of his considerable talent.

glamour: structured satin gowns in fuchsia, overlaid with black crystal lace. ‘Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express is the epitome of chinese iconography in the West. She had such a distinct sense of style in an era that was dominated by classic beauties,’ explains Wu. The collection is a hit at a time when all eyes, and imaginations, are turned to china. Of the laborintensive Swarovski-encrusted pieces, the designer comments: ‘There is a customer who really desires these beautiful limited editions and collects them.’

What also dazzled Wu about his experience in china was the way the utterly modern can co-exist and be integrated with the very traditional.

‘I was thinking about what it meant to be chinese and also wanted to have some fun,’ he continues. The three passages in the show explored different ideals but in a Wu way: first, an interpretation of Mao uniform, made elegant and beautiful in fur-trimmed silk jackets and army-green coats with lace appliqués. Next came the Qing Dynasty gowns or ‘chinese Baroque’ as Wu mischievously calls it. cue Swarovski Elements, gold thread and mink-embellished dresses with ornate epaulettes. And lastly, a hollywood take on chinese

It’s a neat metaphor for how Wu approaches couture, fusing traditional technique and materials with modern silhouettes and outlook. he might trim a casual sweater with Swarovski Elements – ‘It’s so at

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ThE cuT

Look SMART Opposite: Portrait of Jason Wu. This page, clockwise from left: Michelle Obama in her famous Wu gown, which glistened with Swarovski Elements, at the official Inaugural Ball in 2009; Diane Kruger wearing Wu in March this year; Wu’s S/S 12 show; Necklace, Atelier Swarovski by Jason Wu; Wu’s A/W 12 show

Inez and Vinoodh/Trunk Archive; Jason Lloyd-Evans; Eyevine; Getty Images

odds but I like the combination of sporty and dressed up,’ – or create a lace overlay on a khaki cape coat.

Wu, whose boyish looks belie his 30 years, works out of his studio and office in New York. The space is both raw and polished, with walls covered in pink newspaper pages, stone floors and plaster under the gleam of Apple computers. In his own office, an entire wall is pinned with hand-written note cards from editors and buyers congratulating him. One of his best pals is supermodel Karlie Kloss, who accompanied him to the Met Ball this year.

Wu’s stellar journey into international global fashion was fast: he started off making clothes for a line of branded dolls before becoming creative director of Integrity Toys. After training at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, he launched his own line of ready-to-wear in New York, debuting in 2006.

Wu began working with Swarovski Elements right from the outset. ‘They have given my collections an extra facet of luminosity and luxury, and Swarovski has proven to be a true supporter of my work on many levels,’ he affirms. The way he employs the stones is intricate, and their placement – such as on hips and shoulders – is unexpected too. (Michelle Obama is a fan and wore a Wu gown to the uS president’s inauguration ball: patronage that has brought Wu into the international and very ‘grown-up’ spotlight.)

‘Michelle Obama’s gown brought Wu into the very “grown-up” spotlight’

What really counts in fashion is imagination – and Wu has a vivid one. For his Resort collection, he is using crystal beetles as a motif.

See Jason Wu’s film of Resort 2013: ‘Making of the Collection’ at swarovski.tv Harriet Quick is fashion features director at Vogue

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ThE cuT oFF THE PAGE Penélope cruz joined Owen Wilson to present the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song

STARRY STARRY NIGhT THIS YEAR’S OSCARS ASSumEd THE CHARm ANd ELEGANCE OF HOLLYWOOd’S GOLdEN AGE, SET AGAINST A TumBLING SkY OF SWAROVSkI ELEmENTS Words: JAMES MEdd

This year’s Academy Awards saw the fifth and deepest Swarovski involvement yet. At the Governors Ball, 10,000 Swarovski Elements enhanced the décor, while at the Vanity Fair After Party, personalized, crystal-encrusted henriot champagne bottles were given to each Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture nominee. In addition, every female nominee and presenter received a Swarovski VIP gift package of this year’s exclusively designed ‘Star collector’ purse, adorned with 1,900 crystals; a matching pocket mirror; ‘Rarely’ earrings and bangle; and ‘Aura by Swarovski’ lipsticks. At The Peninsula hotel, the Swarovski Style Suite offered jewelry and handbags from Atelier Swarovski, with pieces from Swarovski’s spring/summer 2012 collection.

For the ceremony itself, Swarovski again took center stage in the shape of a huge 6,500-crystal drape.

It was the creation of production designer John Myhre, twice an Oscar-winner himself for Chicago in

2002 and Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005. he came to the project with a strong vision. ‘I’ve watched the Oscars since I was five,’ he says, ‘and always felt if I ever had the opportunity to design it, everything would have to do with old hollywood glamour.’ he turned the Kodak Theatre into the ‘Penultimate Picture Palace’, with scenery based on hollywood and movie architecture. And there was an important role for Swarovski: ‘MGM had a motto in the Thirties: ‘More stars than are in the heavens.’ I always loved that line. And if you think about the Oscars, it’s the event that has more stars than any in the world.’

Myhre had created a Swarovski crystal drape for Dreamgirls, but this time was slightly different. ‘We wanted to build not a solid wall of crystals but a star field,’ he explains. ‘Instead of 60,000 crystals, we had 6,500 in a random pattern, hung in such a way that they were always twirling. I know what those

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crystals can do – they pick up every bit of light in the room. They would radiate with a flash, and then disappear and radiate again, just like stars.’

For the event’s art director Joe celli, working on his fourth Academy Awards, it was a new approach.

‘In past years, designers made big, grand statements with crystal,’ he says. ‘In 2009, david Rockwell made the crystal curtain, and in 2011 Steve Bass created a floor embedded with more than 55,000 Swarovski Elements. This year, John seemed to want to incorporate Swarovski in an organic way.’

Still, the result was suitably spectacular. On the night, the effect was further enhanced by use of backdrops and lighting so that the ‘crystal star drop’, as they called it, rivaled even Angelina Jolie and her split skirt.

‘It added the old hollywood elegance and glamour we were looking for,’ says Myhre. ‘That’s the magic of those crystals.’

JIMMYCHOO.COM

ThE cuT

Every February, Austrian high society and its guests – which this year included uN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, opera star Angela Gheorghiu and supermodel helena christensen – gathers for one of its most opulent events, the Vienna Opera Ball. hundreds of twirling young couples waltz in carefully choreographed unison, and each young woman dancing wears a dazzling tiara, creating a spectacle that makes an unforgettable close to the Viennese carnival season.

BELLES OF ThE BALL This Year, The presTigious Vienna opera Ball Became a winTer wonderland of snowflake-inspired Tiaras WoRdS: SArAh cArPiN

The ball has been held at the Vienna State Opera every year on the Thursday before Lent since 1877.

Swarovski has provided the tiaras since the Fifties and this year, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia was the designer selected to create the tiaras. Besides being a member of one of Europe’s oldest royal households, Prince Dimitri is a jewelry designer, whose lavish creations are sold in the world’s finest auction houses.

To be a dancer at the Vienna Opera Ball, couples must register for an audition where they are judged on their ability to perform the Viennese Waltz. Only those who are able to perfectly dance the waltz anticlockwise pass the first audition. Each dancer then has to practise the Viennese Waltz and the Debutante Procession walk to perfection. After two months of rigorous training and rehearsals, a glittering tiara is handed to each of the successful debutantes at the Opera Ball’s coronation ceremony. in the grand Debutante Procession, double rows of couples – the ladies in crisp white ball gowns with a small bouquet of flowers and crowned with the Swarovski tiara; their partners in white tie and tails – parade into the ballroom. They bow to each other before the evening unfolds into the kind of grand ball usually only seen in fairy tales. As the thousands of guests stand, the first waltz begins and the debutantes and their partners whirl and spin, transformed into a snowstorm of rustling white gowns and tiaras.

Prince Dimitri says his design inspiration for the 2012 Vienna Opera Ball tiaras came to him on a cold winter’s day in New York, when he was watching snowflakes swirl in the wind. ‘Tiaras are usually rather static,’ he explains, ‘but the way the wind playfully swept through the snow gave me the idea to imbue the diadems with movement.’

The Prince selected the Swarovski Elements that were best suited to convey the impression of snowflakes in creating the ‘Snow Storm’ piece.

‘My idea for the tiara was to make the debutantes look like angels, because a tiara radiates a halo

of light around the head,’ he said. The effect was admirable: the Swarovski Elements caught the light and brought the headdresses to life.

SPECTACUL AR ST YLE Top: Ballet dancers dazzle in green and white, evoking a magical winter fairy tale.

Above: Jewelry designer Prince Dmitri’s sketch of this year’s Snow Storm tiara

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Prince Dimitri’s Snow Storm tiara became an integral part of the magnificence of this year’s Vienna Opera Ball. From the first polonaise to the last waltz, these creations transformed the evening into a magical event. And each woman who danced will cherish her own Snow Storm tiara as a precious souvenir of one of the most memorable events of her life.

ThE CuT a Giant crystal chandelier, bejeweled ballerinas and swarovski in the press

the crown of the harbour This spring, opera fans in Sydney, Australia, were treated to one of the most ambitious and spectacular productions of La Traviata ever seen.

Center stage was a remarkable giant chandelier, laden with more than 10,000 Swarovski Elements, which made opera history with its staggering proportions. Created by set designer Brian Thomson, it was suspended over a purpose-built stage above Sydney harbour for the three-week season of Verdi’s piece. The chandelier was among other stunning jewelry pieces

by Swarovski that perfectly captured the sense of a glittering Parisian salon in a riot of colorful burlesque fun.

Shiny Dancer Sublimely combining the drama of dance with ornate decoration, Swarovski Elements adorned the costumes that were created by New York City Ballet’s costume director, Marc happel, for the dancers at the 2012 Spring Gala at the David h. Koch Theater in New York City.

Natalie Portman served as honorary Chair of the opening night – a salute to France titled A La Française – which included two world premiere ballets and a major revival of George Balanchine’s masterpiece of Bizet’s Symphony in C, last performed by the company in 2008. The spectacular evening, sponsored by Swarovski and Dior, also featured original earrings, adorned with Swarovski Elements and designed by former New York City Ballet corps de ballet dancer-turnedjewelry designer Jamie Wolf, and tiaras designed by Robert Sorell.

Above: The impressive chandelier outside Sydney’s opera house. Right: Backstage at the New York City Ballet.

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page turner Swarovski Elements sparkled on the pages of the world’s glossiest fashion journals in 2011. In German Vogue, Swarovski used designer pieces to create zodiac fantasy photographs; in British Vogue’s Secret Address Book; Marie Claire Agenda in Italy; and Elle Aime la Mode in France, crystals blazed from the pages. To mark the catwalk creations from the showcase event, ‘Sense of Two’ Swarovski Elements and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia created a calendar, while Swarovski’s W advertorial was voted ‘Best Ad’ by New York’s influential blog, The Cut.

To see Swarovski in Vogue, scan the QR code, right

talent SpotterS

Condé Nast archive/Corbis

In June, the prestigious CFDA Fashion Awards took place in New York, hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers. Celebrating outstanding contributions made to American fashion, and the 50th anniversary of the CFDA, Swarovski underwrote the awards for the 11th year and held an exclusive after-party at the Top of the Standard bar. Actress Lily Collins presented three Swarovski awards for Emerging Design Talent in Menswear, Womenswear and Accessory Design.

Swarovski pledged the winners generous financial support as well as access to its vast crystal resources.

couture to cheriSh Paris, the capital of haute couture, has good reason to honor that keystone of its culture and industry: fashion. In 2013, the city’s L’hôtel de Ville will host an impressive display of beautiful creations by designers including Schiaparelli, Chanel and Christian Dior. The exhibition will also include sketches and photographs charting the history of French couture throughout the 20th century. Exhibits will highlight the work of hundreds of craftspeople: feather workers, milliners, embroiderers and specialists working with fur, pearls and Swarovski Elements. The show will be a tribute to those who sculpted unforgettable creations of everlasting style.

Clockwise from top left: Award winner Joseph Altuzarra with Nadja Swarovski at the CFDAs; cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia 2012 calendar; vintage couture from Dior

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shOW OF hanDs TALENT REIGNED SUPREME AT SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS’ ANNUAL WORLD JEWELRY FACETS EVENT words: Elisa anniss

were enthralled by the magazine, which showcases more than 300 pieces by 85 high-profile designers, featuring high-quality photography, stories and interviews with designers.

Over the last three years The swarovski Elements World Jewelry Facets event in Greater china has become a much-anticipated date in the diary. it’s no wonder, given that this annual happening celebrates just how truly special and innovative these magnificent crystals can become in the hands of the world’s leading fashion jewelry designers.

The annual event’s appeal is down to a number of factors. it’s exciting enough to watch a line-up of international talent as they unveil the latest exquisite pieces, created using the finest crystal available, however the sumptuous surroundings in which the event is staged also never fails to thrill.

On 24 May, this rich creative heritage was celebrated in a stunning presentation of exquisite pieces from the crème de la crème of the world of jewelry design in Beijing. attendees were treated to a catwalk show that featured a mix of standout showpieces as well as a preview of some pieces from the autumn/winter 2012 season. The show included the work of more than 60 different fashion jewelry creators.

The offering was truly global with designs coming from France, spain, the usa, israel and Brazil among others. The European contingent included pieces by Philippe Ferrandis, Jacques Fath, hélène Zubeldia – who worked for lanvin and chloé before setting up her eponymous label in 2003 – as well as anton heunis whose trademark is a modern/vintage aesthetic and who makes all his pieces in his home town of Madrid. From Brazil came creations by camila Klein and caleidoscópio. The latter comprises a trio of architects-turned-jewelry designers – Jeanine, Mailda and Renata Fontan. They set up their design studio in 1996 and specialize in handcrafted pieces made with natural stones, freshwater pearls, wood and coconut, embellished with swarovski Elements.

The event also saw the launch of swarovski Elements’ brand new jewelry publication, Made With. attendees

Take last year’s novel showcase that was suggestive of nuptial ceremonies. set against a backdrop of soft whites, dreamy creams and fragrant blossoms, spectacular works of art, created by legendary fashion jewelry designers and craftspeople, were displayed in the romantic Wedding chapel at The Ritz-carlton hotel in Beijing.

For those privileged enough to attend the most recent event, the venue was just as beguiling. swarovski Elements World Jewelry Facets 2012 was held at the prestigious hong Kong Jockey club clubhouse, in Beijing, which is reputedly the best members’ club in the whole of asia.

sTATEMENT PIECEs Top left and top right: samba Earclips, Philippe Ferrandis.

Top center: necklace, camila Klein. Above: necklace, anton heunis

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While the food served at these gatherings is always delectable, a different kind of appetite starts to build when there are so many beautiful pieces showcased.

This appetite was catered for, since all the specially created designer collections from autumn/winter 2012 showcased at the event were available for immediate purchase at the swarovski cRYsTalliZED™ concept store in shanghai.

ThE CuT experimental art space, shimmering italian fashion and all the fun of the fairY tale

lighting up the screen ‘It was a natural choice for Swarovski to support this reinterpretation of the classic Snow White tale,’ said Nadja Swarovski about Relativity Media’s family-friendly Mirror Mirror. Adding drama, production designer Tom Foden used six Swarovski ‘Trilliane’ chandeliers by Schonbek, while the film’s costume designer Eiko Ishioka adorned three outrageously elaborate dresses with more than 100,000 Swarovski Elements. Julia Roberts looks every bit the queen in her extravagant wedding gown.

stAr crOss’D lOVers

eMerging tAlent

Swarovski has made the leap into film production with the launch of its new division, Swarovski Entertainment, who has co-financed and co-produced a new version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Filmed in Italy, it stars hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Douglas Booth (Great Expectations) in the title roles, with Paul Giamatti (The Ides of March) as Friar Laurence, Damian Lewis (Homeland) as Lord Capulet and Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) as Tybalt. The film promises to depart from tradition, as writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) reveals: ‘We wanted young people not to feel language was a barrier. We wanted to open it up, to make it fresh and easy to follow.’

As the natural home of glamour and style, it is no surprise Italy produces some of the best new designers today and Swarovski has happily inspired the emerging talent’s autumn/winter 2012 collections: Francesca Liberatore, a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, chose Swarovski Elements in opaque shades to light up her designs; harunobu Murata used Swarovski Elements to add brightness and contrast between soft and hard in a collection inspired by the words ‘Serene Silence’; and Sergio Zambon embroidered his versatile mix of Eastern-folk-inspired garments with Swarovski Elements to create uniquely dazzling pieces.

Clockwise from top left: Julia Roberts as The Evil Queen in Mirror Mirror; Murata’s ‘Serene Silence’ collection; the young lovers in Romeo and Juliet

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spAce tO creAte

Camera Press

The contemporary art world was all abuzz in April when the Palais de Tokyo unveiled its astounding 22,000sq m space in Paris, newly renovated with support from Swarovski. ‘Swarovski’s commitment to cutting-edge art is driven by the recognition that artists embody the values we have upheld for so long: creativity, experimentation and innovation,’ said Nadja Swarovski.

The re-opening signals a major turning point in the history of the Palais de Tokyo, making it the largest contemporary art center in Europe.

Art with heArt

hOuse stYle

An exceptional evening of art, opera and live performance took place at Whitechapel Gallery in March, hosted by gallery director Iwona Blazwick, Swarovski Executive Board Member Nadja Swarovski and Art Plus chair Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst. Displaying screen prints by Andy Warhol, lighting pieces by Diller Scofido + Renfro and jewelry by Swarovski and Atelier Swarovski, the event included a performance by the Royal Opera Chorus and an auction of pieces led

by Sotheby’s. Guests, including Dinos Chapman, Beth Orton and Tracey Emin, helped raise £335,000 for the gallery’s arts education program, which works with community groups.

Swarovski Elements and awardwinning design brand Gaia & Gino teamed up to present ‘Sparkling’, a collection of dazzling interior accessories revealed at this year’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan. The collection featured designs by stellar talents David Adjaye, Defne Koz and harry Allen, and highlighted Swarovski Elements’ role as a dynamic creative ingredient for interior design.

Describing his ‘Star Collection’, Adjaye said his designs had ‘an elemental quality that comes alive as the crystals subtly catch the light from within.’

Clockwise from top left: Light Sock by Diller Scofido + Renfro for Swarovski Crystal Palace, displayed at the Whitechapel Gallery’s fundraiser; new space at the Palais de Tokyo; bowl from David Adjaye’s ‘Star Collection’

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MArLENE, MEET SIOuxSIE The avanT-garde designer KosTas MurKudis is Known for pairing TogeTher unexpecTed aesTheTics, and his Thrilling firsT full jewelry collecTion is no excepTion WORDS: rEBEccA MAY JOhNSON

‘I like to sustain contradiction in my collections, to create an encounter between conflicting ideas,’ says the Berlin-based designer Kostas Murkudis, who has produced a new collection with Atelier Swarovski for autumn/winter 2012. And Murkudis’s first full jewelry collection is no exception to this design principle of melding opposing elements: ‘I found a piece of jewelry in a book of Marlene Dietrich – it was a really modern piece. So I looked into that period of the Thirties and Art Deco and thought that I’d like to break it up a bit. I found it graphic, but at the same time very twee, and thought it needed to be mixed with something different. Then I found some images of Siouxsie Sioux, and thought it’d be quite nice to bring Thirties Modernism into contact with some more aggressive punk shapes.’

The pairing of Dietrich and Sioux is certainly contradictory: other than the status they both hold as subversive and trailblazing female icons, their visual aesthetics could not be further apart. On one hand is the cool, restrained androgyny of Dietrich in Thirties film noir, with her German-inflected drawl, sitting utterly composed in a high-waisted trouser suit, balancing a cigarette between two fingers. On the other we find Sioux in the punk era with a wild mess of jet black hair, glam-goth make-up, shouting ‘chicken chow mein’ into the microphone with her band, the Banshees. Nonetheless, the styles of these two women meet in Murkudis’s designs, and they produce an appealing chemistry. In the necklace that most clearly articulates the collection, there is a thrilling tension between a strand that bears shards of rough-hewn clear crystal and spikes of metal (hello, Siouxsie!), and another of gleaming, polished green crystal encased in the silver geometric settings of the Art Deco era (Guten Abend, Marlene!). This frisson of conflict between the two aesthetics is found throughout the entire collection.

Murkudis was born in Dresden in 1959 to Greek parents, and grew up and received his design training in Berlin, where he attended the prestigious Lette-Verein school between 1981 and 1984. From there he soon rose to first assistant and protégé of helmut Lang, where he remained for seven years, and whose design DNA can be traced in Murkudis’s Modernist, and often avant-garde, aesthetic. he remained with Lang until he launched his own brand

in 1994 and began showing his collections in Paris, from 1996. recently Murkudis has returned home to Berlin where he has shown his designs to rave reviews over the last few seasons. his avant-garde background means that he always starts his creative process with the question of how to push boundaries: ‘I begin with research into new fabrics and technology – that’s always my first approach. I am not a retroreferencing person. I like to use new things and meld them with the classical to make them look different.’ his enthusiasm for the innovative use of new fabrics is easy to see in his women’s wear collections, where architectural silhouettes generated by the fabric itself play counterpoint to fluid, almost weightless, hightech fabrics. Murkudis also often works with visual artists, like his performances in the MMK (Museum for Modern Art) Frankfurt, with conceptual artist carsten Nicolai in 2010. For his spring/summer 2012 show, the pair worked together again, and Nicolai created patterns that were laser-printed onto fabric. his warm, graphic, orange prints combined with strong shapes, playing with transparency and clashing colors to breathtaking effect.

‘I am not a retroreferencing person. I like to meld new things with the classical’

in Golden Shadow; Marlene bracelet in Montana; Banshee bracelet in Forest Green; Yvette ring in Forest Green; Yvette ring in Golden Shadow

ART DECO DENSE This page: Kostas Murkudis.

Opposite page, clockwise from top right: Yvette ring in Montana; Lakota necklace

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In the jewelry he has produced for Atelier Swarovski, Murkudis’s thirst for new materials was satisfied by his creative engagement with crystal: ‘The innovations in this collection emerged from my trying to use stones in shapes that moved away from the classical prettiness of Swarovski. I felt excited about mixing metal with crystal in beautiful colors, and playing with shapes and proportion.’ Murkudis’s jewelry strikes a delicate balance between its different influences to produce a collection that is both composedly sensual, like Dietrich, but that also contains a more visceral dynamic, like Sioux. In addition to the aforementioned necklace, a bracelet of chain mail with a smooth, acid-colored Art Deco jewel set in the center comes to mind as exemplary of this. The collection was launched to the press last April at the Louis hotel in Munich, where the fashion crowds gave the designs a rapturous reception. In August, the jewelry was officially launched at select Swarovski stores world wide, as well as select high-end stores and online at atelierswarovski.com.

Rebecca May Johnson has written for The Telegraph, Monocle and FT Life & Arts

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TREND TALK Vampy glamour, Vintage frocks and floral prints define this season’s fashion

Jason Lloyd-Evans

Words: SARAh DEEKS AND TANyA JAcKSoN

1. Hell for leaTHer

2. Bygone glamour

3. Dark siDe

Don’t limit your leather habit to a jacket – this season it can be sexy and demure with pleated skirts and elegant shift dresses. Too much? Test the trend with some slinky gloves instead.

Givenchy, autumn/winter 2012

Redefine elegance with vintage-inspired, ankleskimming dresses and frock coats with embellished buttons and fur collars. Add a boxy leather bag and pair of Mary Janes and you are hot to trot.

Louis Vuitton, autumn/winter 2012

Go gothic with luxurious velvet in rich shades of black and midnight blue – but don’t forget to flash some flesh. A floor-length gown, slit to the thigh, ensures a dramatic entrance.

Jean Paul Gaultier, autumn/winter 2012

4. Tone on Tone

5. Blow-ouT Blooms

6. close kniT

colour blocking for 2012 means picking a tone and sticking to it. Layer shades of the same colour in silks, cashmere and organza for an ultra luxe, ladylike look.

Dior, autumn/winter 2012

Florals exploded on the catwalks this season.

Think over-exposed, blown-out blooms in violets and ruby reds. Keep it grown-up with a structured silhouette and statement jewelry.

Lanvin, autumn/winter 2012

hard meets soft as fluffy, textured tweed is combined with streamlined hair and harsh, bare make-up. Punctuate cuddly knits with shiny buttons and jewels.

Chanel, autumn/winter 2012

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WORLD hORIzONS from all corners of the globe, leading designers are using swarosvki elements to create their signature collections Words: TAMSIN cRIMMENS IllustratIon: ELISABETh MOch

China: Masha Ma

india: tarun tahiliani

The words ‘modern femininity’ are fitting to describe not only Masha Ma’s striking women’s wear collections, but arguably the young chinese designer herself. Born in Beijing before moving to London, Masha studied at central Saint Martins and now divides her time between china and Paris. Since graduating in 2008, three successful seasons at London Fashion week have cemented her as a serious talent, but her A/W 12 collection really marked her ‘breakthrough’ moment. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s short story, The Nightingale and the Rose, the collection features floor-sweeping skirts and lean dresses paired with long leather gloves that glitter with Swarovski Elements.

Tarun Tahiliani entered the fashion industry at a time when the concept of designer clothes was hardly known to the average Indian. Founding his design studio in 1990, Tahiliani’s distinctive signature has since evolved to become a fusion of textile detail and meticulous tailoring. his designs are at once Indian in sensibility and international in their appeal, having been shown in New York, Tokyo, Singapore, hong Kong, Moscow and South Africa. he was also the first ever Indian designer to be showcased at the Milan Fashion Week, in September 2003.

It was at one of his shows in London, in 1995, that he met Isabella Blow, thenconsultant with Swarovski, and began a love affair with Swarovski Elements.

A beautiful collaboration was born and since then, Tahiliani’s business has skyrocketed with 350 people just working on embellishment: understandable given the 2,000-5,000 hours it can take to make just one bridal gown. In 2008, he opened his flagship store in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, which shows the whole collection including ready-to-wear and a new line of semi-precious jewelry.

Masha has attracted the attention of publications such as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, AnOther Magazine and Pop. celebrities have also picked up on her designs, with Lady Gaga recently seen wearing one of her iconic looks to meet President Obama at the White house. Expect big things in the future from this compelling designer.

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Korea: lie sang bong

Middle east: abeer hassan

The venerable Korean fashion designer Lie Sang Bong began his women’s wear brand in 1985 and premiered his debut line at Seoul Fashion Week in 1993, catching the eyes of Korea’s most notable fashionistas. Just a few years later, the mayor of Seoul named him the Best Designer of the Year, acknowledging the perpetual innovation and growing success that set him above his peers.

Abeer hassan is a Lebanese fashion jewelry designer and owner of Abeer’s Treasures, her Abu-Dhabi-based boutique. Originally a mathematics teacher, it was only after her marriage relocated her to the united Arab Emirates that she began to indulge a passion for design, decorating her home with her own handmade candles, wood frames and colored glassware. Since then she has become a sought-after jeweler, famous for mixing passion and style in each of her designs.

Restless creativity has pushed Lie to develop an artistic process inspired by a range of influences, including a fascination with Swarovski Elements, which have been an important part of his aesthetic since he started designing more than two decades ago. Lie’s avant-garde clothing has been seen throughout the world: Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Juliette Binoche and South Korea’s First Lady have all worn his designs. he has featured in numerous publications including Le Figaro, Telegraph, The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair and W Magazine, and has collaborated with top Korean companies such as Samsung and LG to create ‘Lie Sang Bong’ limited editions of mobile phones and computers.

Each piece of jewelry is handmade using fine imported material such as semiprecious stones, Swarovski Elements, pearls and metals. The recipe of a great design, she says, is: ‘good materials, marinated in a bowl of imagination, produced with a cup of care, and stuffed with passion.’ Most recently, Abeer’s Treasures participated in Eclat de mode, Bijorhca Paris in January 2010, where her designs attracted new clients and opened the doors for her special line to enter the international fashion world.

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MISTER ExTRAVAGANzA Michael SchMidt uSeS Metal and cryStal to help the StarS create Show-Stopping MoMentS. but he’S equally happy Making a SMall piece of jewelry for hiS MoM Words: L AuREN MILLIGAN

When cher, Madonna, Rihanna, Dita Von Teese and Lady Gaga rely on a designer to help them make an impact, you can be assured that that designer is someone special.

A large-scale installation at the Palms casino in Las Vegas; a dress made from 3,500 razor blades for Blondie’s Debbie harry, which was also displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; a pair of torn chain mail hotpants worn by Rihanna on the cover of Rolling Stone… jewelry, accessories and interiors designer Michael Schmidt knows how to wow.

‘I’m self-taught. I moved to New York city in 1983 where I supported myself by making jewelry from repurposed artifacts – a pleasant way of saying junk,’ he laughs. ‘I created a little metal dress which found its way into the window of a beautiful store in Soho and one day cher happened by and inquired about me. You could say she repurposed my life.’

Following that discovery, Schmidt and cher built a relationship that would span the rest of his career to date, and bring him to the attention of other drama-loving superstars. Alongside the running of his own NYc nightclub, SqueezeBox!, he has created costumes for some of the world’s biggest performers.

‘Wardrobing is a collaborative effort, a process I quite enjoy,’ he explains. ‘An artist approaches me with a need and we assess the occasion, the mood, the rigors of an event, and then we tailor a look for it. A performer on a stage is a teller of tales. My intention is to help them inhabit a role, and in turn to persuade an audience to lose themselves in a fantasy. You can’t cast a spell without magic, and Swarovski Elements are pure sorcery!’

And no chain-mail challenge or jewel-encrusted quandary is beyond Schmidt’s considerable aesthetic skill. Anyone looking for evidence of his ability need look no further than some of his greatest creative achievements, including an Emmy nomination for his costume design work on cher’s Extravaganza: Live At The Mirage, a cBS special made in 1991; and the redesign of the VIP rooms of the Palladium nightclub in NYc, with black leather floors featuring silver studs that spelled out the lyrics to the classic Iggy Pop song ‘Nightclubbing’, in Braille.

‘A small something I once made for my mother,’ he says. Some pieces, it seems, require a dash less drama.

Lauren Milligan writes for vogue.co.uk

A FINE MEsH Michael Schmidt created his beautiful collection using stainless steel chain mail and Swarovski Elements crystal Mesh

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Roman Krajewski, Michael Schmidt Studios

But away from the drama of the nightclub and the stage, Schmidt creates a jewelry collection with an everyday appeal, one that ‘can be worn by everyone’. And despite thrilling celebrities as varied as Tina Turner, courtney Love, Björk, Elton John, Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne, the designer’s own favorite piece is something much simpler.

ThE cuT FROM THE ARCHIVE

SNAKE C HARMER Bijoux Bozart’s necklace in the shape of a serpent, created for Tita Rossi in 1969

ThE BOLD AND ThE BEAuTIFuL vibrant, full of personality and vying for attention… costume jewelry was unleashed when swarovski revolutionised crystal manufacture WoRdS: PAuL A REED

coco chanel once said, ‘Nothing looks more like a fake jewel than a beautiful jewel. One might as well wear a cheque around one’s neck.’

It might sound a little rich coming from a woman who owned some rather fabulous jewels. however, of all her dictatorial pronouncements, this one defines a tipping point in fashion: a time when trinkets, which could be bought to accessorize every new outfit, began to match fashion’s passion for fine jewelry.

In the Thirties her opinion scandalized a fashion elite that was still pretty devoted to gold and diamonds.

But ever since then, and despite an increasingly blurry line between fine jewelry and its more showy cousin, a designer’s costume jewelry collection is what finishes ‘the look’. ‘haute joaillerie’ is viewed in a darkened room, and by special appointment. costume commands the catwalk and inspires headlines all of its own, comfortably sharing the spotlight with trend-setting couture. consider a Lanvin dress without the finishing touches of Alber Elbaz’s strings of tulle-wrapped pearls or his

crystal-studded cuffs? Would Prada’s summer of Fifties Americana have had quite the same impact without the faceted crystal necklaces? The corseted femininity of Dolce & Gabbana might never have scaled quite the same heights of Baroque without those glittering hair ornaments. And where would Ralph Lauren be without the chandelier earrings and bracelets he often uses to detail his romantic reprise?

And let’s not forget Michael Kors, who has singlehandedly placed the bling-tastic watch at the epicenter of an urban woman’s jewelry collection: a moment of rose gold, crystal-trimmed exhibitionism in a world of understated cashmere. It’s safe to assume that without these creations, your prized catwalk look would be incomplete.

The concept of mass-produced costume jewelry is largely a 20th-century one. Of course people have been adorning themselves with precious stones and colored glass since the ancient Egyptians, but it was the cr ystal-cutting technology developed by Swarovski in Austria that elevated custom jewelry to unprecedented heights of precision and perfection

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in the 19th century, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities for both couturiers and jewelers. couturiers who might once only have considered fine jewelry embraced its potential. In the Thirties, Schiaparelli experimented wildly, sniffing out unusual materials and collaborating with artists such as Dalí and Giacometti. She made head-turning pieces that redefined the art: anyone for a collar that looks like a parade of insects crawling around your throat?

Along with chanel, Schiapparelli embraced the concept of jewelry as an intrinsic part of the look.

The workmanship of their costume jewelry was every bit as impressive as its precious counterpart. come the Fifties, film stars gave costume big-screen credibility. And Swarovski, the manufacturers at the heart of the revolution, started their climb to householdname status. Today, in a world where the financial limits of the super rich have yet to top out, costume jewelry’s place at the heart of fashion ensures that on the catwalk, at least, it is prized beyond diamonds.

Paula Reed is the style director at Grazia

xirius 10 8 8 – brilliance redefined TaKinG crYsTal One sTeP clOser TO THe diaMOnd

THE cUT INDUSTRY TALK

WINNING FORMUL A

CLEAR CUT Stainless steel bangles from Dyrberg/Kern’s A/W 12 collection, featuring leather inlays and rows of Swarovski Elements

swarovski’s new lead-free crystal shakes up the market WoRds: JOSH SIMS

crystal, almost by chemical definition, doesn’t change much. So when Swarovski replaced the recipe for its crystal material with a new formula, it was big news – arguably the biggest single change for the company in its almost-120-year history. It was a change that has put the brand ahead. Launching in September 2012, Advanced crystal is a new, premier lead-free crystal composition, giving the same qualities of clarity, strength and sparkle as traditional full-lead crystal in all the colors, shapes and applications Swarovski is renowned for.

The change to lead-free crystal comes in good time.

Jewelry and fashion segments are increasingly restricting the use of substances such as lead, particularly relating to childrenswear where regulation is driven by the consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (cPSIA). ‘The mindset of consumers is changing rapidly with regard to corporate social responsibility issues,’ says Henning Kern, co-founder of Denmark’s Dyrberg/Kern jewelry brand and a major Swarovski client. ‘In time, luxury will equate to social and environmental awareness,’ he believes.

‘We all think more about the food we eat, want our cars to be more environmentally sound and may be thinking about these issues in relation to our clothing, whether that’s Gucci or H&M. But a consumer has yet to walk away from buying crystal jewelry because it has lead in it. The point is, in time, they will.’

Will using Advanced crystal affect the way Dyrberg/Kern works? Kern confirms it has no visible difference to traditional lead crystal. ‘That is crucial, because if Advanced crystal was less attractive, it wouldn’t have a place in the market. It’s the glitz-andglitter look that makes Swarovski crystal appealing.’

Since it will be no more expensive either, Kern expects it to enable his business to remain competitive, and perhaps even offer a big advantage until lead-free crystal becomes the industry standard. Kern is examining early samples and planning the use of Advanced crystal in forthcoming collections to be released as early as autumn next year. ‘After all,’ he concludes, ‘jewelry, like fashion, thrives on novelty – you need to bring new products to the market with a great stor y, and lead-free cr ystal and its sustainability aspect is a great story.’

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Peter Krasilnikoff

So Swarovski, and jewelry designers such as Kern that use Swarovski Elements, are ahead of the curve: even ahead of somewhere like Denmark, which was the first EU country to ban nickel, cadmium and other heavy metals in products that touch the skin. ‘The fact that Swarovski’s rollout of Advanced crystal is happening now is a progressive move,’ notes Kern.

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AFTER THE FIRE CELEBRATING HIS LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SWAROVSKI, GILES DEACON IS GUEST ART DIRECTOR IN THIS PRESENTATION Of PIECES fROm HIS A/W 12 COLLECTION, mADE USING SWAROVSKI ELEmENTS ST YLIST: KATIE GRAND PHOTOGRAPHY: ANGELO PENNETTA ART DIRECTOR: GILES DEACON

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This page: Silk chiffon ‘Swarovski Burn’ dress with collar detail and layered silk tulle underskirt

Opposite: Lace Thorn dress with Swarovski Element and pearl embroidery, with twisted duchess silk shoulder. This page: Silk ‘Tapestry Burn’ corseted gown with layered net underskirt

This page: Multi-layered silk and satin organza dress with Swarovski Elements burnt edge detail

Both pages: Silk organza ‘Tapestry Burn’ printed dress with Swarvoski Elements detail

This page: Multi-layered silk organza and satin gown, with Swarovski Elements burnt edge embroidered waist. Opposite: ‘Winter Garden’ printed silk chiffon dress with ‘Ice Swarovski Elements’ embroidery HaIr Tina Outen at Streeters MakE-up Lucia pica at art partner pHOTOGrapHEr’S aSSISTanTS Jack Day and robert Willey MODEL rosie Tapner at Storm

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MOTHER OF IN VENTION LEGENDARY FASHION EDITOR DIANA vREELAND WAS AN INNOvATOR, A RISK-TAKER AND A TRUE ORIGINAL. NOW ATELIER SWAROvSKI HAS HONORED HER WITH A NEW LEGAcY cOLLEcTION Words: JUSTINE PICARDIE

Beaton’s allusion to acting is perceptive, given that Vreeland turned the story of her life into a partly fictional concoction; as she herself later confessed, her recollections were ‘faction’, an entertaining blend of fantasy and heightened reality. A closer version of the truth emerges from an impressive new film documentary, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, following on from a book of the same title

by Lisa Immordino Vreeland (wife of Diana’s grandson Alexander). Both of these projects brim with

admiration for Diana Vreeland’s achievements, but also place her within the context of her childhood as a classic ugly duckling, with a more difficult relationship with her mother than her memoir suggests. In the latter, DV, Diana declared breezily, ‘I adore the way I was brought up… My experiences were so innocent and so easy and so charming.’

With her usual flamboyance, she maintained a set of fictions about the circumstances of her birth, as well as hiding its date. To one of her grandsons, she claimed to have been born in Vladivostok; on another occasion, she said she was born in the Atlas Mountains, ‘in a nomad community, accompanied by Berber ululations.’

In reality, Diana Vreeland was born in Paris in July 1903 to an American mother, Emily Key Hoffman, and a Scottish father, Frederick Young Dalziel, who was working in Paris at the time for a South African gold company. The following April, the family left for New York, where Dalziel worked as a stockbroker, and Diana grew up on the Upper East Side, despite her subsequent tales of a bohemian Parisian childhood sprinkled with the fairy dust of Diaghilev and

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Nijinsky. Perhaps this fantasy was more bearable than the painful experience of being deemed by her mother to be an ‘ugly little monster’, unlike her younger sister Alexandra, a blonde beauty who was more successful at school than Diana.

Yet for all the hurt of her mother’s rejection, Diana gained something from that experience: the desire to create herself anew. As she wrote in her teenage diary: ‘Diana was a goddess and I must live up to that name, Dalziel = I dare, therefore I dare, I dare change today, & make myself exactly what I want to be.’

At this point, the person she wanted to be was, ‘the most popular girl in the world’, and in one sense she succeeded, eventually becoming friend and confidante to Wallis Simpson, Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote (who described her as ‘a charmer of a talker, a snake charmer’). Not only that, Vreeland’s reign as the most powerful fashion editor in the world made her the ultimate arbiter of beauty – at least in her realm – and her own, highly individual style was revered by acolytes as the ultimate in chic. ‘Everything about her features is animated by amused interest,’ wrote Sir Cecil Beaton

Arnold Newman/Getty Images

If the art of fashion demands a vivid imagination, then Diana Vreeland had one of the most fertile minds in the industry. Renowned fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar, then editor of American Vogue, she was worshipped as the embodiment of editorial creativity; and her skills were further honed in the third act of her long career, as special consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she launched a series of blockbuster exhibitions. In the words of Sir Cecil Beaton, ‘Mrs Vreeland is more a connoisseur of fashion than anyone else I know… and her own great excess is as completely natural as that of a great actress.’

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of Vreeland in 1954. ‘Her nose, broad as an Indian’s, is boldly assertive; her eyes twinkle; her mouth emits the most amazingly aggressive laugh, a red laugh that is taken up by her cheeks, expertly rouged with an art that has gone out of style. Surrounding these features like a metallic skullcap is her navy blue hair, which she wears lacquered back from her face.’

Yet long before Diana had transformed herself into this remarkable creature who adored fashion as much as it adored her, she had discovered the other great love of her life – T Reed Vreeland, an impeccably dressed Yale graduate, who she met at the age of 20, and married soon afterwards. Despite his subsequent infidelities, the marriage lasted until his death of cancer in 1966, and was at the heart of Diana’s fervent belief in the complete power of beauty. ‘I never felt comfortable about my looks until I married Reed Vreeland,’ she later confessed.

‘He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.’

The couple had two sons – Tim, born in 1925, and Frederick (otherwise known as Frecky), who was born in 1927. After several years in New York, the

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Condé Nast Archive/Corbis; Bettman/Corbis

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Vreeland family moved to London, giving Diana a new arena in which to make her name among smart society, and the opportunity for European travel. Most alluring of all, for Diana, was the discovery of Parisian couture: Schiaparelli, Vionnet, Mainbocher and – her favourite – Chanel. It was from Chanel that Vreeland learned the art of combining fabulous jewels with apparently simple, restrained clothing (as exemplified by the little black dress with yards of pearls). ‘I learned everything from Chanel,’ she recalled; and many of Diana’s most treasured pieces of jewelry were by Chanel and her protégé, Fulco di Verdura. This notable collection is the inspiration for a striking new range instigated by Diana’s grandson Alexander Vreeland (who recently became CEO and president of New York jewelers Slane and Slane) for Atelier Swarovski.

‘I’ve always admired Diana Vreeland,’ says Nadja Swarovski, member of Swarovski’s Executive Board.

‘She was one of the great 20th-century fashion visionaries, and so it has been such a pleasure to work on an Atelier Swarovski collection inspired by her incredible jewelry. Diana wore her costume

‘Her 1936 column, “Why don’t you?”, often had absurd content’

A LIFE IN FASHION Previous spread: Portrait of Diana Vreeland, 1974.

Opposite, clockwise from left: In 1933, about to be presented to the court at Buckingham Palace; pieces from the Diana Vreeland legacy Collection by Atelier

swarovski, including Cross cuff in Black Diamond, pendant in siam, and Cross necklace in Black Diamond; with her husband t Reed in tunisia. This page, above: being interviewed in the Harper’s Bazaar office, 1962

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jewels with such panache, and we hope to bring something of that blend of high fashion and great heritage together again.’

The Vreelands moved to New York in 1935 in the wake of the Great Depression, having run out of the money required to fund their extravagant London lifestyle. Diana and her handsome husband made a dazzling couple. ‘I was going through money like one goes through… a bottle of scotch, I suppose, if you’re an alcoholic,’ she later confessed; but fortunately, a job offer was on hand, when the esteemed editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Carmel Snow, spotted Diana on the dance floor at the St Regis Hotel in a white lace Chanel dress with roses in her hair. Her first appearance in the magazine was in August 1936 with a new column, entitled ‘Why Don’t You?’ The content of these columns veered between the whimsical and the absurd – ‘Why don’t you rinse your blonde child’s hair in dead champagne to keep its gold as they do in France? Or pat her face gently with cream before she goes to bed as they do in England?’ (The satirist SJ Perelman responded in The New Yorker that after reading these

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suggestions, he assumed the Marquis de Sade must be involved: ‘I slept across the foot of the crib with a loaded horse pistol until the next issue appeared.’)

of the most expensive Chanel perfume, Cuir de Russie, to scent the gallery air).

Towards the end of her life, Vreeland lost her sight but never her vision of beauty, still imagining what her closest friends and family were wearing when they came to visit her in her Park Avenue apartment, its famously elaborate red patterned walls undimmed. As she slipped into her final coma, she seemed to be dreaming of a party, dancing again; and her last words were, ‘Don’t stop the music or I’ll tell my father…’ In an emotional speech at Vreeland’s memorial service at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in November 1989, her friend Richard Avedon reflected on the four decades in which he worked with her, observing: ‘She willed us to see her as she wanted to be seen, but what she presented was not who she was.’

Yet this was the launch pad for a 26-year sojourn at Bazaar, which lasted until Vreeland jumped ship for Vogue in 1962, transforming the magazine into a reflection – and catalyst – for the ‘youthquake’ of the coming decade. Vreeland, ever the enthusiast, responded with as much vigor as she had to the Roaring Twenties: but now she had the power to dispatch photographers and models around the globe, to capture the world as she saw it: embellished, exotic, ever more beautiful.

It ended in tears, inevitably, when Vreeland was fired

by Condé Nast in 1971, as a precursor to a more cautious, recessionary era. She took to her bed, grieving for her career and still bereaved by the death of her husband; until her loyal friends rallied round to fund and create a new position for her at the Costume Institute, where her triumphant comeback was every bit as extravagant as before (the Russian exhibition required gallons

Who she was remains elusive, and therefore as alluring as ever; contrary and contradictory, like the very best of fashion. As Avedon concluded, ‘She has shown us the perfect surface of things as an adventure and made us know the full impact of what is lost.’

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Ken Probst/Corbis Outline; Cecil Beaton/Camera Press

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EN VOGUE Opposite, above: At the Costume Institute in 1983; and below: Scarf necklace in black diamond from the new Diana Vreeland Legacy Collection by Atelier Swarovski. This page: Diana Vreeland in her apartment on Park Avenue

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KEY CREATIVE yoko ono has been pushing the boundaries of art since the sixties, and now she is swarovski elements’ latest guest designer

Tom Haller © Yoko Ono

Words: MICHAEL PRODGER

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Yoko Ono and Swarovski may not seem the most obvious match. Ono is a conceptual performance artist whose work is often ephemeral rather than tangible, whereas crystals produced by Swarovski have a strong physical presence.

Ono, however, is the latest artist/designer to be invited to collaborate with Swarovski Elements, exploring the innumerable ways in which its crystals can be used. ‘Swarovski Elements’ are the loose crystals that designers can use to create their work – whether in fashion, furniture design, lighting or jewelry. They come in a bewildering array of cuts and colors – beads in smoky browns, pendants in ice blues or round stones shot through with pearlescent greens – and form a rich palette into which the designer can dip.

The first creative partnership was in 1956 when the ombré effect, ‘Aurora Borealis’, was developed in collaboration with Christian Dior, and later came Andrée Putman, Manish Arora and Michael Michalsky’s ideas. While her predecessors have all been thoroughgoing designers, Yoko Ono is an artist

of a distinctly cerebral hue. Commissioning her was part of Swarovski’s commitment to widen the scope of its collaborations and tap into the creativity of fine art as well as the applied artists with whom it has long worked. And because she is a writer, musician, filmmaker and peace activist as well as being known as a performance artist, the multifaceted nature of her career seemed particularly appropriate to the nature of the crystals themselves.

John Lennon once described Yoko Ono as ‘the world’s most famous unknown artist: everybody knows her name, but nobody knows what she does’.

He was right – although she had been an artist for several years before she met Lennon in 1966, his fame and the circus that surrounded marriage to a Beatle obscured the nature of her work (which could itself be pretty obscure).

In the Sixties Ono was affiliated with the Fluxus group of Dada-inspired artists in New York. Their work blended various media, from painting to music, from literature to architecture. She was also strongly influenced by the composer John Cage and

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indeed performed with him in Tokyo in 1962, lying on top of his piano as he played.

Neither Ono nor Fluxus had an easy critical ride.

Some of her performance and conceptual pieces have stood the test of time, though, and give something of a flavor of her work. She has been performing her groundbreaking piece ‘Cut’, for example, since 1964. The piece involves Ono standing or kneeling on a stage draped in a sheet, from which the audience is then invited to chop pieces until she is left entirely naked. Her ‘instruction paintings’ include ‘Voice Piece for Soprano’ from 1961, in which the participant is given a microphone attached to a pair of loudspeakers and told to ‘Scream: 1. against the wind. 2. against the wall. 3. against the sky’. For those brave enough to do it in a gallery the resulting howls seem almost as blasphemous as someone swearing in church (although the screamers themselves declare the experience to be liberating, albeit nerve-racking, as gallery-goers turn and stare). Another participation piece is ‘Wish Tree’ where viewers are asked to write a wish down on a piece of paper and attach it to a

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Rex Features; Eyevine

tree so that it becomes as draped in aspirations as a Christmas tree is with baubles.

When Swarovski Elements first approached Ono, rather than providing a restrictive design brief, they encouraged her to express her personal vision and tell her story in crystal. She had clear ideas from the start and went back to a piece she had created in 1988, ‘Glass Keys to Open the Sky’: a glass case containing four glass keys. For Swarovski Elements, though, she fashioned the ‘Key to Open the Forest’ collection, available in seven colors and two sizes.

The crystal keys can be bought individually or as part of the jewelry collection – necklaces and bracelets – designed by Swarovski’s design team, using the key crystals as their central element. There are also 1,300 limited-edition pieces called ‘Key to Open the Universe’, in ‘crystal silver’ shade, and each is individually engraved with Ono’s name and the edition number.

The key motif is a clever one: at one level the keys resemble one of the almost-random but varied shapes that have long found their way on to traditional

‘Ono’s keys serve as a continuation of her creative realm’

THE ARTIST’S WAY Previous spread: Portrait of Yoko Ono. Opposite, clockwise from left: Ono listens to her ‘timeless Clock’, through a stethoscope, 1966; revisiting the room at the Hilton, amsterdam, where she and John lennon held their famous

1969 honeymoon ‘Bed-in for Peace’ protest, 1986; at her 1/2 Life exhibition in london, 1967; with lennon in 1969 at the ‘War is Over’ protest. This page: Ono’s new ‘Keys to Open the Forest’ swarovski Elements collection

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charm bracelets – whether horseshoes and hearts or stars and bells – but isolated, it has greater resonance.

The collection’s title suggests limitless potential; as Ono describes it, ‘a key that unlocks the door to the forest with its secrets, to the sky with its peacefulness, to the universe with its infinity.’ Keys also have a personal meaning for everyone. For some the key to their first car will always have a special place in their life, for others it is the key to their first home or a locked box containing their secret things. Then there is the most obvious meaning of them all: the key to a heart – yours or a loved one’s. It is here that Ono treads a fine line but because her keys are so simple, and the nature of crystal so pure, there is no hint of kitsch about them.

In the possibilities they offer, Ono’s crystal keys are very much of a piece with the rest of her work. They appear not as something forced out from beyond her creative realm, but that serves as a continuation of it.

Her art is infinitely interpretable and perhaps that is where it best ties in with the nature and allure of the crystals themselves: look hard enough and all sorts of images and meanings come to mind.

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Louise Gray Graduate show 2007

sTeLL a mCCarTNey Graduate show 1995

C HrisToPHer kaNe Graduate show 2006

JoNaTHaN sauNDers Graduate show 2002

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SCHOOL OF LIFe free thought, independence of spirit and a rebellious nature are just some of the qualities nurtured by central saint martins, whose graduates have gone on to be world leaders in fashion worDs: SARAH MOWeR

If you wanted a ready reckoner of the tangible value to the United Kingdom of the Central Saint Martins college of art, all you need do is reach for the schedule of London Fashion Week. The numbers are there in black and white: without Central Saint Martins (CSM) graduates, London Fashion Week would possibly not exist – or it certainly wouldn’t be the unmissable international focal point of young ideas and innovation that it is in 2012. Wave after wave of original minds have sprung from CSM: John Galliano, Louise Gray, Alexander McQueen, Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Marios Schwab, Stella McCartney and Hussein Chalayan, not least. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that CSM is a foundation stone of fashion itself: New York, Milan and Paris houses and brands are populated with its alumni.

Rex Features; Stephen Lock/i-Images; Getty Images; The Guardian

But then again, exactly how this extraordinary record of non-stop excellence should exist has always been a bit of a mystery – even to some of the alumni themselves. Certainly, as an elite school, the college has a head start in selecting the best of the best entrants. But in my experience of interviewing graduates about what made the teaching special in the Eighties and Nineties, they would often look blank. ‘Well, there wasn’t much,’ they’d shrug.

‘Most of the time you taught yourself.’

Chalayan and McQueen’s generation worked in obsessive isolation, hiding their work from one another and creating mental universes that would eventually explode into unforgettable theatrical, political, performance-art fashion. That culture of secrecy made CSM a breeding ground for competitive individualists, vehemently disagreeing with each other and their tutors. The hyper-judgemental, super-critical culture came from the top. As Bobby Hillson, a talented fashion illustrator who set up the CSM MA course said: ‘It’s not that we went out of our way to be sadists. But one doesn’t waste one’s time being kind. Why be kind?’ (She was, however, a brilliant identifier of talent and offered Alexander McQueen a place on the course after he’d applied to CSM for a job as a pattern-cutting technician.)

Having the courage of your convictions – and the skills to prove they will work – is one of CSM’s chief lessons. Phoebe Philo spent her time there famously

rebelling against the whole ethos – which was encouraging ‘conceptualism’ at the time: ‘I wanted to make a pair of trousers my arse looked good in – rather than one that was about the Holocaust, or something.’ It’s no coincidence she’s gone on to be one of the best cutters of pants in the world.

Christopher Kane went against the grain by referencing his childhood obsession with Versace – a vision outrageously shocking to the quiet good taste of the post 9/11 years. Yet his 2006 graduate collection, with its neon-bright bandage dresses triggered a new wave of ‘body-con’, which swept the world. Mary Katrantzou, another one who ‘wasn’t taught’ at CSM, laughs that digital printing was ‘illegal’ when she was studying textiles at CSM. The tutors, still sticking to the old technology of screenprinting, did not approve – or perhaps hadn’t caught up with the new. Katrantzou ignored the limitations, teaching herself Adobe Photoshop on her own at home at night, pushing forward the boundaries with her own drive. Now, of course Katrantzou is the poster girl for outstanding innovation in print and a world leader in fashion maximalism.

T weak easy Current CSM student at work

‘One doesn’t waste one’s time being kind.

Why be kind?’

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Katrantzou is the ideal example of the independence of spirit and intellectual rigor demanded by Professor Louise Wilson OBE, who has led CSM’s MA course since 1992. There is no mollycoddling in Wilson’s studio, only a kind of teaching which strips a personality down to its core – a core the student didn’t necessarily know was there in the first place.

Surrounded by teachers who know everything about fashion, and peers who can sniff out a reference at 40 paces, this is a class in which any student who dares offer anything derivative will be shot down in flames. Yet through the last 20 years, the experience of becoming themselves, under fire from Prof Wilson, has resulted in a tightly bonded friendship group between independent designers. That friendship has itself has become a bedrock of the success of London Fashion Week today, for when Kane, Saunders, Ilincic, Schwab, Nicoll and Gray don’t know what to do, they ask one another for help. And when Professor Wilson nods her approval, it will still be the best day in a student’s life.

Sarah Mower is a contributing editor to US Vogue, and is the British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent

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STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY swarovski continues to sponsor and encourage the next generation of centraL saint martins design students, creating a new schoLarship and investing in state-of-the-art equipment WoRdS: ASHLEY MAURITZEN

Although London boasts many great art and design colleges, there is no doubt that Central Saint Martins shines the brightest. And for the last ten years, its natural creative sparkle has been made all the more dazzling by an ongoing collaboration with Swarovski Elements.

For Nadja Swarovski, the reasons to invest in Central Saint Martins are crystal clear: ‘It is Swarovski’s mission to nurture emerging design talent and to support the next generation of creative visionaries. We believe that Central Saint Martins will continue to lead in producing the best graduates in the world.’ The result is what Giles Last, senior lecturer in Jewellery, called ‘an excellent example of collaboration between education and industry’ – something guaranteed to make every ambitious young designer happy.

For BA Jewellery Design students at Central Saint Martins, the Swarovski journey begins in their first year. As part of a decade-old sponsorship program, they’re provided with glittering ingredients to bring their wildest and most inspired designs to life. Nadja Swarovski says she is ‘always excited to see how, through their unique vision, each young designer demonstrates the creative possibilities of crystal and gemstones in jewelry design,’ and this year proved no exception.

Students were given four themes for inspiration: Berlin, Istanbul, Fiction and Luminescence. Some outstanding interpretations included a crystal-

‘Crystal added depth and drama to vibrant floral prints’ encrusted concrete and resin deconstruction of the Berlin Wall, a Steam-Punk-inspired monocle set with gemstones to beautiful and disconcerting effect, and a feathered brass necklace that wrapped seductively around the wearer like smoke in a harem. Winner Nadezhda Fedotova’s magnetic necklace and cuff moved judge (and Central Saint Martins graduate) Hannah Martin to declare that it could be released tomorrow and sell out immediately.

No first year could hope for higher praise than that.

What better way to celebrate ten years of working together than with more collaborations? And it was in this spirit that Swarovski launched a new scholarship program for Central Saint Martins students in December last year. Two final-year BA students (one in fashion and one in jewelry design) were selected by an illustrious judging panel to receive financial support and, crucially, access to the materials they required to realise their visions. For Australian-born Stephanie Bila, who won the jewelry scholarship, that meant

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running veins of Swarovski Elements though her large-scale pieces, ‘adding a sense of vibrancy [and] bringing them to life.’ For fashion scholar Scarlett Tull, it meant combining different sizes and shapes of crystal to highlight the strongest colors in her vibrant floral prints, creating real depth and drama.

Of course, there’s more to celebrate this year than an exciting decade-long relationship: Central Saint Martins has moved house. To help it settle into its new £200m King’s Cross site, Swarovski has donated a Rofin Laser Welder for its high-tech Jewellery Futures Room.

Like many alumni, Oleg Mitrofanov had worried that something special might be lost with the old site in Soho, so, inspired by a piece of graffiti he’d spotted there ten years before, he set out to make a documentary about the college and its graduates.

In October of last year, the footage for his film, I Hate My Collection, was already piling up – hours of interviews with world-famous alumni sharing untold stories from their student days. The only thing missing was the funding – until Swarovski stepped in to finance it. The film is now speeding towards completion. In exciting times, it’s a reminder of where Central Saint Martins came from and we can’t wait to see where, with Swarovski’s involvement, it can go next.

Ashley Mauritzen is the editor of the Let Them Eat Cake online fashion resource

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PRIZE PIECES Clockwise from top left: Pearl and feathered necklace by Joann Hong; eyepiece by Jielu Zhang; jewelry piece by Stephanie Bila; necklace and cuff by Nadezhda Fedotova

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This page: Cuff, Atelier Swarovski by Hariri & Hariri. Opposite: Catalina neckpiece, Atelier Swarovski by Greg Lynn

HARVEST JEWELS several TOP DesIGNers Have CONCeIveD sPeCTaCUlar PIeCes FOr aUTUMN/WINTer 2012 UsING sWarOvskI eleMeNTs PHOTOGRAPHY: THOMAS STRAUB PROPs sT YlinG: MARIE TRIBOULET

Opposite: Friday ring, Atelier Swarovski by Greg Lynn.

This page: Samba necklace by Philippe Ferrandis, made with Swarovski Elements, available at SwArovSki CrYSTALLiZED™

Opposite: Lisa Marie cuff, Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy.

This page: Rocks necklace by Caleidoscรณpio, made with Swarovski Elements, available at SwARovSki CRYSTALLiZEDโ ข

This page: Siouxsie necklace, Atelier Swarovski by Kostas Murkudis. Opposite: Susanne neckpiece, Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy

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A SPY FOR GLAMOUR HE MAY BE THE WORLD’S MOST WELL DRESSED SECRET AGENT, BUT jAMES BOND USUALLY LOSES THE LiMELiGHT TO THE ASTONiSHiNG BEAUTY BESiDE HiM. AND SHE iS USUALLY GLiSTENiNG WiTH SWAROvSki ELEMENTS Words: BRONWYN COSGRAVE

This year is the golden anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, and Swarovski enters its 35th year working with the artistic masterminds who have shaped the look of seven 007 films. The latest in the series, Skyfall, is the 23rd Bond film and premieres in London in October this year.

Skyfall will feature striking pieces, painstakingly produced by its costumier, Jany Temime, working closely with Swarovski. One such piece makes its first appearance when Bond encounters the mysterious character Sévérine (played by Bérénice Marlohe), in a Shanghai casino. Her satin evening gown features an eye-catching crystal tattoo motif, created using Swarovski Elements. The dress’s form-fitting shape and dusky satin material recall the hourglass gowns legendary Hollywood costumier Jean Louis

created for Rita Hayworth for her role as the title character of Gilda, the 1946 film noir classic.

Impatient Bond fans can see Sévérine’s dazzling dress in advance of the film release, at the exhibition, Designing 007, Fifty Years of Bond Style, hosted

by London’s Barbican Centre from July to September.

Working as guest curator alongside the Oscarwinning costume designer Lindy Hemming, I have had the chance to examine the fascinating history behind more than 500 Swarovski-ornamented wardrobe items and props created for Bond.

From the Seventies, the ateliers of Mayfair, London operated, unofficially, as a costume department for Eon Productions, the film company that produces James Bond films. Ronald Paterson, who ran a couture house in Albemarle Street from 1950 to 1970, outfitted Honor Blackman for Goldfinger’s publicity tour. He also served as fashion consultant on The Spy Who Loved Me, appointing Baroness Franka Stael Von Holstein to produce the costumes for Barbara Bach’s character Anya Amasova, aka Soviet agent ‘Triple-X’.

Baroness Franka enriched a stunning navy blue gown with translucent Swarovski Elements, which immediately caught the eye of Roger Moore’s Bond when he encounters Amasova in a Cairo nightclub.

The Soviet agent is wearing the gown as she and

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Bond are stalked by the huge villain Jaws around the Karnak temple complex, and the bright sunlight sets off the crystal adorning the seductive cross-straps on her back. After escaping Jaws, Anya is still working her Swarovski gown as she swaggers confidently and with supermodel grace, barefoot across the desert.

Octopussy presents another landmark moment for the Swarovski and Bond partnership. At Udaipur’s Hotel Shiv Niwas Palace, Bond wagers a supposedly genuine Fabergé egg in a backgammon game with exiled Afghan Prince Kamal Khan, portrayed by Louis Jourdan. Asprey, jewelers to the British Royal Family since the 1880s, produced the egg used in the film. Asprey embellished its impressive, translucent green enamel – and the perfect, intricate model of the Imperial State Coach that was contained inside it – with glittering blue and white Swarovski Elements.

Lindy Hemming also utilized Swarovski Elements to conceive the bold jewelry that accentuated the hard character of femme fatale Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye. Famke Janssen expertly portrays this evil former fighter pilot who derives sexual pleasure from killing the men she has seduced.

Hemming went on to create the wardrobe for a further four Bond films: more than any other

Rex Features

Since the advent of Hollywood, costume designers have worked with Swarovski Elements to create iconic pieces, such as the spectacular necklace that Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly flaunted in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or the diamonds drenching Marilyn Monroe’s Lorelei Lee as she seductively sung ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. But with James Bond, Swarovski enjoys an on-screen partnership that stands apart from its array of momentous motion picture collaborations.

Greg Williams/August image; Allstar

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costumier. She then oversaw a landmark Swarovski moment for Bond’s mission to the Ice Palace in Die Another Day. Here, at the lair of weapons smuggler Gustav Graves, which was laden with magnificent Swarovski chandeliers, Bond encounters a pair of female secret agents who are vying for his attention. Hemming employed the use of color and crystals to evoke their rivalry. For brainy, Harvard graduate and Olympic fencing champion Miranda Frost – an MI6 agent played by Rosamund Pike – Hemming created an off-theshoulder ice-blue satin gown, inspired by a Jenny Packham design. She decorated the dress with Swarovski Elements, adding a wintery touch and conveying Frost as being a ‘cool customer’. Halle Berry plays her adversary, NSA agent Jinx Johnson.

In an interview, Berry described her character as ‘fashion-forward and modern’, which is how Hemming dressed her. She outfitted her for this scene in a crystal-encrusted two-piece Versace ensemble. Originally, Hemming discovered it in a look book from Versace’s 2001 collection and, upon her request, Donatella Versace created a violetpink version for the movie. Hemming selected that particular shade to portray Jinx as ‘hot’.

Swarovski Elements were also a key ingredient in adding sparkle to the wardrobe of the 2006 Bond

‘Hemming utilized color and crystals to evoke the women’s rivalry’

film Casino Royale. Veruschka von Lehndorff, playing the ace poker player Gräfin von Wallenstein, sat at the table wearing an eyecatching Swarovski necklace. But it was the foreign liaison agent from HM Treasury’s Financial Action Task Force who really steals the show. Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green, accompanies Bond to Montenegro to finance him as he takes on Le Chiffre at poker, reluctantly playing his ‘trophy’ – under the alias ‘Miss Stephanie Broadchest’. According to the film’s plot, Bond buys Vesper a plum-colored Roberto Cavalli dress at a boutique inside the Hotel Splendide, where the game transpires. Meanwhile, Lynd acquires a dinner jacket for her co-agent and presents it to him, saying, ‘I need you looking like a man who belongs at that table.’ When Bond questions her about the tailoring, she replies with a smirk: ‘I sized you up the moment I saw you.’

Not to be outdone, Bond bestows her with the shimmering Cavalli dress, adorned with Swarovski Elements, saying: ‘I need you looking fabulous.’

Mission accomplished.

Previous spread: Barbara Bach catches the sunlight on the straps of her Swarovski gown with Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me. Opposite:

Halle Berry and Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. This page: Schonbek’s spectacular crystal chandeliers adorn the ceiling of the Ice Palace

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The 50th Anniversary and Skyfall jewelry collections by Swarovski will be available from October 2012 in select Swarovski stores

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brand new heights DONATELLA VERSACE hAS REDEfiNED ThE VERSACE AESThETiC, giViNg ALL wOmEN ACCESS TO CELEbRiTy gLAmOuR. ThiS pROfiLE iS TAkEN fROm MADE WITH, SwAROVSki ELEmENTS’ NEw JEwELRy pubLiCATiON

To walk into any one of Versace’s 100+ boutiques across the globe, is to enter a world where femininity, sensuality and glamour reign supreme. Paparazzimagnet gowns line the rails, sky-high stilettos are eyed up and purchased voraciously, status handbags are snapped up by modern ‘glamazons’ and jewelry featuring Swarovski Elements twinkles in glass cabinets. Versace boutiques used to be all Brocatello marble, bronze finishing and gold-leaf accents.

Today’s emporiums – furnished in minimal tones of black, white and grey, with sleek leather and marble features – show the restraint that Donatella Versace has exercised since taking over after the death of her brother (and company founder) Gianni, in 1997.

Under her direction, Versace has become a brand that women wear in their everyday lives. It is softer, more feminine, and infinitely more wearable. Since

Donatella picked up the reins of the empire and, within months, confidently produced a ready-towear collection, she has steered the label in a direction that, while still resolutely ‘Versace,’ bears the markings of her own vision. ‘My aesthetic of fashion is different to the one of Gianni,’ she once told writer Colin McDowell, ‘because I am a woman.’

‘I’ve always loved jewelry, ever since I was a little girl and borrowed my mother’s pieces,’ says Donatella.

‘I also had my own little collection of kids’ jewelry and always loved the way it made me feel – pretty, like a princess. Jewelry should be used to add highlights to your outfit. I see jewelry as an integral part of any woman’s wardrobe – it adds sparkle.

If you have a strikingly decorated dress, then jewelry can be used to echo the decoration. But equally, if you are wearing simple clothes, as I often do on

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for work – like black pants and a black stretch top – then jewelry can become the star of your outfit: earrings, a ring, bracelets, necklaces… all these things can lift a simple look to new heights.’

Donatella can’t remember the first time she used Swarovski Elements but says she remembers being struck by the incredible potential the crystals would bring to her designs. ‘As a designer, you are always looking for tools to expand your repertoire, to enable you to make more and more special pieces,’ says Versace. ‘Swarovski Elements are a really powerful resource for me, especially when I am thinking about creating a red-carpet outfit, which is, of course, the specialty of the house.

Versace is all about sex and glamour. Crystals add instant glamour. And in the Versace universe, glamour is sexy. I use the cuts to create different

‘Under her direction, Versace is infinitely more wearable’

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touc h of gl amour Previous page: Portrait of Donatella Versace. This page: Necklace, cuff and ring, Versace. Opposite: Earring, Versace.

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hot off the press Swarovski Elements’ new publication, Made With, contains a wealth of designer interviews, features, and top-quality photography

effects – some are more subtle than others, but all add instant drama to an outfit.’

Donatella has brought Versace to a new audience of women who want clothes and jewels to add glamour to their everyday lives, and yet the A-list still love Versace for any high-profile events. It is a brand that is worn by every Hollywood star and pop diva worth mentioning: Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurman, Charlize Theron, Kate Hudson, Hailee Steinfeld, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Lady Gaga (who vowed to only wear vintage Versace for two months in 2011).

Donatella, who studied Italian literature and originally wanted to be Gianni’s PR agent, has – while staying true to the Versace DNA of ‘sexy, glamorous, feminine’ – piloted the brand once known for its showy, conspicuous and not-safe-for-work image into a more accessible era. While understatement has never been a part of the Versace vocabulary (leave that to Armani and Chanel), Donatella’s softer touch has resulted in clothes and jewelry that could make an appearance in the office or at lunch, albeit at only the most glamorous of restaurants. Her brand of sexy is less obvious but sexy nonetheless, and she loyally credits her brother for her success: ‘Gianni was a genius. I learned everything I know from him.’

The Versace triptych – Gianni, Donatella and their brother Santo, who managed the business side – were born far from the high society of Milan and the flamboyance for which their brand is now known. It was in Calabria in Italy’s dry, barren south, in his mother’s dress shop, that Gianni the designer began to emerge; playing with scraps of fabric and listening to his mother’s friends debate what they most wanted from their clothes. He made his first dress at age nine,

‘Gloriously over-the-top evening gowns became the Versace hallmark’ a one-shouldered black velvet gown – a precursor to the vampy glamour he would soon be known for.

When he was ten, he declared that Donatella should have her hair highlighted. She was two at the time.

It is a testament to her faith in Gianni’s opinion that she is now one of the most recognizable blondes in the world. ‘We really do have more fun!’ she smiles.

As drab as their home town may have seemed, the Versace family home was right next to the ruins of a Greek temple and the influence of Calabria’s Greco-Roman heritage on the Versace signature style is clear. It is in the brand’s Medusa-head logo, in the geometric scrollwork on ring bands, in drapery and crystal-encrusted jewelry worthy of Aphrodite herself.

Another of Gianni’s early influences was not quite as classical: he once admitted to considering the staff at the local bordello to be ‘beautiful, magical women.’

Much comment was made of this revelation at the time but, say what you will of his racy creations – and the women that have inspired them – they made him a legend on the international catwalk.

True indeed, Versace has been behind some of the most memorable looks ever to grace the red carpet.

Everyone associates Liz Hurley with the revealing

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Versace dress she wore at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral. The barely there dress that Jennifer Lopez wore at the Grammy Awards in 2000, designed by Donatella, was put on display at the Grammy Museum. And Diana, Princess of Wales, would wear Versace when she wanted to ramp up her confidence, post-divorce.

The statuesque supermodels that sashayed down the catwalk during Gianni’s reign: Naomi, Cindy, Eva and Linda wore stunning creations destined for the red carpet. Gloriously over-the-top evening gowns that were perfect for Cannes, the Oscars or the front pages of newspapers across the world, worn with gilded baubles and plenty of confidence, became the Versace brand hallmark. Big, brassy, brash, bold, and almost exclusively in gold, Gianni Versace’s take on jewelry was showy in the extreme and emphasized his lavish aesthetic – especially when teamed with leopard, crocodile, or his trademark color-saturated Greco-Roman scarf prints. Donatella’s jewelry vision – true to her softer, more relaxed direction – uses Swarovski Elements with a lighter touch in pieces that work within the frame of a woman’s daily life.

On the catwalk for spring/summer 2012, her modernday Aphrodites all seemed to have been born from the waves of the ocean. The underwater-themed collection saw leggy sea nymphs emerge onto the catwalk in sugary pastel dresses that all bore the trademark Versace embellishments: clever prints and stylized motifs. And, clinging to the models like impossibly precious golden barnacles that could have come from Poseidon’s own cache, was jewelry made of gilded seahorses and shells – inlaid with flashes of crystal. Perfect for everyday goddesses, come work or play.

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A

LA MODE strong silhouettes are accented with crystal statements and softened with mohair and faux fur, while sparkling chain mail and leather bring a touch of attitude to modern femininity PHOTOGRAPHY: MARCIN T YSZKA ST YLIST: DANIEL A AGNELLI

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This page: Silk top and pleated silk skirt, both Christian Dior. Velvet and leather lattice shoes, Jimmy Choo. Necklace, made with Swarovski Elements, Christian Dior

This page: Mohair dress, emrboidered with Swarovski Elements, Mary Katrantzou.

Shoes, Christian Louboutin.

Shadow and Triangular rings (left), Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy. Friday ring (right), Atelier Swarovski by Greg Lynn.

Opposite: Wool dress, made with Swarovski Elements, and leather platform shoes, both Jason Wu. Pebble cuff, Atelier Swarovski by Greg Lynn. Hair tie, stylist’s own

Opposite: Jacket and trousers made with Swarovski Elements, leather platform shoes and felt and feather hat, all Louis Vuitton.

This page: One-shouldered bodice dress made with Swarovski Elements, Versace

This page: Top made with Swarovski Elements, Giorgio Armani. Necklaces, Atelier Swarovski by Christopher Kane.

Opposite: Fur and leather bolero embroidered with Swarovski Elements, leather pleated skirt, leather riding boots, and earrings, all Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

This page: Oversized jacket made with Swarovski Elements, Chanel. Shorts, Giorgio Armani. Tights, stylist’s own.

Metal plate necklace and cuff, both made with Swarovski Elements, Chanel. Large ring, Atelier Swarovski by Hariri and Hariri. Opposite: Satin and mesh dress with Swarovski Elements collar and trim, Marios Schwab. Shadow ring (left), Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy.

Small and large cuffs, Atelier Swarovski by Hariri and Hariri.

Other ring (right), stylist’s own HAir Ken O’rourke at Streeters MAKE-up Zoe Taylor at Jed root FASHiON ASSiSTANT Tara Grenville NAiLS Marie-isobel at The Book Agency MOdEL Heather Marks at Select

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THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE IT TAKES A mETIculouS vISIonAry To hEAd up fAShIon’S lEAdIng EmbroIdEry houSE, ESpEcIAlly whEn your prEdEcESSor wAS frAnçoIS lESAgE. EnTEr hubErT bArrèrE WOrDS: NATASHA FrASEr CAvASSONi PHOTOGrAPHY: JONATHAN GLYNN- SMiTH

Last December, the French fashion world went into mourning. François Lesage, who ran Maison Lesage, the illustrious embroidery house, passed away at the age of 82. A much-admired legend who had been embellishing the couture designs of fashion royalty such as Karl Lagerfeld, Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Valentino Garavani and Dolce & Gabbana, since 1949. Lesage was a rarity. Although married to his work, he had a wonderful Napoleonic character with an impish sense of humor.

Schiaparelli once noted, ‘Why is it that everyone looks so terrified around me, while that young Lesage never stops laughing?’

idea because I’m beyond hot,’ he remarks. Then, recovering, he smiles broadly and becomes his entertaining self. With regard to his new role, he says, ‘No one can fill the shoes of François Lesage because it’s too much of a burden.’

He pauses. ‘I view this appointment as a new beginning with all the excitement and energy that the turning of a chapter entails. What’s important is that Lesage remains the pack leader, keeps up its incredible standards, continues to work with young designers and never stops taking risks.’ He also points out he ran Maison Hurel for 14 years – another esteemed embroidery house that worked with Coco Chanel when the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, the talented cousin of Tsar Nicholas II, was in charge.

But just as the stories about his character were endless, Lesage’s knowledge of his craft was infinite and encyclopedic – the twinkly-eyed Frenchman could rattle off all the intricate details of all his 60,000 samples, which includes the 19th-century archives of Albert Michonet, who originally founded the company in 1858. In many ways, Monsieur Lesage was hard to replace. But Bruno Pavlovsky, head of fashion at Chanel and president of the Maison Lesage, has a nose for talent and has found the perfect candidate in Hubert Barrère.

Barrère’s appreciation for luxury began at the age of six. ‘I was already designing ladies’ rings,’ he recalls. Then sketching in his teens evolved into training at Paris’s Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture before turning to corsetry and introducing a signature collection in 2001. ‘Corsetry and embroidery are quite similar in style,’ he says. ‘Both demand rigorous technique, connoisseurship and a hidden sense of architecture.’ Barrère insists that a few beads can change the direction of an embellishment, ‘just as a little tuck can alter a corset’.

Imagine the fast-talking charisma of Jean Dujardin, the Oscar-winning actor of The Artist, but in a fashionisto with extremely short peroxided hair and heavy-framed glasses. Initially, Barrère saunters in, a little bothered, in sombercolored sweats. ‘I wonder if coming by my trotinette (scooter) was such a good

When Barrère arrived at Lesage, he immediately went through the infamous archives often noted for including Schiaparelli’s ‘Circus’ collection embroideries and was immediately struck by the display of firework-like hues. ‘I couldn’t

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DANS L A MAISON Opposite page: The late François Lesage’s photograph in the office. This page: Hubert Barrère at his work desk

saLt

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saLt IT’S SEW TIME Opposite: Embroidery at various stages.

This page: Dresses from Mary Katrantzou’s a/W 12 catwalk collection

‘It remains our duty to make people dream. It’s a big responsibility’ believe the wealth of colors and almost laboratory-like style of all the designs,’ he said. ‘Some embroideries appeared deceptively fragile but in technique were as complicated as the Bayeux Tapestry.’

ninth arrondissement, tranquility seems to reign supreme. In the medieval-like atmosphere, natural light bathes the seamstresses who are bowed over tables, stabbing away with their needles, pulling multi-colored silk threads. Devoted to their craft, smiles are exchanged but they barely speak. It is hard to reconcile this peaceful scene with the dresses’ high-profile destination: they are Alexandre Vauthier’s gowns for Beyoncé Knowles’s concerts in New York.

Jason Lloyd-Evans

After several weeks, Barrère found his two favorites – a design created by Yves Saint Laurent, which was inspired by the crystal chandeliers at his Avenue Marceau fashion house and Lagerfeld’s coromandel screens, which were copied from Coco Chanel’s Rue Cambon apartment. Still, throughout all his discoveries he kept on noticing the effective use of Swarovski crystals. ‘I love the way the crystals capture the light,’ he says. ‘They act like stars falling on a fabric.’

As can be imagined, the seasons that come around each January and July lead to Lesage’s heaviest workload. Jackets for Dior can require as much as 400 hours of work, and Valentino outfits around 800 hours. Nevertheless the unflappable petites mains are perfectly prepared. The fashion studio chooses a design in advance and a drawing is made using the precise measurements of the piece. And as soon as Barrère signs off, the embroiderer can begin, constantly referring to the drawing. When finished, the embellished sample is wrapped in tissue paper and returned to the couture house in order to be stitched onto the outfit.

Naturally, Barrère worked with Swarovski at Hurel. ‘Whenever we wanted to elevate an embellishment we used Swarovski because, like magic, it triples the light, is water-like and limitless.’ Whenever faced with Swarovski’s recent delivery, he feels ‘like Ali Baba in his cave because Swarovski sums up childhood dreams.’ Azure blue remains one of Barrère’s favorite shades – ‘it reminds me of a great aunt’s aquamarine ring’ – but he also admires the purple which he describes as ‘noble and mystical’, reminding him of the ‘darkest amethyst or Renaissance velvet’.

‘Desire is so important when it comes to embroidery,’ says Barrère. ‘The work has got to be exceptional because clients deserve the best and it remains our duty to make people dream. No joke but it’s a real responsibility and a key element of the luxury business.’ It is a duty that Barrère clearly enjoys.

As Barrère reminisces, he seems to be the only person making any noise at Lesage. Indeed throughout the atelier, which lies in the heart of Paris’s creative

Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni writes for British Vogue, Glamour and Elle Decor 99

W W W. G I E V E S A N D H A W K E S. C O M

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refLecT & innovATe A / w 2012 – 2013

in an ever-changing society, there grows an overwhelming need to stay true to our roots.

Sustainability has risen to the fore along with preservation: of identity, of natural resources and of local expertise and craftsmanship in

opposition to mass production and globalisation.

This season’s trend themes embrace all that Austrian history and tradition has to offer, demonstrating how time can move forward, yet reflect current culture and remain true to its past.

INNOVATIONS PhoTogrAPhy: Ted humbLe-SmiTh STyLiST: chArLoTTe LAwTon PhoTogrAPher’S ASSiSTAnTS: TheA bAdiLLy And cruSoe weSTon TRENDS PhoTogrAPhy: kevin mAckinToSh SeT deSigner: dAryL mcgregor STyLiST: mAry AnnA keArney PhoTogrAPher’S ASSiSTAnTS: ben reeveS And roberT wiLLey digiTAL oPerATor: oLiviA eSTebAnez STyLiST’S ASSiSTAnT: cLAudiA bAhAmonde SeT deSigner’S ASSiSTAnT: wiLL bunce hAir: federico ghezzi AT cLm mAke-uP: meL ArTer AT cLm nAiLS: kATie jAne hugheS modeL: meghAn wiLLiAmS AT STorm

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Opposite: Cape, bodice and skirt, all from Angels The Costumiers. Waistcoat from rellik. Corset from one of A kind. Blouse and feathers from st Cyr vintage. hat from vv rouleaux. Dahlia opulent collar, Philippe Ferrandis, made with swarovski elements, available at sWArovski CrysTAlliZeD™ This page: Bag and feathers from st Cyr vintage. ribbons from vv rouleaux

Cl AssiC TrenD REFLECTIONS ON TRADITION The emerging trend of wanderlust underpins this new classicism, which evokes forest hikes, sparkling lakes and log cabins. Crystal adorns traditional Austrian Alpine dress, along with braiding, ribbons, frills and medals. The mossy green of firs and forest are coupled with life-affirming shades of red and deepest blue PHOTOGRAPHY: kevin mACkinTosh SET DESIGN: DAryl mCGreGor ST YLING: mAry- AnnA keArney

PURE LEAF FAMILY This page: In a reection of the natural world, the Pure Leaf Family in Crystal Blue Shade is a pure hue reminiscent of icy morning frost CERAMICS FL AT BAC KS HOTFIX Opposite: Reduced iridescence in the soft, subtle sheen of ceramics fuses brilliantly with radiant crystal hues to offer an opulently modern feel to transfer designs

CL ASSIC INNOVATION PHOTOGRAPHY: TED HUMBLE-SMITH ST YLING: CHARLOTTE L AW TON

This page: Flowers from Basia Zarzycka. necklace, ring and earclips (woven into garland), Jean Paul Gaultier, made with Swarovski elements, available at SWAroVSki crySTAlliZeD™. Opposite: Jacket and dress, both from one of A kind. Trousers (just visible), mark Fast archive. collar, from rellik. Gloves from Atsuko kudo. necklace and ring, as before

romAnTic TrenD REFLECTIONS ON daRkNESS The new romantic spirit is haunted by a sense of longing and a beautiful feeling of loss. Shabby nobility demands velvets, polished surfaces and precious wool. The Austrian capital Vienna’s Baroque and Gothic architecture inspires opulent crystal in dark mystical colors, which adorn oxidized and black metal bases PHOTOGRAPHY: keVin mAckinToSh SET DESIGN: DAryl mcGreGor ST YLING: mAry- AnnA keArney

CRYSTAL FABRIC This page: The Crystal Comet Argent light effect creates a platinum shimmer in an irresistible and flexible fabric, bringing a touch of mystery to a dark winter’s evening VICTORY PENDANT Opposite: The graphic impact of the Victory Pendant echoes the impressive forms of Baroque architecture, creating strong accents of its own in deep Jet and Crystal Red Magma

ROMANTIC INNOVATION PHOTOGRAPHY: TED HUMBLE-SMITH ST YLING: CHARLOTTE L AW TON

Opposite: Jumper, Jason Wu. knickers from Atsuko kudo. Stockings from house of harlot. mushroom rings, Crystal evolution by Bella r., made with Swarovski elements, available at SWArovSki CryStAlliZeD™. top and pom poms, stylist’s own. This page: Boots from Jan taminiau. Skies and pompoms, stylist’s own

ProGeSSive trenD reflections on ProGress Winter style is woken up with violent, bold hues in clashing neon. Coated, encapsulated and compressed, advanced materials fend off the severest cold. Synthetic alternatives hint at Pop Art and facilitate natural movement as clothes become second skin. Graphic shapes define and invigorate the senses PHOTOGRAPHY: kevin mACkintoSh SET DESIGN: DAryl mCGreGor ST YLING: mAry- AnnA keArney

PROGRESSIVE INNOVATION PHOTOGRAPHY: TED HUMBLE-SMITH ST YLING: CHARLOTTE L AW TON

CRYSTAL PEARLS NEONCOLORS Offering a spectacular and sporty design element, these exhilarating bursts of color fuel a desire to react and re-energise, ready for adventure and excitement LIGHT TURQUOISE Beautiful, crisp and clean, Light Turquoise conjures up images of the snow-topped mountains that inuence design on the city streets below

GL AMOUR TREND

Mozart’s operas, chamber music recitals and Viennese waltzes epitomize the aesthetic of the glamour trend.

Crystals and pearls, symbols of wealth and desire, highlight the decadence and sensuality of the age.

Soft pastels are flattered by yellow and rose gold, and twinkling hair accessories hold back soft tendrils of curls

reflections on beauty

PHOTOGRAPHY: kEViN MACkiNTOSh seT desiGn: DARyL MCGREGOR sT YlinG: MARy- ANNA kEARNEy

This page: Flowers by Basia Zarzycka. Vintage Deco pendant necklace and long pendant necklace, made with Swarovski Elements, Ben-Amun, available at SWAROVSki CRySTALLiZED™. Feathers from Gillian horsup at Grays. Opposite: Top from One of a kind. Skirt and veils from Angels The Costumiers. Wig from Rocchetti & Rocchetti Srl. Long pendant necklace, as before. Opulent earring, made with Swarovski Elements, Ben-Amun, available at SWAROVSki CRySTALLiZED™ Feathers from Gillian horsup at Grays

BEC HARMED PEARLS Beautiful burnished hues offer sophistication ďŹ t for a princess.

The soft pearlescent shades showcase the understated opulence of these delicate and imaginative forms

GL AMOUR INNOVATION PHOTOGRAPHY: TED HUMBLE-SMITH ST YLING: CHARLOTTE L AW TON

PERFECT PRINT MARY KATRANTZOU RespONds TO swAROvsKi eleMeNTs’ A/w 13-14 TReNds ANd iNNOvATiONs PHOTOGRAPHY: BRUCE ANDERSON

In each issue of Salt we present a collection of pages that showcase the developments in Swarovski Elements. These pages then serve as inspiration for creative minds. In this issue, we asked the rising star of fashion design, Mary Katrantzou, to show us how these pages sparked her imagination and invited her to design a print based on the A/W 13-14 trends.

The result is a captivating image, designed exclusively for Salt, which is unmistakably Katrantzou. With its intricate detail and embellishment, it draws the viewer into Mary’s multifaceted world, where the abstract mixes with the ornate and the traditional, adorned with Swarovski Elements. This print may remain a standalone piece or may find its way into her next collection – either way, we would like to thank Mary for giving us this privileged preview of her work.

STOCKISTS SWAROVSKI OFFICES, CREATIVE SERVICE CENTERS, TREND AND APPLICATION CENTERS

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS EUROPE Liechtenstein (For Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe) +423 399 5757 swarovskielements.li@swarovski.com France +33 144 761 515 cic.france@swarovski.com Athens, Greece +30 210 993 3020 heliana.yiakoumaki@swarovski.com Thessaloniki, Greece +30 231 023 0305 theodoros.bitsis@swarovski.com Spain and Portugal +34 932 857 053 swarovskielementsinfo.ses@swarovski.com Italy +39 027 226 01 swarovskielements.italy@swarovski.com UK +44 20 7851 9900 swarovskielements.li@swarovski.com Russia +7 495 258 8302 swarovskielements.li@swarovski.com Turkey +90 212 225 4429 swarovski.turkey@swarovski.com

ASIA & AUSTRALIA Hong Kong, China +852 256 663 01 swarovski-elements.hk@swarovski.com Guangzhou, China +86 203 813 2188 swarovski-elements.cn@swarovski.com Shenzhen, China +86 755 236 0573 2 Beijing, China +86 106 597 8777 Shanghai, China +86 212 306 9888 Dongguan City, China +86 769 227 647 23 Qingdao, China +86 532 809 995 95 Zhejiang Province, China +86 579 855 909 03 Taiwan, Chinese Taipei +886 221 002 611 Singapore +65 666 163 33 swarovski-elements.sg@swarovski.com Indonesia +62 212 902 1451/52/53 ptcrystallized.id@swarovski.com Vietnam +84 862 556 768 jeffrey.tan@swarovski.com Thailand +662 635 1990 sirikarn.ngamboonsin@swarovski.com Korea +82 233 959 136 lucia.kim@swarovski.com Japan +81 367 182 382 swarovski-elements.jp@swarovski.com

New Zealand +64 997 037 60 vivienne.gee@swarovski.com Australia +61 283 457 200 darren.solo@swarovski.com India +91 114 604 1000/112 613 6000 konia.khanna@swarovski.com South India +91 803 027 9870 nirupama.nair@swarovski.com

MIDDLE EAST Middle East FZE +97 148 816 562 info.sme@swarovski.com Dubai, UAE +97 142 822 027 office.dubai@swarovski.com

USA Rhode Island +1 401 463 5132 elements.sna@swarovski.com Los Angeles +1 213 489 2393

SWAROVSKI COMMUNICATION & CREATIVE SERVICE CENTERS WORLDWIDE EUROPE London, UK +44 20 7255 8400 Wattens, Austria +43 522 450 033 07 sandra.oconnor@swarovski.com Milan, Italy +39 027 226 01 stefania.fedeli@swarovski.com Paris, France +33 144 761 515 cic.france@swarovski.com

ASIA New Delhi, India +91 114 604 1000/112 613 6000 konia.khanna@swarovski.com

MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UAE +971 488 165 62 penelope.georgakis@swarovski.com bansri.gagwani@swarovski.com

SOUTH AMERICA Argentina +54 11 4813 0004 Brazil +55 11 3088 8821 comercial.br@swarovski.com Mexico +52 55 5545 4509

USA New York +1 212 935 4200 Los Angeles +1 310 652 0089 x3813

SOUTH AMERICA São Paolo, Brazil +55 11 3088 8821 comercial.br@swarovski.com

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STOCKISTS ATELIER SWAROVSKI STOCKISTS AND SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ STORES

SWAROVSKI TREND & APPLICATION CENTERS WORLDWIDE ASIA Hong Kong, China +852 256 663 01 Beijing, China +86 106 597 8777 Shanghai, China +86 212 306 9888 Guangzhou, China +86 20 3813 2188 Bangkok, Thailand +662 635 1990 Singapore +65 6273 0707 Jakarta, Indonesia +62 21 2902 1451/52/53 Tokyo, Japan +81 367 182 382

ATELIER SWAROVSKI EUROPE Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™, London, UK +44 20 7434 3444 Couture Lab, London, UK +44 20 7808 9443 Harrods, London, UK +44 20 7730 1234 Harvey Nichols, London, UK +44 207 235 5000 Flannels, Manchester, UK +44 161 931 2593 La Maison de Sacs, Leicester, UK +44 116 270 2383 Michelle B, Barrowford, UK +44 1282 605 060

Maggie & Co, Torquay, UK +44 1803 292 198 Clothes Peg, Dublin, Ireland +353 1832 1442 L’Eclaireur, Paris, France +33 148 871 022 Gago, Aix-en-Provence, France +33 442 260852 It, Brussels, Belgium +32 2644 1069 Corso Como, Milan, Italy +39 022 900 2674 Gio Moretti, Milan, Italy +39 027 600 3186 Massimo Rubini, Castelnuovo, Italy +39 018 769 1286 Luisa Via Roma, Florence, Italy +39 055 906 4116 In Saloto da Luisa, Mantova, Italy +39 0376 363817 Mix, Mantova, Italy +39 0376 229817 Can Cabot Centre, Mallorca, Spain +34 971 495 849 The Icon, Kiev, Ukraine +38 044 246 6008 Machiavelli, St Petersburg, Russia +7 812 601 0690

ASIA & AUSTRALIA Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™, Shanghai, China +86 215 382 8508 Copais, Shenzen, China +86 755 837 47683 Sidefame, Hong Kong, China +852 2956 3266 Tun Group, Taiwan, Chinese Taipei +886 225 681 877

Corso Como, Seoul, South Korea +82 2 3018 1010 Je Ne Sais Quoi, Seoul, Korea +82 2 515 3151 Beams, Tokyo, Japan +81 356 771 605 Rope, Tokyo, Japan +81 334 724 226 One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives +960 664 8800 Christensen Copenhagen, Double Bay, Australia +61 293 273 377

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Boutique 1, Dubai, UAE +97 104 442 578 88 One And Only, Cape Town, South Africa +27 21 431 5888

SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ CONCEPT STORES EUROPE London, UK +44 20 7434 3444 customerservice.us@crystallized.com Wattens, Austria +43 522 451 080 swarovski.kristallwelten@swarovski.com Innsbruck, Austria +43 512 573 100 swarovski.innsbruck@swarovski.com Vienna, Austria +43 132 400 00 swarovski.wien@swarovski.com

ASIA Shanghai, China +86 215 382 8508 customerservice.cn@crystallized.com

USA Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™, New York +1 800 873 7578 Henri Bendel, New York +1 212 247 1100

USA New York +1 212 966 3322 customerservice.us@crystallized.com

SOUTH AMERICA One&Only Palmilla, San José del Cabo, Mexico +52 624 146 7053

Also available at top Swarovski stores around the world. Full listing on www.atelierswarovski.com

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AbOVE Opposite: Susanne neckpiece, Atelier Swarovski by Zaldy.

This page: ’Winter Garden‘ printed silk chiffon dress with ‘Ice Swarovski Elements’ embroidery

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SecreTS of The crySTAL SkuLL A mysterious quArtz skull hAs hAd experts puzzled for more thAn A century… until now WoRds: nick SMiTh

© The Trustees of the British Museum

If the myths of antiquity are to be believed, there are as many as 13 rock crystal hand-carved skulls scattered to the four corners of the world, all possessing paranormal powers and ancient secrets.

Some believe that these glittering prizes are extraterrestrial in origin, others say they were created by the Maya civilization. It is said that when these lost artifacts are brought together, great secrets will be revealed. Those in possession of the full set of these skulls will have the power to rule the world.

As legends go, it has everything and it’s easy to see its attraction for everyone from Indiana Jones scriptwriters to peddlers of New Age ideas. The big problem is this: there’s simply no evidence to back the story up. It is true that the skulls exist and are on display in such venerable institutions as the British Museum and the Smithsonian where they are wildly popular with visitors. But recent research shows that these life-size carvings are not ‘ancient’. In fact, the skull in the British Museum is now accepted as a fake, and has been downgraded to merely ‘old.’

Yet as with so many archaeological hoaxes, fact is more interesting than fiction. While experts accept that skull imagery has featured in Mexican art

CLEAR pERspECtivE The crystal skull on display at the British Museum

predating the arrival of 16th-century European explorers, it seems that the crystal skull in the British Museum isn’t Mayan or even ‘pre-Columbian’ after all. It is now believed to have been made during the 19th century to satisfy the demand for historical relics from burgeoning collectors desperate to have something exotic to show the public.

The recent history of the British Museum skull is not exhaustively documented. It was acquired in 1897 from the New York jeweler Tiffany & Co, via a shadowy character by the name of George Frederick Kunz. Kunz claimed that the skull had been brought from Mexico by a Spanish soldier, but as the market became flooded with crystal skulls towards the end of the 20th century, scholars became skeptical and decided to take a closer look.

Scientific tests concluded that the British Museum skull had been made using relatively modern-day instruments such as rotary tools and hard abrasives that would not have been available to pre-

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Columbians, who used hand tools. Angela Schuster, of the Explorers Club in New York, describes this as the killer blow for New Age theorists. ‘The evidence of rotary-tool use and the fact that the crystal itself comes from either Madagascar or Brazil rules out any claim for authenticity.’ In case of any further doubt, Schuster goes on to say that archaeological evidence for the presence of such objects in any Mesoamerican context is ‘nil’.

Experts at the British Museum are now convinced that not only is the skull a hoax, but that objects of this kind ‘were not made in rock crystal or white quartz’ by the Maya. Unfortunately, they are equally sure that while the skull is without doubt an enigmatic exhibit and fine work of art, it does not, as is frequently claimed, have healing qualities, emit energy or act as a repository of ancient wisdom. In fact, according to the author and veteran explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison, who is currently researching a book on the Maya, ‘the fantastic myths about skulls with paranormal powers, just like belief in their extra-terrestrial origins, are clearly nonsense.’

Nick Smith is contributing editor on The Explorers Journal and is the former editor of Geographical

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