Salt SS11 by Show Media Ltd

€12

with kaRl lageRFeld, eRdeM, josePh altuZaRRa, viCtoRia’s seCRet, gaia & gino and Queen oF BuRlesQue dita von teese

with Zaha hadid, hussein Chalayan, giles deaCon, david RoCkwell, konstantin gRCiC, doshi levien, MaRios sChwaB, antonio BeRaRdi, tokujin yoshioka… Plus an aPPReCiation oF alexandeR MCQueen

SPRING/SUMMER 2011

bRIGHT bLUSH

SHINE ON THIS WINTER

by joSeph AltuzArrA

Atelier SwArovSki preSentS cutting-edge AcceSSorieS celebrAting innovAtive deSign from the world of fAShion, jewelry And Architecture StockiSt informAtion : www.AtelierSwArovSki.com +44 (0) 207 255840 0

CONTENTS

13 THE CUT Swarovski news from around the world, beginning with parties and launch events 14 NEWS From Kate Moss on ﬁlm to the new Swarovski crystal chandeliers at The Savoy 16 DINNER BY CANDLELIGHT Swarovski collaborated with the Palace of Versailles to create a hi-tech LED candle 18 MENSWEAR Jonathan Anderson talks about the inspiration for his latest collection

Toby Macfarland pond; bean grealy

20 VICTORIA’S SECRET Celebrating the most glamorous lingerie show of the year 22 DESIGN MIAMI/ Swarovski has collaborated with young design team Troika

Above, from left Rings by Prabal Gurung for Atelier Swarovski; Dress with Swarovski Crystals by Juan Carlos Obando

24 NEWS The Nutcracker on stage shines with crystals and Hollywood greats sparkle 26 22 WAYS TO SAY BLACK Twenty-two fashion designers reinvent the little black dress for a charity auction

28 NEWS Exciting new buys in fashion and beauty 30 KURT GUTENBRUNNER Why the Austrian-born chef chose New York’s Soho to open his new eatery 33 NEWS Dazzling pieces from the Swarovski World Jewelry Facets preview 34 EUROLUCE This exhibition has unearthed new talent in lighting 37 NEWS The latest retailer collaborations 38 BLACK SWAN Design duo Rodarte created crystal encrusted costumes for this stunning ﬁlm 40 MANISH ARORA The Indian-born designer says it from the heart with these beautiful pendants 42 TALKING pOINT How Swarovski is using digital media 44 CONSUMER GOODS jEWELRY This season’s collection is inspired by nature

CONTENTS

84 FASHION Spring/Summer 2011 looks featuring Swarovski crystal shot by photographer Aitken Jolly

60 swarovski crystal Palace The best of this ultimate design initiative is now documented in a beautiful volume

96 innovations The latest shapes, cuts and colors from Swarovski Elements

64 karl lagerfeld Legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld on his career and Atelier Swarovski range

106 Jawaher Viv Groskop takes a look at a new collection which marries the Islamic tradition with a glimpse of crystal

68 elements at work A new book highlights the initiative to encourage designers to use crystal on ceramics, furniture and lighting 72 atelier swarovski The Spring/Summer 2011 innovative jewelry collection from some of the world’s most cutting-edge designers 78 dita von teese The burlesque dancer shimmers and smoulders on stage wearing Swarovski 82 michael kaPlan Renowned costume-designer Michael Kaplan talks to Salt about his latest ﬁlm

110 JosePh altuzarra This emerging designer talks to Clare Coulson about his inspirations and how he designs for modern women 114 trends The results of months of research from the Swarovski Elements trends team. Here, Salt showcases their predictions for next season 120 swarovski stockists Swarovski stores and contact details worldwide 122 crystal universe It won’t be long before crystals can be farmed in space, says Nick Smith

Above, from left Satin dress embroidered with Swarovski crystal by Emanuel Ungaro; Dita Von Teese; Jewelry by Manish Arora for Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™

Aitken Jolly; PAolA kudAcki/trunkArchive.com; thomAs brown

46 fashion week collaborations Fashion designers who have used crystal this season, shot exclusively for Salt

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Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Salt, celebrating the use of Swarovski crystal in the worlds of jewelry, architecture, 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 results of their innovative and inspirational use of our precision-cut crystal. In this issue we proﬁle long-term collaborators such as fashion designer Manish Arora and lingerie label Victoria’s Secret, as well as celebrating recent partnerships with a diverse range of talents, from fashion designers Joseph Altuzarra and Erdem to Hollywood costume-designer Michael Kaplan and New York chef Kurt Gutenbrunner. We also have exclusive interviews with burlesque star Dita Von Teese and renowned fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. At Swarovski, we are commited to nurturing new talent and championing unsung heroes, such as the many design partnerships we have formed through our ongoing Swarovski Crystal Palace and Swarovski Elements at Work projects. We hope this magazine inspires you.

Nadja Swarovski Vice-President International Communication & Creative Director, Swarovski

CONTR IB UTOR S

Salt SHOW MeDIa +44 20 3222 0101 Ground Floor, 1-2 Ravey Street, London EC2A 4QP info@showmedia.net www.showmedia.net

Beau Grealy

VIV GrOSKOP

aITKeN JOlly

NaTaSHa FraSer-CaSSaNOVI

Photographer

Writer

Photographer

Writer

Australian-born photographer Beau Grealy started taking pictures as a teenager following in the footsteps of his photographer father. Now residing in Brooklyn, Beau’s close-cropped portraits and atmospheric fashion and beauty images draw inspiration from everything around him. Beau has contributed to many publications and advertising campaigns including Topman, Vogue, i-D, V, Interview, Man About Town and Quest.

Viv Groskop is a columnist, interviewer and broadcaster who started her career on Esquire. She now writes on arts, culture and fashion for The Guardian and Observer and appears regularly on Sky News and BBC Radio 4. She is a contributing editor at Russian Vogue, Red and often hosts ‘In Conversation With…’ author events.

London-born photographer Aitken Jolly’s interest in photography was first sparked aged eight when he took his first, and still one of his best portraits... of his pet goldfish. Since then Aitken has been working towards professional photography, assisting some of the biggest names in the industry. Aitken went it alone in January 2008 and has since shot for top international publications including Harper’s Bazaar, POP, Russian Vogue, GQ Style and Wonderland.

Based in Paris, Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is a British journalist and writer. She writes for the International Herald Tribune, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller and US Elle Decor. Her biography of Sam Spiegel, the Academy Award-winning producer, was published in both the UK and the US.

editor-in-Chief Peter Howarth art Director Ciara Walshe Managing editor Katie Wyartt Project Manager Abby Rawlinson Senior Designer Helen Delany Designer Hillary Jayne Picture editor Juliette Hedoin Picture research Rachel Lucas-Craig Chief Sub-editor Chris Madigan Sub-editor Julia Newcomb editorial Director Joanne Glasbey Creative Director Ian Pendleton

SWarOVSKI COMMuNICaTIONS uNIT lONDON Vice President International Communications and Creative Director Nadja Swarovski Communications Director Fashion Pascale Montaner Fashion and Corporate Communications executive Meghan Kay SWarOVSKI eleMeNTS Senior Vice President Marketing Markus Lampe Director Branding and Communication Andreas Brakonier Salt is published in Chinese, English and Japanese. Translation by Etymax; www.etymax.com

NICK SMITH

MICHelle DuGuID

TOBy MCFarlaN POND

Clare COulSON

Writer

Stylist

Photographer

Writer

Nick Smith is a writer and photographer specialising in technology and adventure. He is a former editor of Geographical magazine and is a fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society. A regular contributor to The Daily Telegraph, his latest book, Travels in the World of Books, was published earlier this year.

Michelle Duguid lives in London and is fashion editor at Russian Vogue. She was previously fashion assistant at British Vogue where she worked with photographers such as Paolo Roversi and Lachlan Bailey. Her worked has also appeared in international publications including Flair and The Wall Street Journal.

English still-life photographer Toby McFarlan Pond lives in New York with his wife and two dogs and travels regularly between there and London. He has recently contributed to publications including Love, Russian Vogue, Vogue Nippon, V Magazine and ST Fashion for The Sunday Telegraph.

Clare Coulson is fashion features director at Harper’s Bazaar and before that was fashion editor of The Daily Telegraph. She has also written for The Guardian, Observer, The Sunday Telegraph, InStyle and Marie Claire.

Colour reproduction by FMG; www.wearefmg.com Printing by Stige SpA; www.stige.it 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.

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DESIGN PORTRAIT.

Bend-Sofa is music to Kate and Davide. Bend-Sofa is designed by Patricia Urquiola. info: Tel. +39 031 795 213 - info@bebitalia.com - www.bebitalia.com B&B Italia Store London, SW3 2AS - 250 Brompton Road - Tel. 020 7591 8111

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NIRVANA Ring

SwarovSki SToriES from around ThE globE STarTing wiTh ThE bEST parTiES in 2010

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PARTY SEASON The second half of 2010 was a star-studded period for Swarovski, with a host of launch events, awards ceremonies and celebrations on the agenda. Highlights included the 2010 UK Jewellery Awards in July, where Swarovski was proud to support the Best Catwalk Jewels award. In September a host of famous names attended the Elle 25th anniversary party as well as the launch of another magazine’s 3D ﬁlm with Kate Moss in London, and Swarovski sponsored the exhibition and book launch of Yul, Yul brynner: a photographic Journey. To celebrate the Tokujin Yoshioka installation at the Old Vic Tunnels, Nadja Swarovski and Kevin Spacey hosted a preview and VIP dinner prior to the launch of the Frieze Art Fair in October. Highlights in November included Design Miami/ and the Swarovski Crystal Palace display at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. Support was also given to the Moët British Independent Film Awards in December, where Swarovski provided the trophies.

FAMOUS FACES Clockwise from top left: Stefano Tonchi, Ron Arad and Pharrell Williams at Design Miami/; Aimee Mullins and Catherine Baba at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris; Vivienne Westwood at the Elle 25th anniversary party, London; Baillie Walsh and Kate Moss at the 3D ﬁlm private viewing, London; World Jewelry Facets launch, Shanghai; Halle Berry at the 22 Ways to Say Black auction, New York; Nadja Swarovski and Kevin Spacey at the Tokujin Yoshioka launch at the Old

Vic Tunnels, London; Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan at the Moët British Independent Film Awards; Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes at the Moët British Independent Film Awards, London; Doris Brynner, Nadja Swarovski and Victoria Brynner at the Yul Brynner book launch, New York; World Jewelry Facets launch, Shanghai.

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crystals in 3d, glamor at the savoy gr ill , v ienna showcase

SUPER DIMENSION In a bid to bring together fashion, art and film in glorious 3D, Swarovski joined forces in September with Kate Moss and filmmaker Baillie Walsh to create a film for AnOther Magazine (anothermag.com). The work continues Moss and Walsh’s journey into experimental, multidimensional image making, first seen in their legendary holographic film for Alexander McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2006 show. It also marks the first time Swarovski crystals have been brought to life through 3D technology. The film features a performance by Moss as a mythological goddess who shatters her self-image through an explosion of hundreds of tiny crystals. The original work was presented as an immersive video art installation at the renowned Haunch of Venison and for two days over London Fashion Week, the installation was open to the public. An exclusive behind the scenes video can be seen on www.swarovski.tv.

From top: Baillie Walsh sets up; Kate Moss; the Savoy Grill’s new chandeliers by Fredrikson Stallard; Frost by Vincent van Duysen for Swarovski Crystal Palace

CRYSTAL CLEAR

SHINE A LIGHT Last year, design duo Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard called upon Swarovski to bring sparkle to their latest challenge: to design a set of chandeliers exclusively for Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill. One of the year’s most eagerly anticipated openings, London landmark The Savoy underwent a €260m restoration and reopened in October. ‘With The Savoy’s legacy of luxury and glamor, it was essential to keep the Art Deco spirit alive, particularly the inﬂuence of constructivism, but still sit within the contemporary context that our practice is very much about,’ said the duo. ‘Our Savoy chandeliers are executed as minimal industrialists in their design language, but by utilizing the optical effects of the unique Swarovski rectangular-cut crystal, they turn themselves into combustions of lux and visions to the future.’

To celebrate cutting-edge designers that have interpreted the beauty of Swarovski crystals, Swarovski Crystal Palace and Swarovski Elements showcased a selection of works in Technolyrical Innovations by Swarovski at Künstlerhaus during Vienna Design Week 2010. Visitors to the exhibition experienced Konstantin Grcic’s designs for Abet Laminati using crystals on laminate for the ﬁrst time, as well as other innovative application solutions from the Swarovski Elements at Work project. Also on display were pieces by Vincent van Duysen who has combined the possibilities of technology with Swarovski crystal to create groundbreaking lighting arrangements for Swarovski Crystal Palace.

TOD’S BOUTIQUES: TEL. 020.74932237 - 020.72351321

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DinnEr by CanDlEligHT The latest project from the Swarovski innovation team was created for the historic palaces of Versailles and Schönbrunn – a 21st-century crystal LED light that replicates a 17th-century candle WORDS Nick Smith

The Swarovski candle design for Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace has a crystal LED bulb which simulates the qualities of a burning candle

That this one-off piece by Swarovski was a chandelier was fitting, as this famous 17th-century château, brainchild of Louis XIV and spectacular symbol of the monarchy of the Ancien Régime, was the first royal palace to make extensive use of chandeliers. This invention was to set the standard of lighting that all other European dynasties were to follow. The famous Hall of Mirrors – where the treaty ending the First World War was signed – has a phenomenal collection of 17 large chandeliers. To light this room alone once required a staggering 1,000 candles. Today, Swarovski is revisiting Versailles and again working with chandeliers. But now the focus is not on the objects themselves, but on the light they emit. Today’s safety regulations mean that the use of naked flames in stately houses that are open to the public is a thing of the past. In fact candles have not been used to light Versailles for 100 years, Unfortunately their replacements – conventional incandescent bulbs – are unattractive, inefficient and increasingly fall outside environmental legislation. The thinking at Swarovski was that it would be wonderful to see Versailles as it was hundreds of years ago – illuminated by candlelight. Was there then a way to light the rooms in an authentic and aesthetically pleasing way? Hannes Erler, vice president of Innovation at Swarovski’s i-Lab in Austria explains: ‘The special challenge for our project group in Versailles was to create a light effect that simulated the atmosphere of the era of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. And this was pure candlelight.’

The idea of being able to experience these magnificent interiors with their splendid decorative works by painter Charles Le Brun, was indeed a tantalising one. In the end, Erler and his team used their expertise working with crystal, cutting-edge design and energy-efficient lighting technology to achieve this goal. Together with Versailles, they developed a modern day ‘candle’ that employs a crystal LED bulb designed to simulate the appearance, and more importantly, the properties and light producing characteristics of candles. ‘In the past,’ says Erler, ‘limitations of LED technology meant that they primarily produced “cold light”, which was not the effect we wanted.’ The new ‘candle’ features a flame-scattering crystal light bulb, a breakthrough innovation that provides uniform illumination while maintaining the illusion of a naked candle source. This is achieved partially by the physical flame-shaped appearance of the bulb itself, but also by the variations of ‘color temperature’ (plus a changing color hue) that help to create an authentic ‘candle’-light. As well as the aesthetic effect, the ‘candle’ brings environmental benefits, too. The product’s energy efficiency is as much as five times higher than the conventional incandescent light bulbs they replace. The LED bulbs also have a lifespan more than 20 times greater than their incandescent counterpart. The implications for historical buildings are significant. Indeed, another great royal residence – the Habsburgs’ Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna – which like Versailles dates from the 17thcentury and was similarly originally lit by candlelight, is to receive the Swarovski treatment this spring. Both the Small Gallery, and the Great Gallery, with its magnificent Rococo interior featuring ceiling frescos by Italian artist Gregorio Guglielmi, will be fitted with the Swarovski LED ‘candles’. No other light source will be necessary, and the effect will transport visitors back in time to an age when these great interiors were illuminated by hundreds of soft, shimmering flames. So, paradoxically, the most modern of technical innovations has now successfully recreated the effect of an ancient light source. But it doesn’t end there. Swarovski’s aim is to see its modern take on the candle find its way into contemporary domestic lighting in the home. The candlelit dinner will thus be brought into the 21st century without losing any of its romance and atmosphere.

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

luke kirwan, photo12.com, richard kalvar/ magnum photos

In 1980, a new chandelier was hung in the opulent bedchamber of the great Palace of Versailles. Based on the original design, the chandelier was decorated with crystals, a project that required not only considerable skill, but also sensitivity as it involved a subtle interface between the modern and historical world.

The challenge of how to light Versailles in a pleasing way could only be solved by leading-edge technology

AN HISTORIC MOMENT Clockwise from top: shot from the ﬁlm La Révolution Française, 1989; Versailles chandelier made with Swarovski Elements in 1980; exterior of the Palace; paintings on the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles

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ON REFLECTION

In his latest collection, designer Jonathan Anderson juxtaposes rough textures with iridescent crystals WORDS Josh Sims PHOTOGRAPHY Thomas Brown

may have given up the intention of becoming an actor – he studied for two years at the Actor’s Studio in New York and Washington before deciding that it wasn’t for him – but that did at least inspire a love of costume. He subsequently spent two years as a visual merchandiser for Prada before launching his own menswear line. ‘People don’t realise how difficult menswear is – it has to be more subtle than womenswear and any grand design gesture has to be balanced by a masculine element,’ he explains. ‘In my case, to make something that appears to have a feminine look but on closer inspection is actually masculine. I don’t want to do bland menswear.’ That is where Swarovski comes in. But don’t expect a crystal-covered T-shirt being passed off as clothing that only the most extrovert of men might wear. All too conscious of the obvious limitations of putting crystals onto menswear in a decorative way, rather Anderson has fully integrated their most interesting properties – iridescence, reﬂectiveness, and prismatic play with light – into his designs, giving simple garments a glistening ﬁnish to make basic fabric, such as sweatshirt jersey, look as if it’s been dipped in an oil slick.

‘Looking back, I think acting might have been easier,’ says Jonathan Anderson, 26, the designer behind JW Anderson, and somewhat jaded after a hectic Spring/Summer 2011 show in London. ‘There’s still that queen inside me, and for all the supposed glamor, fashion is hard work. The superﬁciality of it all can be soul-destroying. My dad was a rugby player – a very different ball game – and reminds me that it’s just “the rag trade”. It’s stuff made in a factory that has to be sold. That keeps me grounded.’ A Northern Irish, down-to-earth quality makes Anderson one of the most refreshing voices in high fashion right now, both in terms of straight talk and sharp design. His menswear plays with the boundaries between the masculine and feminine, and retains a craft quality. It is, as he puts it, ‘homely but mad’. Swarovski recognised Anderson’s bright talent and was keen to collaborate with him for this season’s collection, which is all about contradictions. The designer

‘You have to be careful and certainly can’t just shoe-horn crystals onto the side of a garment – what’s the point of that?’ asks Anderson. ‘The culture still thinks that something sparkly is feminine, although I do think menswear needs to borrow more ideas from womenswear, as womenswear has long done from menswear – the idea of men and women borrowing clothes from each other is a sexy one. ‘But crystals also have an illusory quality that can work in menswear, that can make cloth seem like it’s moving or living,’ he adds. ‘They don’t stand out as much as you might think, as it’s more about their application than making a show of the crystals.’ The experimental has been Anderson’s forte since he launched four seasons ago, albeit – with his dad’s commercial mantra in mind – in a considered, wearable way. It is about the use of an unexpected fabric such as using cashmere knit cut to make a shearlingstyle jacket, a clash of textures like boiling up luxury silk, or a gentle twist on a traditional silhouette. He has been just as interested in the way his menswear is sold: he has considered, for instance, direct selling – a limited number of styles go direct from catwalk to shop – which is why the Spring/Summer 2011 show was streamed onto menswear site oki-ni.com and anyone, anywhere could buy select items, immediately. ‘After all,’ he says, ‘we live in a “want it now” world. Who wants to wait six months?’ And he has also made much of digital media, again cherishing its immediacy and reach compared with print media. ‘I want to know what six girls in Texas who want to buy my T-shirts think about them. That’s more relevant,’ he argues. Indeed, Anderson is less the designer of the moment as a designer for tomorrow. Don’t expect to see the big guns of the fashion magazine world on his front row. Look more for the anonymous bloggers who Anderson has courted, and constantly updated content of his website, spreading the word as they do so. ‘It’s all happening online now,’ he says. ‘The web is democratizing fashion, because now it’s not just about the inﬂuence of the big magazines or big brands, but about designers and customers communicating 24/7 in a much more intimate, genuine way. It’s about the strength of ideas.’ Josh Sims writes for the Financial Times and The Independent

swarovski elements menswear initiative In 2009, Swarovski Elements launched a menswear initiative and showcased an impressive collection of crystal-encrusted pieces by designers such as Lanvin, 3.1 Phillip Lim and John Lawrence Sullivan. Following on from its success, for 2011 Swarovski Elements has teamed up with L’Uomo Vogue to gather a lineup of men’s brands to collaborate with and came up with a dream team including Abici, Bally, Brioni, Borsalino, Cavalli, Dior Homme, Emporio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferré, Hugo Boss, Marni, Max Kibardin, Piombo, Pringle of Scotland and Ermenegildo Zegna. The collections made with Swarovski Elements, featuring apparel and accessories, are focused on classic, heritage men’s fashion and were presented in Milan during men’s fashion week in January 2011.

KALEIDOSCOPE Festival boots with Swarovski crystal toe caps, €2,260. ‘The crystals embody the ethos of the collection – looking down and being overwhelmed by acid hallucinations,’ says Anderson (left)

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wHaT liEs bEnEaTH The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is a super-charged WORDS Jane Fulcher PHOTOGRAPHY Daniella Rech

It’s the most glamorous and sexy event on the fashion calendar. A select group of the world’s most beautiful models strut down the catwalk in exquisite lingerie and dazzling costumes. With huge wings, shimmering skirts, ﬁligree bejewelled body armor, sparkling corsets, cuffs, delicate necklaces, rings and earrings – the worlds of lingerie, couture and jewelry come together to create an awe-inspiring fantasy of a fashion show. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is the deﬁnitive event in the fusion of fashion and lingerie, and essential to the fantasy is the inclusion of Swarovski cr ystal. ‘They create another layer, another dimension of sparkle, shine and fantasy,’ says Todd Thomas, designer for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows. ‘It helps us achieve a luminescent, dazzling effect we couldn’t achieve with any other material.’ Swarovski has sponsored the Fashion Show since 2005, and provides crystals to adorn lingerie, props, wings and jewelry worn by the Angels – Victoria’s Secret’s select group of the world’s most glamorous models. The company has also sponsored designers for the show and has loaned Swarovski Runway Rocks pieces (specially commissioned couture jewelry pieces created by international designers) to be used in the show. The idea to work with Swarovski on the Fashion Show, says Thomas, came from ‘the need and desire to use the best materials in the pieces we make’.

‘When the Angels walk down the catwalk you hear gasps from the audience… they are just mesmerized with the stones’

Swarovski has sponsored Jenny Manik Mercian, a couture designer from Australia, to produce pieces for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for six years. ‘We’ve had a great relationship, they’ve sponsored me along the way and let me go crazy with the pieces,’ she says. ‘The crystals are so beautiful and they deﬁnitely enhance the Angels. When they walk down the catwalk you hear gasps from the audience. Every time someone sees a crystal product they are just mesmerized with the stones and it enhances the way women feel knowing that the crystals are shining and everyone’s looking at them. It’s deﬁnitely an eye-catcher.’ In the 2010 Show, Swarovski also supported designers Yasemen Hussain and Georgia Harding with crystals for their creations and have commissioned a pair of crystal boots from shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti so the Angels could sparkle from head to toe. The collaboration has also led to the design of a number of commercial pieces over the years, with

the brands working together to use cr ystals on the lingerie for limited editions, ‘special’ and ‘fashion’ lines and even swimwear, but not in direct correlation to the runway. After the 2009 Fashion Show Victoria’s Secret sold a limited-edition kimono robe identical to the ones worn by the Angels backstage. It was a huge success and inspired the idea of creating a limited-edition item with Swarovski Elements which was featured on the runway last year and then produced commercially – bringing the glamor of the catwalk into the lives of Victoria’s Secret fans everywhere. Indian Pink AB crystals were featured on the Miraculous bra and panty set and on a glistening Magical Firework Wing as well being used on pieces in the Heavenly Bodies segment of the show. A commercially produced version of the Miraculous bra, panty, garter and stockings featuring the Indian Pink AB crystals will go on sale, and the stones will also be used on charms and the holiday special-edition bot tle for Victoria’s Secret’s Bombshell fragrance. ‘Pink is the color of Victoria’s Secret and Swarovski is the premium leader in glamorous stones,’ says Sharleen Ernster Lazear, senior vice president of lingerie and swimwear design at Victoria’s Secret. ‘It was natural for us to work with Swarovski on a pink stone. Using Swarovski stones on lingerie is modern glamor.’ The collaboration between these two naturally sexy brands looks set to continue in the future with further products being planned. ‘We look forward to working even closer in the next couple of years and not just for the fashion show,’ says Reinhard Mackinger, executive vice president for Swarovski North America. ‘Both brands stand for creativity and complement each other in the creation of new products as well as lending a cer tain sexiness to the customer. Both are very sexy products.’ As Thomas puts it: ‘What a winning combination... sparkle and Angels.’

billy farrell agency

enchanting fantasy of luminous lingerie and shimmering jewelry

WHERE ANGELS TREAD Opposite page Model Lindsay Ellingson on the catwalk. This page: The Angels backstage at the Fashion Show, November 11 2010

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playing with light

London-based studio Troika uses public spaces such as Heathrow Terminal Five to display its installations. Now, it has reworked a piece for Design Miami/, commissioned by Swarovski WORDS Nick Compton phOtOgRaphy Claudia Uribe

Conny Freyer, Eva Rucki and Sebastien Noel, all graduates of London’s Royal College of Art, came together as the Troika in 2003. Freyer and Rucki had studied communications and were, as much as anything, graphic designers, while Noel had studied product design under Israeli industrial designer Ron Arad and shared his star tutor’s passion for adding mechanics and simple digital technology to design pieces. In essence, Troika is a design studio obsessed with the poetic potential of the most elementa r y, of ten abandoned, engineering; such as the long-retired ﬂipping plastic of airport departure boards, or the simple mesmeric turn of a wheel lifting a lever in a way that few levers are lifted any more. Today, Troika is at once the poster child and intellectual champion of a particular design movement. In 2008, it put together the book Digital By Design which looked at 100 art and design pieces that had a similarly lyrical way with technology. But as well as dreaming up evocative work, they also know how to solder and programme a computer. Now, eight years after setting up, Troika has earnt an impressive global reputation and has works in the permanent collections of the British Council, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

‘These Light Rain machines created circular splashes of rainbow-ringed light on the ﬂoor, a magical dry summer shower’ 22

But undoubtedly the studio’s career-making pieces were both commissioned by British Airways for Heathrow Terminal Five. Cloud, created in 2008, is a ﬁve-metre-long sculpture covered in 4,638 electromagnetic f lip dots, that are black plastic on one side and aluminium on the other. The dots are programmed to f lip in such a way as to create transf ixing waves and patterns, hanging over Club and First Class passengers as they escalate towards their exclusive lounges. All The Time In The World, meanwhile, is possibly the most beautiful digital clock anywhere, a 22

metre-long electroluminescent display that tells people what time it is in London but also at key places all over the world, such as Mount Fuji, the Guggenheim and Angkor Wat. Of course – given this is a Troika work – that description goes nowhere near capturing the technical smarts and dreamy effect of the clock. Last year, Troika worked with designer Thomas Heatherwick on his acclaimed UK Pavilion for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. One of the installations was called Light Rain, a collection of ceilingmounted LEDs that moved up and down above Fresnel lenses – the type of lenses used in lighthouses. These Light Rain machines created circular splashes of rainbow-ringed light on the ﬂoor, a magical dry summer shower. And when Swarovski asked Troika to come up with an idea for an installation for last year’s Design Miami/, they decided they would rework Light Rain, but more elegant and breathtaking than before, with the new concept being called Falling Light. The key to the success of the Swarovski project is the use of crystal lenses. Working with the company’s lens specialists in Austria means that Troika’s Falling Light now pours through stunning drop-shaped crystal, speciﬁcally developed for the piece. And given that the installation was shown indoors, as opposed to an exposed space at Expo pavilion, Troika has been able to create new, visible and simple mechanics. However, the commission has not only allowed the designers to successfully reimagine a striking piece of work, it also marks the progression of Swarovski Crystal Pa lace’s ex ploration of science and technology. Thus opening the way for f ut u re development of objects a nd installations that will have particular relevance for the art and design world. All three of team Troika are disarmingly easy on the eye and look like they were pulled together by a casting director: Rucki

is small and smiley, while Freyer is a tall, blonde unreadable Aryan. Noel is also tall, graying and movie-star handsome in a sort of modern European cinema way. They share a large, draughty studio just off Whitechapel High Street in London’s East End with Random International, another transnational design collective producing design-art pieces with digital hearts. When Salt caught up with them back in November, there was a small scale slice of Cloud in the studio which could be sent whirring into life with the ﬂick of a switch, but most surfaces seemed to be piled with the brass arms and armatures that were to make up the 50 Falling Lights that were to be displayed at Design Miami/ in December. Noel ﬂitted around the studio while Rucki and Freyer, traded sentences, trying to explain what was going on. The threesome had doubled their number working on the project, and the studio had become a buzzing Falling Light production line. The Swarovski commission was also a chance to showcase the studio’s work to the design-art collectors for whom Design Miami/ is an unmissable chance to discover new designers who are pushing design into entirely new areas. And the team at Troika is certainly doing that. Nick Compton is features director of Wallpaper*

LET THERE BE LIGHT Falling Light by Troika for Swarovski Crystal Palace at Design Miami/

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spar k le in film, a night at the ballet, celebr ating w ith the fashion set

lOndOn Calling Some of the biggest names in fashion headed to the trendy Whitechapel Gallery in East London last September to show their support for Elle magazine. The party, in association with Swarovski, was a star-studded event with British designers Giles Deacon, Richard Nicoll, Todd Lynn, Holly Fulton and Henry Holland all taking time out from Fashion Week preparations to celebrate the magazine’s 25th anniversary. The evening kicked off with a champagne reception and exclusive viewing of the American portrait artist Alice Neel’s ‘Painted Truths’ exhibition, followed by a special interview with Dame Vivienne Westwood by Whitechapel’s gallery director, Iwona Blazwick.

Clockwise from above: Elle UK’s 25th anniversary party invitation featuring actress Kate Hudson; Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; The Prince from The Nutcracker

CEnTrE sTagE

lEading sTars From the early days of Hollywood, Swarovski Elements has worked hand in hand with costume and set designers, creating show-stopping jewels, costumes and stage sets which grab the spotlight. The brand has had the privilege to adorn stars such as opera singer Maria Callas, dancer Josephine Baker, singer Dame Shirley Bassey and actress Marilyn Monroe over the years. Swarovski was even seen adding sparkle to Audrey Hepburn in the iconic ﬁlm Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Often considered Hepburn’s most memorable role, her character of Holly Golightly is pictured above wearing a necklace made from Swarovski crystal.

richard haughton

Swarovski crystal is at home on the stage as it is on the screen, illustrated by its prevalent history in theatre, opera, ballet and cabaret. In December, Swarovski continued its support of one of the world’s leading ballet companies, English National Ballet, and added a touch of sparkle to their latest production, The Nutcracker at the London Coliseum. The theatrical presentation of the classic Christmas tale was choreographed by Wayne Eagling and celebrated the ballet company’s 60th birthday. The costumes and set, designed by Peter Farmer, were brought to life with the adornment of 100,000 Swarovski crystals, accenting the movement of the dancers and adding light and drama to the stage.

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little black dress an iconic wardrobe essential, the lbd comes in many forms. swarovski elements commissioned 22 designers to put their signature style on this classic piece WORDS Abby Rawlinson

Black has often been referred to as ‘basic’, but in the world of fashion, the celebrated ‘little black dress’ is anything but. A starting point of haute couture both modern and in times past, the ‘little black dress’ is where creative talent has truly shined. With this in mind, Swa rovsk i Elements commissioned 22 of fashion’s most notable names and talented newcomers to reinterpret the little black dress in their own signature styles using Swarovski Elements. Among the 22 designers from France, Italy, the UK and US were Sonia Rykiel, Alberta Ferretti, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diane von Furstenberg, Valentino and Donna Karan. The 22 Ways to Say Black couture collection was unveiled in 2010 at the prestigious Palazzo Pozzo di Borgo in Paris – Karl Lagerfeld’s former residence – in front of prominent fashion ﬁgures including the editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld. The spectacular touring exhibition then travelled to Beijing, before ending its journey in New York with a fabulous fundraising ﬁnale in September 2010.

At the acclaimed gallery Phillips de Pury & Company in New York City, under the high-patronage of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the one-of-a-kind dresses were auctioned off. ‘We are thrilled to be associated with this exciting event benefiting a worthwhile cause,’ says chairman Simon de Pury. ‘Swarovski proves with it that it is at the forefront in art, design and fashion. It has enrolled some of today’s greatest fashion designers to give the ultimate edge to the little black dress.’ The showstopping collection included a Vivienne Westwood taffeta cocktail dress with crystal mesh peplums and Martin Grant’s figure-hugging, shortsleeved gown, swathed in crystals to imitate the jewel-like texture of astingray skin. Attendees of the auction included Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress Julianna Margulies, Modern Family star Sofía Vergara and House star Lisa Edelstein. Over $100,000 was raised to benefit breast cancer research with Swarovski making its own incredible donation by purchasing the Valentino and Givenchy dresses for its archive collection.

BLACK MAGIC From left Sofía Vergara, Halle Berry and Julianna Margulies attended the charity auction of the 22 little black dresses

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new per fume launch, follow the y ellow br ick road, tak e to the shade

ligHT sCEnT Highlighting its long-term relationship with the cosmetics industry, Swarovski is launching Aura by Swarovski in April 2011, a luminescent fragrance that was born out of a close relationship between Swarovski and The Clarins Fragrance group. The Aura line is a fresh and contemporary reinterpretation of Swarovski’s legendary heritage and extends to body care products and luminous makeup. ‘We wanted to push beyond fashion and glamor – Aura by Swarovski is a truly timeless concept,’ says Markus Langes-Swarovski, member of the Swarovski Crystal board of directors. ‘The idea of creating a fragrance and makeup jewels at the same time is totally innovative and very much in keeping with the brand.’

sTagE iCon Swarovski, who adorned the iconic red slippers ﬁrst seen on Judy Garland as she skipped down the yellow brick road more than 70 years ago, has once again decorated the red slippers for the stage production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Swarovski will also be seen throughout The Wizard of Oz sets, on the costumes and jewelry when the show launches in March 2011. The show stars Danielle Hope in the lead role, winner of the BBC’s Over The Rainbow show.

From top: the new Aura by Swarovski fragrance; the iconic The Wizard of Oz featured Judy Garland wearing Swarovski-encrusted red slippers. ‘Amazing’ and ‘Alanis’ sunglasses from the new Swarovski Eyewear collection

Swarovski has recently chosen a whole new world in which to express its creativity through the launch of a range of sunglasses in January 2011. Because high precision is essential to Swarovski, the company decided to team up with Marcolin. Sharing a drive for design and perfection, Swarovski and Marcolin have created forms that are both fashionable and timeless. ‘Swarovski stands for the highest-quality cut crystal all over the world and is an incredible inspiration for designers in fashion, jewelry, accessories and even interior design. The Swarovski Eyewear collection is a unique expression of innovation in a contemporary luxury product,’ says Maurizio Marcolin, style and licensing ofﬁcer of the Marcolin Group.

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viEnnEsE fanCiEs Top chef Kurt Gutenbrunner has teamed with Swarovski to bring modern Austrian cuisine to New York’s Soho WORDS Arabella Dickie PHOTOGRAPHY Andy Ryan

Swarovski Elements’ 465sqm Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ boutique in New York’s Soho is now home to the latest culinary venture by internationally renowned chef and restaurateur, Kurt Gutenbrunner. Café Kristall, described by Gutenbrunner as ‘a sleek, sexy place in Soho for crystals and a sweet treat’, is the most recent addition to the chef’s portfolio that include the Michelin star-awarded Wallsé and Café Sabarsky at the Upper East Side’s Neue Galerie museum. In a firm nod to Gutenbrunner’s (and Swarovski’s) Austrian heritage, Café Kristall offers modernized versions of Viennese cuisine, with dishes such as Wiener Schnitzel with lingonberries and cucumber salad, and Spätzle with shrimp and broccoli. Diners are also tempted by a decadent array of desserts, including apple strudel and Sachertorte – a classic chocolate cake. ‘I’m Austrian; indulgent puddings come with the nationality,’ laughs Gutenbrunner. The concept behind Café Kristall was to create a unique shopping-cum-dining experience in which the creativity of the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ concept store – offering designer collections and myriad crystal elements for visitors to customize jewelry – would be complemented by the culinary experience of the café and it’s elegant décor. ‘What better way to refuel during a day of shopping than champagne and pastries?’ adds Gutenbrunner. Gutenbrunner has earned critics’ praise for his Austrian cuisine, paid in homage to his childhood spent in Wallse, 130km from Vienna. ‘I was scared of heights as a child,’ recalls the chef, ‘so rather than climb trees, I assisted my grandmother in the kitchen.’ Aged 14, he enrolled in a restaurant school and two years later, culinary arts degree in hand, set off to train in some of the world’s finest kitchens – including Munich’s Restaurant Tantris – with such esteemed chefs as David Bouley. Gutenbrunner eventually arrived in New York, enticed by ‘the fast pace of life, and the feeling that anything is possible’. In 2000, he opened his first restaurant, Wallsé, in Manhattan’s West Village, followed by Café Sabarsky, Blaue Gans, The Upholstery Store, and now Café Kristall. ‘It takes a solid team to make any kitchen work,’ remarks the chef, ‘and I am fortunate that each one of our kitchens run like a well-oiled machine. Kristall is no exception.’ No doubt his latest culinary venture will prove victorious. ‘I am so excited about Café Kristall and all its potential,’ Gutenbrunner enthuses. ‘It’s a thrill to create such a unique restaurant that combines exceptional hospitality with the beauty of Swarovski Elements. It really is a labor of love.’ Long may it last. Michelin-star Kurt Gutenbrunner in the heart of New York’s Soho

www.candyandcandy.com

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an elemental collection, the light fantastic, it’s show time on broadway

EASTERN PROMISE A jewel-encrusted Andy Farrow necklace and a glittering Erik Halley bracelet were just two of the dazzling pieces unveiled at the Swarovski World Jewelry Facets preview in Beijing last June and atthe Shanghai November event. The designs, all made with glittering Swarovski Elements, were taken from past and present collections and feature customers such as Erickson Beamon, Giles, Philippe Audibert and Shourouk and renowned labels such as Roberto Cavalli, Versace, Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Azzaro, Martin Grant and Alexis Mabille. The pieces are a beautiful reminder of how Swarovski Elements inspire objects of desire for jewelry designers around the globe, and were presented in a stunning fashion show guiding fashionistas, retail buyers and journalists on an imaginative journey from Paris, to London, New York and back to Shanghai. A selection of the showstopping pieces are now available at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ store in Shanghai.

cHRISTMAS MAgIc For the Christmas period the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris played host to some of the most beautiful pieces from the Swarovski Crystal Palace collection. With the help of the hotel’s artistic director, Jeff Leatham, the hotel became a magical display of white light and the sparkling art of Swarovski. The Swarovski Crystal Palace project was created by Nadja Swarovski in 2002, and is celebrated in the launch of a new book (see feature on page 60). Visitors to the hotel saw some of the collections most beautiful chandeliers displayed in a luxurious marquee in the hotel’s marble courtyard, elegantly lit Christmas trees surrounded by crystals and the crystal curtain created for last year’s Oscars.

Clockwise from top: A showstopping piece in Shanghai; the 2010 Oscar curtain and Mini Voyage by Yves Béhar for Swarovski Crystal Palace at Georges V; Priscilla Queen of the Desert costume by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner; Andy Farrow necklace

ON THE ROAD Continuing a hugely successful run at London’s Palace Theatre, Priscilla Queen of the Desert has moved stateside. Following its North American debut in Toronto, the musical will begin its open ended Broadway run in March this year. Priscilla, based on the 1994 Academy Awardwinning ﬁlm, tells the uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus (Priscilla) to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. Swarovski is delighted to continue its longstanding relationship with the production, which has become known for its elaborate costumes and sets – noteably a giant shoe adorned with more than 3,000 Swarovski crystals.

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stars in show

Meet two of the young rising designers collaborating with Swarovski on a new lighting project wORDS Melissa Barrett Rhodes PHOTOGRAPHY Christopher Sturman

If furniture were clothes, lighting fixtures would be the jewelry of a home. Irresistible, defining, imaginative – yet at the same time highly technical and endlessly expressive – lighting makes a distinctive personal statement. And like the fashion industry, the lighting world has its own highly-anticipated runway: Euroluce, the trade fair showcasing thousands of new light fixtures, every other April in Milan. From sublimely simple to over-the-top, highly concept ua l designs, the glow ing, magica l wonderland of lighting invention display sprawls across 40,000 sqm. Sitting alongside the Salone del Mobile, the world’s most prestigious stage for new furniture design, Euroluce draws a crowd of more than 310,000 people interested in the latest in luminosity. At this April’s Euroluce fair, Swarovski is proud to continue its tradition of collaborating with innovative designers as it presents a new collection of commercial lighting. A handful of outstanding product designers and architects were selected to design a modern, dynamic ‘family’ of residential light fixtures, ranging from wall sconces to small and large-scale pendants. Each light on exhibit will be readily available to the buyer. ‘Euroluce is a visual orgy of lighting fixtures,’ says Paola Antonelli, the vivacious, senior design curator of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, who attends the exhibit to scout new design talent and trends for the museum exhibits. ‘There’s always a guarantee you’ll get to see the very best and newest that the world has to offer, from prêt-à-porter to couture.’ Among those selected by Swarovski and launching at Euroluce are two young, American industrial design stars, Todd Bracher and Stephen Burks, whose Brooklyn studios – just a few blocks apart – are hubs of creativity. For Bracher, whose beautifully pure products for Cappellini, B&B Italia, and Georg Jensen (where he serves as the youngest and first foreign creative director), working with crystal and with Swarovski has been an inspired process. ‘Swarovski was one of the first lighting brands to tap into the minds of the young and talented,’ says Bracher, surrounded by piles of colored crystal beads at the company’s creative service center in New York. ‘To allow designers to play and discover, to experience and learn, is amazing and rare,’ he continues. ‘I respect very much this approach and continue to look to Swarovski for future discoveries, wit and fearlessness.’ As Bracher speaks, cross-legged on the Swarovski showroom floor, carefully stringing his crystals onto a series of cables, he looks like a playful kid in a candy store. ‘For me, each crystal has a magic – each one, individually,’ he says. Within minutes, a precise, mathematically-inspired, glistening cr ysta l suspension system for his new light col lection emerges. ‘I want to accentuate the complexity and beauty of each stone, reduce the lamp’s body to its minimum and let the crystals be the star of the show.’ It is typical of Bracher’s hands-on approach to design. ‘It’s a modern take on the chandelier,’ he explains. ‘I want there to be lightness, delicacy, functionality, but something that is also gorgeous.’ Holding up his new creation, Bracher examines the effect of the refracted light through the crystal structure. ‘It’s for consumers who love honest and essential design, while at the same time, luxury, full stop.’

Down the street in Williamsburg – the newest epicenter of art and design in Brooklyn – Stephen Burks in Commes des Garçons, is perusing his light prototype pictures on a giant Mac screen. His topf loor loft studio, called Readymade Projects, is a stylish clutter of colorful products, packaging and images he has designed for high-proﬁle companies such as Moroso and Missoni. Burks is becoming well known for his philosophy of merging handicraft and mass production, and his interest in connecting design to community. ‘Every project’s a collaboration,’ he says. ‘Between my studio and the client, the hand and the factory, design vision and the culture of people. Conscious consumers are searching for authentic products that are rooted in the culture of where and how they are made.’ His new collection – a series of modern ﬁxtures that cleverly reveal the crystals as lenses, creating a light effect that is functional yet also glamorous – evolved from many trips to Swarovski’s lighting factory in upstate New York. There, he is popular for rolling up his sleeves and collaborating with the engineers, welders, laser-cut technicians and crystal beaders. ‘The most interesting people, places, products and ideas are hybrid in nature, pluralistic in vision and collaborative in culture,’ he explains. ‘I’ve always believed that everyone is capable of design and design should be in service of everyone.’ Melissa Barrett Rhodes is special projects editor for Elle Décor

BRIGHT THINGS Left, from top Carry Candleholder (left) and Flora Vase, both Todd Bracher for Georg Jensen; Café Chair by Stephen Burks for Moroso; Dome Lamp by Todd Bracher for Mater. Right Industrial designers Todd Bracher (left) and Stephen Burks in their Brooklyn studio

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first blush, chr istmas crystals, indigo dr e ams

PRETTY IN PINK If you like the color pink, then Salvatore Ferragamo’s Pink Collection is for you. Plus, it’s for a good cause. The collection was designed in support of Breast Cancer Awareness, and hit selected Hong Kong stores in October 2010 to coincide with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s Pink Revolution, a monthlong fundraising and education campaign on breast cancer. Items from the collection have been made with Swarovski Elements for an extra-sparkly touch, and selected items were auctioned in October to raise further money for the cause. The collection includes the Varina ballet shoes – a sparkly version of the classic Ferragamo shoes, sneakers with the Gancino logo, Ferragamo logo T-shirts and canvas and leather totes and evening clutch bags.

DENIM DAYS

CHRISTMAS ARTY In December 2010, visitors to the Luisaviaroma store in Florence (as well as its acclaimed website) added a touch of sparkle to their festive wardrobes by snapping up exclusive pieces from the Crystal Lovers collection, a series of special edition products developed by top-end fashion designers and decorated with Swarovski Elements. Key collaborators included Balmain, Emilio Pucci, Giuseppe Zanotti, Ioselliani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Roberto Cavalli and Tru Trussardi. Moreover, Luisaviaroma’s art director Felice Limosani created a spectacular installation for the initiative: an impressive collection of cylinders containing a combination of crystals, transparent liquids, powders, bubbles and vortices that interacted with LED screens and 3D images.

Beginning with the brand’s inception in 2000, 7 For All Mankind has become both a modern classic for its sophisticated ﬁts as well as a leading trend setter for its fashion forward washes and designs. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, 7 For All Mankind called upon Swarovski Elements to help them create a pair of original luxury jeans. The classic skinny jeans, Gwenevere, have been updated with a super-high waist and clean back pockets for jeans that are made for a night out. The lightweight super-stretch denim in overdyed black creates the perfect backdrop for its dusting of tiny crystals.

Clockwise from top: Salvatore Ferragamo’s pink window; 7 For All Mankind celebrates with crystals; shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti; Balmain Glitter bag

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dark sEdUCTion Black Swan is a visual feast. Not simply the dancing, but being mesmerized by the theatrical sets and costumes enhanced with Swarovski crystal WORDS Bronwyn Cosgrave

Darren Aronofsky’s latest film Black Swan – a dark thriller set in the New York ballet world – displays the director’s hallmark for referencing cinematic techniques pioneered by great filmmakers. As Robert Bresson’s 1974 epic Lancelot du Lac portrayed a twisted version on the legend of King Arthur, Black Swan offers the deranged outlook of a perfectionist attempting to become a swan. She is Nina, a gifted ballet dancer portrayed by Natalie Portman and, as she vies for the principal role of Odette – the princess transformed into a swan by sorcerer Von Rothbart’s curse in a macabre production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake – her increasing paranoia engages the audience in a quest to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Aronofsky also seems to riff the penchant of legendar y horror filmmaker William Friedkin of deploying a sparce color palette on screen. (Producing the 49th Academy Awards television show, for example, Friedkin, the director of The Exorcist, dictated that its sets and costumes were to be entirely black and white.) By contrast, Aronofsky’s decision to conceive Black Swan in merely five shades – set against a backdrop of reflective surfaces, mirrors and six swaggering Swarovski chandeliers – proved inspirational to the team who realized his vision, including production designer Thérèse DePrez and Kate and Laura Mulleavy of fashion house Rodarte. Together with Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique, DePrez, costume designer A my Westcott and Rodarte forged the distinct graphic look of Black Swan. ‘We always knew black and white were the major players because of the swans,’ reflects Aronofsky. Shades of green permeating the production are derived from the nature setting of Swan Lake. Gray and pinks were the other logical choices because

they are colors traditionally associated with ballet, DePrez has noted. The limited color palette heightens the intense moments of sparkle and gore which punctuate Black Swan. Due to the masterly interpretation of the minimalist aesthetic, Black Swan was one of 2010’s most stylish ﬁlms. Its distinct look evoke s a gr it t y texture, which transmits Aronofsky’s brutalist take on the ballet world. The acute physical strain of training as well as the competitive world through which dancers must rise are the realities he refreshingly por trays, rather than the fairy-tale style of story which typically dominates the dance ﬁlm genre. Black Swan reveals an extraordinary range of ar t culled from leading dealers of Manhattan’s Chelsea gallery district – like the abstract canvas by New York painter Christopher Wool which hangs in the monochromatic office lair of Thomas (Vincent Cassel), the autocratic choreographer and ar tistic dire ctor of Nina’s dance company. Equally as show-stopping are the principal costumes by fashion duo Rodar te, who have cre ate d re m a r k a b l e o u t f i ts wo r k i n g w i th Swarovski crystal. According to Aronofsky, Natalie Portman suggested the collaboration with Rodarte. ‘I thought their stuff was beautiful and they are interested in the ballet,’ says Aronofsky, referring to the avant-garde, California-based fashion brand founded

Its standout looks are masterpieces which rank among the best onscreen designs

by Kate and Laura Mulleavy in 2005. In 2008, the year when Rodarte received the CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer award, Portman appeared at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of The Other Boleyn Girl in a Rodarte dress and has ﬂaunted the Mulleavys’ work at red-carpet events since. The esoteric glamor deﬁning Black Swan’s ballet costumes is a Rodarte signature.

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Vintage and Japanese horror movies, for example, have motivated the Mulleavys to create knitwear incorporating leather and chains while their Spring/Summer 2010 collection, featuring punkish, feather-embellished frocks was described in memorable terms as ‘a tale of a woman burned alive transformed into a California condor’. And so the Mulleavys, in their Pasadena studio, worked on the production of pieces for the ﬁlm including a white-crystal embellished ‘goddess gown’ ﬂaunted by Portman as well as the sparkling costumes featuring Swarovski crystal for the production of Swan Lake which dramatically concludes Black Swan. ‘For the black and white swans, we envisioned the “pancake” tutus to reveal the complex and extreme legwork,’ say the sisters. ‘And, at the same time mimic the delicate and ethereal movement of a swan.’ The standout looks are masterpieces which really

rank among the best onscreen designs you are likely to see, and which contribute so much to the dark mood of the ﬁlm. The tradition of collaborative costume craftsmanship harks back to the Thirties, when designers at Old Hollywood studios collaborated with Paris couturiers to create onscreen ﬁnery. For Black Swan, this joint venture has proved to be a successful one for a 21st-century movie. ‘Everything we created, from Natalie’s gown, knitwear, even her practice tutu, had to reveal the internal psychology of her character,’ say Kate and Laura. And in doing so, they’ve provided a new visual take on Swan Lake.

THE NEW BLACK Far left and above: Swarovski created six Trilliane chandeliers for the ﬁlm. Above left: Natalie Portman as the Black Swan – more than 250,000 crystals were used on the costumes. Left: Portman on the red carpet in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted Rodarte creation

Bronwyn Cosgrave writes for Vogue and is the chair of the Dorchester Collection Fashion prize

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aspects of love

Bright, opulent jewels are the standout feature of Manish Arora’s new designs that say it from the heart WORDS Katie Wyartt PHOTOGRAPHY Thomas Brown

With St Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what better way to mark the occasion than a jewelry collaboration between Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ and Indian-born fashion designer Manish Arora. Known for his use of bright colors and pop-art motifs, Arora has had a longstanding partnership for the past six years with Swarovski Elements, including a T-shirt and transfers collection for Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ in February 2009. Most recently, Arora has worked with Swarovski on a collection of ﬁve heart crystal cuts, a key part of this season’s new cuts for Swarovski Elements (see page 103). The cuts have also been turned into pendant necklaces, for Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™, to be launched in time for February 14. The collection, entitled The Lovebox, contains ﬁve designs, each one representing a different aspect of love. Called Miss U, Crazy 4 U, Devoted 2 U, Forever 1 and Truly in Love, the collection is inspired, as with much of Arora’s work, by the colorful nature of India. Says Arora, ‘[The collection] is a celebration of love. My idea is to live in a world where there are colors, a rainbow, and there is a big pot of gold at the end of it! I like to live there and show it to people.’ A pink heart is also Arora’s brand logo, something which he feels universally symbolizes happiness. From left Forever 1, Truly in Love and Crazy 4 U.The collection will be available in Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ concept stores and on www.swarovski-crystallized.com from January 2011, priced from RRP €127.

TALK ING POINT

NEW WAVE

In the age of social media, blogs and streaming, Swarovski is making its mark online and constantly interacting with its consumers wORDS Alice Olins

In this digital age, when the laptop has become a go-to fashion portal, brands have had to up their technological game. Today, the fashion highway is digitally lit. This evolving platform, with its immediacy, its fun and opportunity for consumer interaction, has given the fashion community access to uncharted territory. Over the past few years, driven by the impulse to build brand equity and reinforce the appeal of the company’s heritage, Swarovski has identified digital as one essential way of achieving its goals. Significantly, Swarovski has been live-streaming fashion shows and behind the scenes footage since 2006. In this respect the ﬁrm was a pioneer, broadcasting shows by the designers it collaborates with – such as Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, Phillip Lim and recently Alexander Wang and Erdem. Although today designers are starting to explore the web as a means of showcasing their work, it took some foresight ﬁve years ago to understand that fashion lends itself to this new medium. Swarovski has been at the forefront of bringing the drama of the catwalk and the excitement of backstage activity alive through digital media.

Signiﬁcantly, Swarovski has been live streaming fashion shows and behind the scenes footage since 2006 42

The collaborative and deeprooted relationships that Swarovski has with global fashion talents means it has unprecedented access to the people who actually make design happen. This has enabled Swarovski to make intimate ﬁlms, released online,

that not only show how crystal is used by fashion’s creatives, but also the process that lies behind the development of particular ideas, which in the end result in spectacular fashion pieces. BRILLIANT, the film which followed nine designers nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Emerging Talent Awards, is a good example of this, as is the Swarovski series documenting designers’ use of crystal in their journey towards Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week. Swarovski used these films to create a trialogue between the consumers, designers and the company via its Twitter account by encouraging the public to tweet questions to the designers. By facilitating this exchange, Swarovski is not only generating priceless market research, but also growing its community. Notably during Fashion Week in September its Twitter followers increased by 77 per cent and, as for social media, during the past six months half a million new followers have joined Swarovski on Facebook. The firm also receives support from prominent members of the online community. The website fashionista.com blogged about Swarovski’s fashion collaborations and posted the firm’s films throughout Fashion Week. Lauren Sherman of fashionista.com says, ‘Swarovski has done such amazing things by supporting emerging designers, and on site we follow and report on pretty much everything the brand does. The fact that Fashionista had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with Swarovski made our show coverage stand out.’ But technology can also be harnessed to achieve other, less obvious results. Swarovski Element’s recent 22 Ways to Say Black project, which summoned the creative juices of designers including Alber Elbaz, Donna Karan and Phillip Lim, brought together charity and technology. The charity auction of dresses featuring crystal was a glitzy New York event, but to include its online followers Swarovski enlisted digital guru Brian Solis. He built a social media campaign that culminated in a film that was released to blogs with viewers encouraged to make donations. Swarovski has now turned its attention to content for the iPad. An app for the new Swarovski Crystal Palace book launched at Design Miami/ in December. Five years after taking its first steps in digital media, Swarovski is now firmly committed to it. Alice Olins is a fashion writer for The Times

BRIONI.CO M

THE CUT

EYE CANDY

Swarovski introduces a jewelry collection with crystals and pearls in a combination that looks good enough to eat WORDS Katie Wyartt PHOTOGRAPHY Thomas Brown

Consistently leading the way in adopting innovative techniques in jewelry making, Swarovski has worked with a number of processes and materials in its Spring/Summer 2011 jewelry and accessories collection, entitled Wings of Poetry. One such process is its signature Pointiage technique, where crystals are set into ceramic by hand. A centerpiece of the collection is the Nelia necklace (pictured), which exempliﬁes Swarovski’s mastery of beading. The necklace consists of three twisted strands of 87 hand-lustered pearls in salmon pink, coral and pomegranate red with 316 tone-on-tone crystals set in rhodium wrapped around the pearls. Calling to mind a cluster of berries, the set is composed of a statement necklace and matching ring. Nadja Swarovski says: ‘This is an innovative combination – I haven’t seen the integration of set crystal stones with pearls done in this way before. The new colors that we’ve been able to do are really striking. This is great eye candy. I don’t know if I want to lick it or wear it, or both!’

www.canali.it

126-127 New Bond Street, Tel. 0207 2903 500 london.bondst.shop@canali.it

PRABAL GURUNG with his muse elettra rossellini wiedemann, new york, 28 october 2010

Since the beginning of his fashion design career in New Delhi, Prabal Gurung has gone from strength to strength. He launched his ďŹ rst eponymous collection at New York Fashion Week in February 2009 and initially collaborated with Swarovski for Fall/Winter 2010. This season, he has used Swarovski crystals to add texture and richness to this collection, which features a bold color-block palette and delicate prints. Elettra wears: Black stretch scuba sculpted dress, hand embroidered with burnt plastic paillettes and Swarovski crystal, by Prabal Gurung

COME tOgEthEr For Spring/Summer 2011 Swarovski collaborated with some of the biggest names in fashion. Salt invited seven key designers to sit for us, together with a model who epitomises the spirit of their collection

PhotograPhy BEAU GREALY

HOLLY FULTON WITH HER MUSE QUENTIN JONES, LONDON, 12 NOVEMBER 2010

Scottish designer Holly Fulton debuted her Fall/ Winter 2009 collection at London Fashion Week and sent a buzz through the audience. She describes her signature style as geometric patterns on big, simple shapes with bold jewelry. Fulton has collaborated with Swarovski for the past four seasons and for Fall/Winter 2010 designed her ďŹ rst jewelry collection for Atelier Swarovski. Quentin wears Long lightweight crystal skirt with hot ďŹ x Swarovski crystal motif and washed silk T-shirt, both by Holly Fulton

ERDEM MORALIOGLU WITH HIS MUSE AND TWIN SISTER SARA MORALIOGLU, LONDON, 12 NOVEMBER 2010

Born in Canada, Erdem Moralioglu moved to London in 2000 to study fashion at the Royal College of Art. He then went on to work for Diane von Furstenberg in New York before setting up his own label in 2005. His career really took off when in 2006 Claudia Schiffer wore one of his dresses to the BAFTA Awards, and today US First Lady Michelle Obama is just one of his many high-proﬁle fans. Erdem has collaborated with Swarovski for seven seasons since Spring/Summer 2007 and in Spring/Summer 2009 he created a collection for Atelier Swarovski. Sara wears Gilian printed jersey top, by Erdem; ring, Sara’s own.

MARIOS SCHWAB WITH HIS CATWALK MODEL OLIVKA CHROBOT, LONDON, 12 NOVEMBER 2010

The Marios Schwab woman is young, cosmopolitan, open-minded and adventurous. The 28-year-old Greco-Austrian – whose signature design is a little black dress – has worked with Swarovski for nine seasons now, and has also produced two jewelry collections with Atelier Swarovski. This season Schwab took inspiration from body adornment, using black Swarovski crystal fabric to enhance Japanese tattoo motif prints with a striking effect. Olivka wears Long sleeved jersey body with Swarovski tattoo print and lace detail, mid-length skirt with hot ﬁx Swarovski crystal fabric and motorcycle leather mules, all by Marios Schwab

MARK FAST WITH MODEL KELSEY, LONDON, 12 NOVEMBER 2010

This 29-year-old knitwear designer creates his signature super-ﬁtted creations, sparkling with Swarovski crystal, using a domestic knitting machine. Of his current collaboration with Swarovski he says: ‘The idea is to mix the danger of an alligator with the fragility of the butterﬂy. Swarovski found me a stud crystal that has the look of reptilian scales when applied densely.’ Kelsey wears Elastometric dress with rib neck and sleeves and Swarovski crystals, by Mark Fast

JUAN CARLOS OBANDO WITH MODEL PERNILLA, NEW YORK, 28 OCTOBER 2010

Los Angeles-based designer Juan Carlos Obando swapped a career in advertising for fashion design ﬁve years ago before attracting the attention of American Vogue’s Anna Wintour. His designs are now worn by Beyoncé, Cate Blanchett and Halle Berry. This is his ﬁrst collection with Swarovski. His Space Hub Eva show was inspired by images of the cosmos taken by the Hubble telescope – a layer of Swarovski crystals representing stars and planets were added to hand-dyed fabrics and made into futuristic dresses. Pernilla wears Washed jade silk dress with cut-out details and jet black Swarovski crystals, by Juan Carlos Obando; shoes by Manolo Blahnik for Juan Carlos Obando

MICHAEL VAN DER HAM WITH HIS CATWALK MODEL GEORGIE WASS, LONDON, 12 NOVEMBER 2010

Dutch-born designer Michael Van der Ham’s career began with New York favourites As Four. He then moved to London to join Alexander McQueen, and subsequently Sophia Kokosalaki. Van der Ham has collaborated with Swarovski in two of his collections and his latest show for Spring/Summer 2011 used bold, oversized Swarovski crystals in vibrant colours to form clusters on dresses and organic crystal formations on clutch bags. Georgie wears: Metallic tweed dress embroidered with Swarovski crystals, pink silk crepe and blue devore print velvet by Michael Van der Ham

NEW YORK STYLIST: Kate Sebbah at Streeters ASSISTANT: Anna Bellati HAIR: Shin Arima at Frank Reps MAKE-UP: John McKay at DeFacto PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: David Englehart LOCATION: Industria Studio 2 LONDON STYLIST: Mary-Anna Kearney HAIR: Maarit Niemela at D+V MAKE-UP: Jaimee Thomas at Frank Agency PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: Melinda Davies DIGITAL ASSISTANT: Nick Pearce LOCATION: Spring Studios

the LIGht FANtAStIC Ten years ago, with the aim to revive the chandelier, Swarovski asked designers to produce a light for what has became an annual exhibition. It is now being celebrated in a new book – Swarovski Crystal Palace. Here, Nadja Swarovski chooses four from the archive WoRds Nadja Swarovski

This year Swarovski Crystal Palace is a decade old. What started out as a mission to re-invent the chandelier and make it relevant to the 21st century has evolved into a project of innovation and a platform for experimentation, striving to implement crystal in a cutting-edge way and making use of the latest science and technology in the ﬁelds of lighting, electronics, art, architecture and design. As an incubator for new ideas, Swarovski Crystal Palace has continually pushed the boundaries of traditional design. Here, I have selected just four from our new book that features many, many talented names I have worked with over the past 10 years, to give you a ﬂavor of the innovative creativity that we have managed to harness.

Swarovski Crystal Palace: The Art of Light and Crystal, is published by teNeues and is out now, RRP €94 CRYSTALLIZE Right ‘There’s always something unexpected about light,’ says Paul Cocksedge

Paul CoCksedge Londoner Paul Cocksedge is a designer who despite his youth (he’s 32) is already considered a master of the medium of light. His work has been exhibited at London’s Design Museum as well as the Victoria & Albert Museum. For his first Crystal Palace project, launched at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2005, Cocksedge admitted to being nervous, ‘I was exhibiting next to Ron Arad, who just two years earlier was teaching me.’ However, ‘feeding off the material and fighting the desire to use a million crystals’ he finally presented Crystallize, a piece that employed a solitary crystal to incredible effect with the help of a laser beam. ‘When you fire a focused beam of light into a crystal it does something very special,’ he explains. Thus, Crystallize used a single, vivid green laser beam directed by a series of small, perfectlyaligned mirrors to describe a classic diamond shape in space, with the final trajectory of the beam being onto the single crystal hung at the heart of the diamond. The effect was hypnotic as the crystal scattered and dispersed the light, bouncing it in every direction.

StuDio Job ‘We operate in the design world but we are more or less artists in the way we work,’ says Belgian Job Smeets, attempting to elucidate the uncompromising standpoint of Studio Job, the creative partnership he founded in 1998 with Nynke Tynagel, his Dutch companion. An introspective duo, they immerse themselves in the private world of their atelier while producing an output remarkable for its exquisite artisanal quality and the richness of the materials employed. For Swarovski Crystal Palace Studio Job created Charm in 2004, which was launched at the Salone del Mobile in Milan and inspired by lucky charm bracelets. Though closely aligned to the brief to re-imagine the chandelier, on closer inspection the piece reveals their trademark subversion: The arms of the light, which look as though they have been laser-cut from crystalencrusted slabs of cardboard, display a heaving mass of interwoven animals, insects, skulls and bones. ‘Crystals are our glue and paint,’ say the designers. ‘We use symbolism in life; Charm is based on guilt or innocence, war or peace, happy or unhappy.’

CHARM Left ‘Drawn to the bling bling as magpies’ is how Job Smeets describes his desire to work with Swarovski

fernanDo & Humberto campana In 1983 the Brazilian Campana brothers, inspired by the street life and carnival culture of their native country, joined forces to make furniture from discarded materials such as cardboard, rope, wood scraps and aluminium wire. From these playful beginnings their ascent into the spotlight was as swift as it was unexpected. The media recognition that greeted such early pieces as their 1991 Favela armchair, meticulously constructed from offcuts

of wood, and the 1994 Verde chair, which appeared to have been made by binding a classic chair form in rubber rope convinced them to continue. Prived Oca, their remarkable 2003 chandelier design for Swarovski Crystal Palace, plays on the Campana brothers’ characteristic juxtaposition of rough and smooth. Here, humble rafﬁa is layered with wild abandon like a large shaggy hat atop the luxury and precision of Swarovski crystals suspended on delicate threads.

PRIVED OCA Below Rough, shaggy rafﬁa is layered over ﬁne threads of delicate crystals for the 2003 design

Diller ScofiDio & renfro Diller Scoﬁdio & Renfro is an architectural practice founded in 1979 by husband and wife team, and Charles Renfro joined 25 years later. It is probably best known for its development of the High Line pedestrian walkway/urban park in Manhattan. ‘Working on the Swarovski Crystal Palace gave us the opportunity to consider the socio-political and cultural merits of the chandelier,’ the

architects report. ‘We asked, “Who has traditionally bought the chandelier? What does it represent? Which rooms does it occupy? And, should the answers be supported or undermined?”’ Light Sock was exhibited at Design Miami in 2007. It consisted of rows of hung netting sacks full of illuminated crystals. ‘Crystal is an exquisite material so we wanted to juxtapose it with a simple sack and a basic bulb,’ explains Scoﬁdio.

LIGHT SOCK Below It is the ‘people’s chandelier’ say the architects, and avoids the traditional aesthetic

KARL LAgeRfeLd FAMOUS FOR TRANSFORMING CHANEL, KARL LAGERFELD IS STILL WORKING HIS ICONIC LOOK 28 YEARS ON, ALONG WITH DESIGNS FOR FENDI AND HIS OWN LABEL. AND NOW HE’S TURNED HIS TALENT TO JEWELRY WORDS Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni ILLUSTRATION Jean-Philippe Delhomme

At a recent, celebrity-filled book signing in Paris, the appearance of Karl Lagerfeld eclipsed everyone else. Heads turned, conversations stopped mid-sentence and the elegant crowd divided Red Sea-like to let him walk through. Few fashion designers can make an entrance like Lagerfeld. ‘It’s because of my white hair and my look,’ he reasons, referring to his powdered ponytail, his signature black sunglasses, high-collared Hilditch & Key white shirt. However, a recent trip to New York where he collected a coveted fashion visionary award, truly confirmed Lagerfeld’s rock-star status. He was staying at the Mercer Hotel in the heart of Soho, and boasted over a thousand young fans waiting for him outside; many of whom were chanting. ‘Of course, it’s interesting and flattering,’ he says. Still, he termed the experience as ‘strange’. ‘I mean, I’m not involved in a scandal, I don’t sing, I’m not an actor,’ he says. Then, being the king of wordplay, he quips, ‘I am not God; I am just good!’

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES Right Lagerfeld is known for his powdered ponytail, black sunglasses and high-collared white shirt

Lagerfeld is so ‘good’ that many call him a genius although he ‘nurses doubts’ about such an expression. He also visibly squirms at being called an artist. ‘I love what I do and don’t want to do anything else,’ he says. ‘Besides, fashion is a dialogue and I never stop talking.’ Nevertheless, he remains a phenomenon of our times who reaches out to so many different worlds. Not only does he design six incredibly successful collections for the house of Chanel, Fendi’s ready-to-wear and his own label Karl Lagerfeld but he is also a recognized photographer, ﬁlmmaker and book publisher.

With so much success, Lagerfeld could become lofty and self-important. Yet, relentless and energetic in his seventies, he insists on being accessible. ‘I don’t believe in professional ivory towers,’ he says. Indeed, what remains extremely refreshing about the German-born designer is how grounded and charming he is on a personal level. True, he speaks machine-gun fast, managing the feat in four languages including English, French and Italian. He is also terrifyingly well-read. ‘I have a hunger to learn, pushed by a guilty conscience,’ he reveals. Still, unless provoked, Lagerfeld wears his knowledge lightly, preferring playful to pretentious. After quoting the 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, he teases, ‘No, I didn’t say “shopping hour” – although that’s equally important.’ More comfortable in the company of women, he deﬁnes gemütlich by being the type to remember the names of friend ’s children and conducting an in-depth conversation on any subject outside of fashion. Generous, he is known for his terrific gifts which are both extravagant and considered. ‘I like to spoil people because I am kind of spoilt myself,’ he says. When Lagerfeld goes to Colette on Rue Saint Honoré, his favorite boutique in Paris, he not only buys for himself, he buys for whoever is with him, whether it’s his muse Amanda, Lady Harlech, his favorite male model Baptiste Giacobini or his assistant Sébastien Jondeau. ‘Luxury is shopping without looking at the price of the bill,’ he likes to say. However, quips aside, Lagerfeld is incredible for being a work force who continues to compel, injects fashion with excitement and has been at it since the Fifties. He f irst came to prominence when he was one of the winners of the International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition in Paris. Somewhat appropriately, considering his future at golden Chanel, he won ﬁrst prize for his pale yellow coat. Snapped up by the designer Pierre Balmain, Lagerfeld stayed there for three years until becoming Jean Patou’s artistic director. In the Sixties, predicting the importance of ready-towear, well before any of his peers, Lagerfeld began to freelance in Italy, England, Germany and France. He was quickly reputed for his Teutonic discipline, staggering historic k nowledge, origina l ideas and international approach. Just as Lagerfeld could

INCA ICONS This page, above Atelier Swarovski at Karl Lagerfeld’s Fall/Winter 2010 show. Right Crystal and blue cuff, RRP €371; Crystal and blue brooch, RRP €195; Crystal and blue Snake cuff, RRP €614

TIMELESS ELEGANCE Opposite page, from top Model Inès de la Fressange wears Chanel, Fall/Winter 1984. Lagerfeld at Chloé in 1983. Karl Lagerfeld Fall/ Winter 2010 and Chanel Spring/Summer 2011

produce exquisite sketches at a prodigious rate, he had a vast memory bank with regard to former fashion styles, he was extremely innovative – understanding accessories and the total look before anyone in Paris – and he spoke ﬂawless English; unusual for that time. When the house of Chanel approached him in 1982, he was a fashion star known for his collections at Fendi and Chloé and for being the f irst designer to launch a ready-to-wear fragrance, Chloé. Hard to believe now but Chanel – due to Coco Chanel’s dictates about never showing the knees – was considered frumpy by the hip and happening. Lagerfeld’s brilliance was to arrive and while respecting the house’s history he also dared to modernize it. When I started at Chanel, everyone said don’t touch any of the iconic pieces, don’t change,’ he recalls. ‘I did and I was the ﬁrst to turn a major fashion house around and maybe the last.’ And after a few shaky seasons, Lagerfeld brought the brand back to life and made it a sought-after label once more. Seizing upon the house’s signature pieces – sharp, tweed suits, little black dresses, costume pearls and chic knits – he quickly blasted the Chanel show from a sedate affair on little gold chairs into the main fashion event, featuring the hottest models.

thomas larcher, GettY ImaGes

Twenty-eight glorious years have passed at Chanel but unlike his fellow designers, Lager feld ref uses to celebrate a ny anniversary. ‘It’s the worst thing to do because it makes you look old,’ he says. ‘People think, “Oh, she or he has been here a long time, what a bore”.’ Lagerfeld is adamant that being remembered ‘ for what you did ’ is to be avoided. ‘They should see what you do,’ he stresses. ‘Because if you want respect for your past, it means t hat you have a problem with your present and even more so with your future.’

‘The aTelier collecTion is noT one where you pile The jewelry on. These pieces have a graphic effecT where less is more’

Indeed, what stimulates Lagerfeld is working on the next season and taking on new great projects such as Atelier Swarovski which began with Nadja Swarovski writing a letter in October 2009, and then meeting Lagerfeld in his book shop, which she describes as ‘an incredible studio with f loor-to-ceiling bookcases.’ Together, they reviewed the collections from the past six seasons of Atelier Swarovski, ‘so Karl could see what we’ve done,’ she says and realise that though all ‘creative vision’ is encouraged, ‘the crystal has to be the hero in the collections.’ Although Swarovski did not give instructions to Lagerfeld, ‘Who am I to tell Karl Lagerfeld what to do?’ she exclaims, they gave him ‘our strategy paper for the project,’ a sort of ‘design brief ’. His f irst collection for Fall/Winter 2010 was Inca-inspired and had f ive main themes: a snake, a bow, a knot, a sacred circle and the letter K. All of the pieces whether earrings, necklaces, pendants, brooches and cuffs were made in rhodium and covered in clear crystal with accents of jet stones with night blue and deep brown pearls.Lagerfeld used the designs during his runway show. Sparkling cuffs could be spotted peeping under open coat sleeves while brooches either glittered mid-center or were craftily used as fastenings. ‘There were only a few key pieces featured,’ he says. ‘But the Atelier collection is not one where you pile the jewelry on. These pieces have a graphic effect where less is more.’ Nadja Swarovski was impressed by Lagerfeld ’s ‘approach of adorning the body’ and making jewelry ‘an extension of a fashion collection. He used pins as closures so they weren’t just about decoration – they were functional as well,’ she says. ‘The jewelry really popped that way.’ Naturally, she has her favourite piece – namely the snake cuff which she describes as ‘large but feminine and feels great on.’ Meanwhile, the Kaiser – Lagerfeld’s nickname given by the fashion pack – hopes ‘it’s the beginning of ’ his relationship with Swarovski. ‘I am very happy with the Atelier collection,’ he says.

Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni writes for British Vogue, Glamour, Elle Decor and is based in Paris

working with crystals A new book examines the collaborations between the designers and manufacturers who work together to realize innovative pieces for Swarovski Elements at Work. Here we look at two recent examples of these fruitful partnerships WORDS Aric Chen and Caroline Roux PHOTOGRAPHS Emilie Erbin and Nienke Klunder

Gaia & Gino and SebaStian berGne When Gaye Cevikel founded Gaia & Gino in 2004, she named the company after herself (her nickname is Gaia) and her golden retriever, Gino. With its headquarters in Istanbul, a city where practitioners of contemporary art, design and fashion are emerging as forces to be reckoned with on the international stage. Gaia & Gino, with its emphasis on producing high quality, inventive contemporary design, represents a key player in Turkey’s cultural growth. In fact, it was Cevikel who created a market for contemporary design when she opened Turkey’s ﬁrst design store, Decorum, in 1995, selling Alessi, Kosta Bodas and Magis.

further three to her already impressive stable: Frenchman François Azambourg, the Japanese team Nendo and British designer Sebastian Bergne.

From its inception Gaia & Gino has worked with renowned designers including Andrée Putman, Arik Levy, Jaime Hayon, Constantine Boym, Harry Allen, Karim Rashid and Yves Behar. Each has been asked to translate Turkish forms and traditions into innovative objects.

Cevikel had already been in discussion with Sebastian Bergne. ‘He was at the top of my list,’ she says. ‘His language is consistent with the Gaia & Gino identity. He understands how to combine technology with high-end craftsmanship.’ Cevikel took Bergne to Iznik quartz factories in Istanbul. ‘He fell in love with the techniques and the colors. He immediately understood the special qualities of Iznik, which is made from quartz not sand and fired at high temperatures. The result is an extraordinary combination of Turkish history and contemporary design,’ says Cevikel of the Eye collection of bowls, vases and candleholders. Each bears the symbol of the Nazar, which protects the owner from the evil eye, its black centre picked out in a new product called Swarovski Crystal Rocks (crystals applied to a synthetic carrier material).

Cevikel chooses her designers with care, looking for those whose own agenda falls in with that of the company: dynamic, organic, emotional, multicultural. Joining the project Swarovski Elements at Work, she added a

‘Variety motivates me,’ says Sebastian Bergne, when we discuss the reaction to his new pieces after the showing of Swarovski Elements at Work in Milan. ‘People who associate me with Authentics (the German plastics specialists, with

Swarovski Elements At Work is available in all Swarovski CRyStAllizEd™ stores, €22, or through your local Swarovski contact

whom he worked with in the Nineties), for example, were surprised by my new work.’ But for a designer, the challenge is finding the angle that’s right for the product and company. Bergne admits that, working with this project for Swarovski Elements, he has ‘moved out of my comfort zone here, working with decoration, and with something so handcrafted. I’m the guy who knows all about injection-molding!’ he laughs. ‘The context was the Swarovski Elements and the Turkish angle, and Gaye’s brief was very focused,’ he says. But a further, more personal element came into play. Bergne’s father was a British diplomat, and Sebastian was born in Tehran. ‘I grew up all over the Middle East and that’s one reason the project has been so enjoyable for me. In Istanbul, I found reminders of the places where I spent my childhood. I did a lot of wandering in Istanbul – just enjoying the culture.’ Bergne has applied his usual rigor to the forms of the vases, each of which incorporate the Nazar charm. ‘Iznik work and the Nazar symbol are very important in Turkey, so both struck a chord. The eye motif is also slightly surreal when applied to these products. It almost seems to follow you round the room.’ The vase shapes are new, but reference traditional forms. ‘Each is as simple, smooth and spherical as possible,’ says Bergne. ‘They are all closed shapes, and meant to be “eyelike”, as they are designed to carry the symbol. Interestingly, it was the very simplest solution – and the idea that I had first – that turned out best and had the strongest image. It takes some courage to say, “That’s it!” and go for what seems to be the easy option.’ Bergne used the new Swarovski Elements product, Crystal Rocks, for the pupil of the eye. ‘It looks and feels organic and rough, like it’s been grown not made. It’s less jewel-like than a single crystal and will, I hope, create a strong focal point. I preferred to use the crystal in a single motif than as a repeated element. I feel like we are making charms as much as vases. To me, their function is as something symbolic, something to look at, as much as something to put flowers in.’ Doshi Levien anD Moroso For Swarovski Elements at Work, Doshi Levien joined forces once again with the Italian design company Moroso, famous for its high-quality upholstery and colorful, adventurous approach to design. Its relationship with the company dates back just a few years but it has already built up a significant range of products with Moroso that demonstrates Nipa Doshi’s love of textiles and pattern, and Jonathan Levien’s rigorous approach to design. Company director Patrizia Moroso has spoken in the past about their work being ‘a fusion underpinned by love’, while Tom Dixon, the British designer for whom both have worked says, ‘They have literally married two diverse cultures. No, I wouldn’t have put them together. But couples can be strange.’ ‘When I started making the Paper Planes in three dimensions, it was about exploring ways of sitting,’ says Levien. ‘In a drawing you can’t predict how the material will behave. Once we made it full-scale in cardboard, it was a bit like a fashion designer making a toile. We were considering the body all the time.’ Traces remain from these paper and card mock-ups: the V shape of the arm occurred in the first paper version – it’s quite simply what happens when you fold paper – but has continued to feature until the finished design. Giving a visible clue to the history of how the couple created the piece.

‘We know how to make a comfortable chair,’ says Doshi. ‘There’s plenty of ergonomic data for that. But the last part is about gesture and that’s the part I enjoy – when you challenge the data and push it beyond its limits. I think of a chair not only in functional terms, but in how it frames the body.’ The final chair is a refined shell, upholstered in check, where one line is enhanced by crystals. Frequently invisible to the eye, the crystals catch the light unexpectedly, constantly bringing attention back to the piece, which sits daintily in a surprisingly functional metal frame. A colored strip of patent or matte leather edges the chair, and marks out the object in space. ‘The brief for this project using Swarovski Elements was to create a usable product, so we had to make sure the crystal elements had some function. We designed a highly geometric checked Jacquard fabric where the crystals form one of the lines. The answer was to use it as a fine, repeated detail rather than a massive statement,’ says Doshi. ‘In material terms, the wool fabric is light-absorbent and the precision-cut crystal

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Previous page The ﬁnished product, Eye Bowl. Above Pieces in the making from Sebastian Bergne’s collaboration with Gaia & Gino

‘the brief was to create a usable product, so we had to make sure the crystal elements had some function’

GLITTER IN THE DETAILS Above Nipa Doshi in the studio in London’s East End which she shares with her husband and work partner Jonathan Levien. Above right Paper Planes chair by Doshi Levien and Moroso

reflective. It was important to play with that contrast,’ adds Levien. ‘We wanted it to be subtle but celebratory as well.’ Few design manufacturers are as influential as Moroso, the Italian company. With a history approaching 60 years, Moroso is a family-owned business specialising in upholstered sofas, though its product range also includes daybeds, tables, mirrors, bookcases and an array of other furniture. The company is renowned for its craftsmanship, innovation and technical know-how – to say nothing of its impeccable track record of working with the foremost designers under the fearless leadership of its art director, Patrizia Moroso. ‘My role is to make some link between creatives and consumers, and to give everyone something beautiful,’ Patrizia has said. With Paper Planes, the chairs designed by London duo Doshi Levien and produced by Moroso for Swarovski Elements at Work, all the boxes have been ticked. Moroso was established in Udine, Italy, by Patrizia’s father, Agostino Moroso, in 1952. Today, the firm is still based in

Udine, where a visitor to its factory will ﬁnd skilled seamstresses working alongside computer-operated machines. Under Patrizia’s tireless, forward-looking guidance, the company has continued to thrive with furnishings by a high-wattage roster of designers including Ron Arad, Marc Newson, Konstantin Grcic, Tom Dixon, Ross Lovegrove among others. Indeed, Patrizia Moroso is known for her friendships with designers but also for her keen instincts. She ﬁrst noticed Doshi Levien’s work in a magazine, and was in London to meet them 10 days later. Launched in 2007, the pair’s first collaboration with Moroso, the Charpoy series, comprises daybeds made industrially in Italy with hand-embroidered upholstery from India. Patrizia is increasingly interested in the implications of globalisation in design, and this is one project which explores those concerns with considerable sensitivity. Doshi Levien’s Paper Plane armchairs, a new design series, seamlessly integrates Swarovski Elements into the design. ‘Their work is really new,’ says Patrizia Moroso, ‘in the way that it so successfully mixes the traditional and the modern.’

Rings, ATelieR swARovski by MichAel kAPlAn

‘Instead of designing a collection which would present the starry, comet-like qualities of crystals, I became more interested in exploring the larger, individual tile crystals I recently discovered. I love the solid shapes of the reﬂective, faceted, foiled back sides, juxtaposed with the depth of the crystals. I also love how the foil backs of the crystals and the solid metals work together looking somewhat monolithic.’ Michael Kaplan

ATELIER SWAROVSKI For the Spring/Summer 2011 collection, Atelier Swarovski worked with a diverse line-up of collaborators – Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, Mark Fast, Jenny Manik Mercian and Michael Kaplan, resulting in an inspirational and experimental jewelry collection PHOTOGRAPHY Toby MacFarlan Pond

necklAce, ATelieR swARovski by Jenny MAnik MeRciAn

‘India is an enchanting world full of Mughals, palaces, opulent jewels and beautiful goddesses, and I’ve tried to capture some of that magic through this collection with a contemporary twist. The crystals are the heroes of this range, they resemble the jewels, mystique and power of the royal courts of India.’ Jenny ManiK Mercian

Cuffs and rings (OPPOSITE PAGE), atelier swarovski by Prabal gurung

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The collection for Swarovski Atelier was inspired by early 20th century cubist and futurist artists and their experimentation with speed, dynamism and surface deconstruction.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Prabal GurunG

necklace, atelier swarovski By Mark Fast

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Olga Collection is inspired by my late grandmother Olga Fast. She had the most amazing jewelry collection that she kept in her Japanese black jewelry box in her room. I want her beauty and elegance to remain with me forever.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; MArk FAst

Bangles, atelier swarovski By Joseph altuzarra

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I wanted to work on the idea of a very domestic material like resin, mixed in with the shine and luxury of Swarovski crystals. The juxtaposition felt very fresh.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Joseph AltuzArrA

THE SHOW GIRL Burlesque style icon Dita Von Teese talks about being a domestic goddess, her brand of feminist glamor, and the alluring adornment of her stage outďŹ ts

WORDS Amy Raphael PhOtOgRaPhy Paola Kudacki

It’s 9.30am in Los Angeles and Dita Von Teese is in her kitchen sipping violet tea from Mariage Frères. Just before we talk on the phone, I look up her latest Twitter entries (she has more than half a million followers) and discover she has been making ‘spice mice’ cookies for a magazine shoot at her house. I am intrigued; I didn’t expect the world’s most famous burlesque dancer, whose exquisiteness is breathtaking, to be a domestic goddess. Von Teese – perhaps Dita is easier – laughs. ‘I’ve been making spice mice cookies for 15 years. They are – obviously – mouse shaped, with almond ears, currants for eyes and chow mein noodles for tales. Very sophisticated! I’ve always liked cooking things that are cute or impressive but easy to make. Cooking is really important to me; it provides balance in my life.’ She pauses to let in her ‘whiny lit tle dachshund’. ‘Sometimes I get really overwhelmed and start acting a little crazy. If I go to too many fashion shows and events, I miss hanging out at home. If I couldn’t still do my own groceries, cooking and laundry, I think I’d go crazy.’ It might come as a surprise that Dita, who has taken burlesque dancing into the mainstream, is so grounded. She makes a point of saying that she surrounds herself not with an entourage but with two women: her manager and her assistant. Despite looking fabulous – as though starring in a neverending Forties Technicolor movie – she doesn’t have a stylist. ‘A lot of people think I’m high maintenance and my look is high maintenance, but the truth is that I figured out 20 years ago that you can look glamorous with very little effort.’ Last November she was snapped getting out of her 1965 Jaguar S-type looking stunning. ‘I was going to a shop called Bargain Fair to buy an ice bucket. All the papers were accusing me of dressing up all fancy! But I just pulled out a dress I liked, put my hair in a simple twist, added some red lipstick and sunglasses.’ She is building up steam. ‘It’s much easier to put on a dress and step into some ballet flats than work out how to get a casual look in jeans and a sweater. That’s mind boggling to me! Fifties dresses have support for the boobs and I don’t even have to wear underwear if I don’t want to...’ For an international star – the so-called ‘Queen of Burlesque’ – Dita is refreshingly open about herself. She has always been honest about having her ‘boobs done’ and talks without a hint of false modesty about her image. ‘I could never, ever look like Gisele does in a bikini with no makeup on. I could never fit into that standard of beauty. I don’t look as I look on stage when I wake up. It’s all smoke and mirrors, face paint and hair dye and fancy clothes. I’m just a girl from Michigan who figured out how to make the very best of myself.’ Dita once said, ‘Everything I have is manufactured’, and she is in part referring to her love of the artificial beauty of the stars of the silver screen, but she is also acknowledging her past, when she was someone else entirely – a relatively plain, blonde child who lacked confidence. Heather Renée Sweet

the girl who wasn’t good enough to be a ballet dancer set out to be ‘the best darn retrofetish model since bettie page’

AMERICAN BEAUTY Left and previous page Von Teese says her style isn’t as high maintenance as it looks – she dyes her hair at home, and simply slicks on her favourite MAC lipstick CRYsTAl dANCER Below, from left Opium Den show, 2009; Bird of Paradise show, london, 2007; 2 Be Cointreauversial show, 2007

was born 38 years ago in a ‘very typical mid-western family.’ Her mother was a manicurist and her father a machinist for a graphite-making company. The middle of three daughters, she has described herself as painfully shy and timid. She rarely spoke up in class, hoping the teacher might see right through her. She played dress up and daydreamed about being a ballet dancer. When she was 13, her parents moved to California and divorced shortly afterwards. There is a hint of regret and sadness in Dita’s voice when she talks about this period in her life. ‘I had to put myself through school, to pay for myself through my teenage years. As soon I was 18, I moved out. I think I got lost in the shuffle of divorce. My parents didn’t ever want me to be a doctor and there was no money for college.’ By her mid-teens, Dita was working in a lingerie shop and by her late teens she was a strip-club star in Los Angeles. Incredibly, she saved $1,000 a month after landing her first job – even then she could earn $6,000 for a two-minute performance. The girl who, by her own admission, wasn’t quite good enough to make it as a ballet dancer, took her dancing skills, dyed her blonde hair black and set out to be ‘the best darn retro-fetish model since Bettie Page.’ Over the past two decades, Dita has made burlesque acceptable to all but the most conservative. Since her rise to fame, burlesque style has become fashionable. Katy Perry acknowledges her influence; they have had dinner once and drinks a few times. Dita now has the cachet of a Lady Gaga or a supermodel. As smart with her clothes on as she is sexy without them, she has made lucrative deals with Cointreau, cosmetics line MAC and Wonderbra. Vivienne Westwood designed her wedding dress when, in 2005, she married the neo-Goth rocker Marilyn Manson (they divorced a year later; she has nothing to say about it these days; she has been dating a French aristocrat, Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, for more than a year). As a child, Dita wanted to wear her best Sunday dress every day of the week. Since she became a burlesque performer, the importance of costume has taken precedence. In her acclaimed bathtub show she wore shoes by Christian Louboutin; in 2 Be Cointreauversial in 2007, she wore an orange outfit – in homage to Cointreau – both gleaming with Swarovski crystals. Dita can even remember the year she fell in love with Swarovski: 1992. ‘At the start of my career I could only afford to buy a handful of crystals to put on a costume. Over the years I’ve started building more extravagant costumes using more crystal. I met a lot of people in the fashion industry who work with Swarovski and basically I begged, pleaded and threw myself at Swarovski.’ She giggles. ‘I told them, “No one loves your product more than I do!”’ Swarovski was, Dita says, initially astonished by the amount of crystal she requested for each costume. I ask how much – she is, after all, 5ft 6in and as lean as a racehorse. ‘Well, one of my costumes has 300,000 stones on it. It weights about 60lbs [more than 4st].’ No wonder she has to perform. ‘That’s what I always say! The timing is done very carefully from the moment I get dressed to the moment I go

on stage because I just can’t stand around in those heavy outﬁts. I have to breath differently as soon as I put one on. I have to work out regularly to be strong enough to carry my costumes. Showgirls are about dreams and fantasies and the extravagance of the costume is really important to me.’ Her love of sparkle means that virtually no fabric is visible on her body when she’s on stage. ‘Every millimetre of me is covered in crystal and it has an incredible effect under stage lighting. I use a Swarovski stone called Crystal Vitrail Medium – there are hundreds and thousands of them on this long gown and the effect is so special that someone once asked if I was plugged into the wall!’ Dita Von Teese is certainly electrifying. She is glamorous, stylish, smart. She calls herself a feminist – ‘I’m in control of my own business instead of working for a man who tells me what to do; it’s just a different brand of feminism’ – and says she never set out to be a role model. Yet her fanbase is mostly made of women ‘of all shapes and sizes and ages who think: “I can get a bit of that! I can put on stockings, high heels and red lipstick.”’ We chat about women who try to stay fashionable as they age rather than ﬁnding a look – vintage or otherwise – that suits them. And then talk turns to men. ‘I was single for a couple of years and it was tough. It’s hard to meet men that really understand what I do. Sometimes I was a novelty. I’m grateful I’ve found someone who understands me, who has really got to know me and realises I’m not an exhibitionist.’ It must take a pretty special guy to understand you. ‘Maybe. I might have put up with more when I was younger, but if a guy doesn’t get me now I’ll show him the door!’ She takes a sip of violet tea and laughs. ‘I have to do what feels right for me. If I’d listened to what people told me about what I should and shouldn’t be doing since I was a teenager, I wouldn’t be where I am now, having the time of my life.’

Amy Raphael writes for The Guardian and The Times

behind the scenes Salt meets trend setter Michael Kaplan who is the mastermind behind the wardrobes of many cult movies and, most recently, Burlesque WORDS

Bronwyn Cosgrave

PHOTOGRAPHY David James

Michael Kaplan is one of the most celebrated costume designers of our time. For 36 years he has worked at the forefront of Hollywood film and television production, commencing his career in 1974 working as an assistant on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and progressing on to design wardrobes for daring, cinematic blockbusters including Armageddon, Pearl Harbour, Mr & Mrs Smith, I Am Legend and Star Trek. Kaplan has also become renowned for creating iconic costumes for cult films such as Blade Runner, Flashdance and Fight Club, that have had such an imitable onscreen stylishness that they have then gone on to influence everyday fashion. Back in 2000, Kaplan recalls heading over to a newsstand in Los Angeles to buy a magazine. ‘I picked up Italian Vogue,’ he reflects. Although it was 18 years after Blade Runner’s 1982 release, the magazine’s cover referenced the Forties style that he had previously conjured for lead character Rachael, actor Sean Young’s ‘replicant’ – or human clone. In 2001, three designers – Donatella Versace, Dirk Bikkembergs and John Bartlett at Byblos – created menswear collections heavily referencing Fight Club’s distressed look. In July 2005, Kaplan styled for W magazine, which inspired his friend Marc Jacobs to create a leather jacket resembling the one which Brad Pitt flaunted as he posed alongside his cover star Angelina Jolie. ‘Incredible!’ says Kaplan musing on such moments. ‘They are all huge compliments.’ Kaplan’s most recent film project is Burlesque, an upbeat musical comedy that chronicles the travails of Ali, a small town girl from Iowa portrayed by Christina Aguilera. Landing a waitressing job at an ageing burlesque club in downtown Los Angeles owned by retired dancer Tess (Cher), Ali longs to perform on stage and eventually achieves her dream. Aside from a few Kaplan hallmarks – namely cool denim and great leather jackets – his masterly use of Swarovski crystal is among the most eye-catching aspect of this stylish toe-tapper. In total, Kaplan incorporated 250,000 heat-applied crystals into Burlesque’s wardrobe and the 16 shades with which he worked – Topaz, Volcano, Tabac, Silk, Golden Shadow, Crystal Copper, Silver Shade and Moonlight, among others – enhance the dusky glamor radiating from this song and dance extravaganza.

‘i’d walk into fittings, and along with cher, there would be mitzi gaynor, diana ross and elton’

DRESSING THE PART Opposite page Michael Kaplan shot exclusively for Salt, October 2010; Atelier Swarovski by Michael Kaplan necklace €275, cuff €500 and ring €240 SCREEN TIME From left Flashdance (1983); Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith (2005); Christina Aguilera in Burlesque (2010)

The feel of Burlesque is Chicago meets Mean Streets, so there is an underworld mood to its overall look, including the shimmery corsetry conceived from smouldering beads and lustrous pearls – all from Swarovski. ‘The effects of the crystals are boundless and the amount of different shapes and sizes Swarovski crystal can get is pretty amazing – I fell in love with the product,’ says Kaplan. ‘I hadn’t worked with crystals too much before, although the costumes for Sonny and Cher were always quite extravagant.’ Indeed. Working on the show, Kaplan assisted Bob Mackie. This legendary Hollywood costume designer trained with Edith Head, who won eight Oscars as she presided over the wardrobe department at Paramount Pictures in the mid 20th-century. Rightly considered the last of the all-time great Old Hollywood designers, Mackie became one of the few who carried on its grand bespoke tradition. Cleopatra, Carmen Miranda, Lady Godiva and Dorothy Lamour were among the myriad characters which Kaplan observed Mackie create every week from scratch with the help of ‘beaders and milliners and glove-makers,’ he recollects. ‘It was an amazing situation. I’d walk into ﬁttings for the show and, along with Cher, there would be Mitzi Gaynor, Diana Ross and Elton John. It was amazing for me – a kid from Philadelphia. Bob’s sketches were extraordinary and his workmanship was couture quality. Elizabeth Courtenay [as his costume business was known] was [like] a Paris atelier. And it was there that I learned the craft.’ But rather than brainstorm with Cher (‘She said she remembered me, although I think she was just being kind,’ Kaplan says), or reference the work of the ‘rajah of rhinestones’ and the ‘sultan of sequins’ (as Mackie was known), the inspiration for the biggest scene in Burlesque – its grand ﬁnale – which will likely emerge as one of Kaplan’s career high points, came at his local hardware store.

The filming of Burlesque’s grand finale scene coincided with a trip which Nadja Swarovski made to LA. ‘I invited her to see it,’ recounts Kaplan. ‘We watched it together on a purposebuilt sound stage.’ Impressed by Kaplan’s work, Nadja admitted it was quite emotional to see the dramatic interpretation of crystal and, two weeks later, she invited him to create an Atelier Swarovski collection. ‘I am not in the world of jewelry and crystal and I wanted to do something true to me,’ he explains. ‘I looked through books and catalogues. I found simple crystals that were comet-like and used them. They were actually from an interiors collection. I like the depth of them, looking into the crystals is kind of infinite. The opposite side is a whole other world. I did a really large ring – a gigantic ring – and the crystal is faceted but looks like metal. It has a monolithic look.’ Michael Kaplan’s Atelier Swarovski collection for Spring/ Summer 2011 will be a must-have when it debuts this year. ‘I’m the first costume designer to produce one,’ he says, ‘and I’d love to do another!’

alamy, rex features

‘On a rare day off from the ﬁlm I went to a hardware store to get something. It had nothing to do with the movie, it was for some repair I had to do in my house,’ he

explains. ‘The ﬁnale dance number had to top everything in the ﬁlm and it was in the back of my mind. I didn’t know what I was going to do. The director wanted me to use gold, it was going to be gold. I had sent people out in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco on a hunt for gold fabric swatches. I had hundreds of gold fabric swatches everywhere. But then at the hardware store I looked up and saw bolts of chain, and all of a sudden a light bulb went on – the costumes were to be made of chain and crystal.’

ABOVE: Silk and cotton long dress with Swarovski crystal by Michael Van der Ham

SPRING SHINE Bring out your inner femininity this season with luscious silks and chiffons sparkling with colourful and dramatic crystal

PHOTOGRAPHY Aitken Jolly FASHION Michelle Duguid

LEFT: Satin dress embroidered with Swarovski crystal by Emanuel Ungaro. OPPOSITE: White cotton short jacket and top by Antonio Berardi; Necklace with Swarovski pearls and crystal by Lara Bohinc

RIGHT: Black dress with Swarovski crystal by Martin Grant; vintage red and pink fur jacket, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

HAIR: Chi Wong @ Jed Root OPPOSITE:Dress with MAKE-UP: Andrew Gallimore @ CLM silk frill by Richard Nicoll; PHOTOGRAPHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ASSISTANTS: belt with Swarovski crystal Jack Day, Christian Bragg, Calvin Bishop by Erickson Beamon MODEL: Alla @ Union for Richard Nicoll RIGHT: Silk tank top and skirt with latex fringe and Swarovski crystal, both by Prabal Gurung; shoes with Swarovski crystal by Christian Louboutin

LEFT: Silk top with perspex and Swarovski crystal collar; silk printed skirt, black rafďŹ a jacket and earrings with Swarovski crystal, all by Holly Fulton; shoes by Lara Bohinc. OPPOSITE: Beige silk jacket by Gianfranco Ferre; Tatiana skirt in patchwork with Swarovski crystal by Erdem

GETTY

seeing red Clockwise from top The narcissist wall mirror (and on ďŹ&#x201A;oor), tocador, beauty box and stool, all neri & Hu for Bd Barcelona design; candle holder, the eye collection, by sebastian Bergne for gaia & gino; Floe tables (small and large), by Tomoko Azumi for Lapalma; fruit bowl, small vase and small bowl, all the eye collection by sebastian Bergne for gaia & gino; Floe table (medium), by Tomoko Azumi for Lapalma; all items made with swarovski elements

HAIR: Chi Wong at Jed Root MAKE-UP: Andrew Gallimore at CLM MANICURIST: Katie Hughes SET DESIGN: Stevie Stewart at Streeters PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS: Jack Day, Christian Bragg, Calvin Bishop MODEL: Alla at Union

OPPOSITE: Silk dress with Swarovski crystal by Juan Carlos Obando. RIGHT: Swarovski crystal harness dress by Giles

DOWN TO EARTH From sensuous shades to innovative cuts and a designer range of hearts, this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection from Swarovski Elements is inspired by nature, with stunning results

PHOTOGRAPHY Graeme Montgomery STYLING Annette Masterman

THREAD COUNT The BeCharmed Helix and Briolette Beads have a very large, metal-lined hole and have a range of application possibilities, such as threading onto cord, leather and thick metal chains. Available in a range of colors, beads are shown here in Light Rose, Crystal Golden Shadow and Crystal

OPULENT BRONZE This page Just as with a true bronze, the refractions of color in Crystal Bronze Shade result in an almost gold-green effect in certain lights, whilst showcasing a deeply burnished bronze color in natural light. A contemporary classic, the sophisticated subtlety of the metallic effect is perfectly on-trend for this season ALL SQUARE Opposite The Rivet assortment has now been extended to include a modern looking square design rivet. Available in a range of colors and effects and in three different sizes, with Crystal and Golden Shadow colors shown here

POWER OF THREE Opposite The contemporary Organic Cosmic Triangle Fancy Stone captivates with its innovative combination of a smooth shape and irregular cut, opening up numerous design and application possibilities. Its organic shape complements the Ring Fancy Stone Family VIBRANT SHADES This page The new Amethyst and Topaz Blends have a light and depth of color that allows myriad combination possibilities, and are perfect highlights when used in tone-on-tone applications. Amethyst Blend is a light lilac descending into a deep purple, while pale toffee topaz descends into dark coffee in Topaz Blend

PASTEL PROMISE The new Crystolite Opal is a softly sensuous pale green with milky opaqueness, a beautiful soft summer color awash with the eternal promise of warm sea breezes and lazy sunny afternoons. Available in a range of cuts, it works beautifully with warm whites and cool creams

LOVE STORY Designed by Indian fashion designer Manish Arora, the Manish heart collection depicts a love story of the heart in different stages of love (see page 40). Clockwise from top Devoted 2 U in Crystal Satin, Astral Pink and Red Magma, Miss U in Crystal AB and Astral Pink, Forever 1 in Crystal Satin, Truly in Love in Golden Shadow and Astral Pink, Crazy 4 U in Golden Shadow and Astral Pink

A NEW WAVE The Eclipse Flat Back is an innovative new shape comprising a classic half circle with an asymmetric cut. The shape offers myriad combination and design possibilities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; its smooth shape is the perfect ďŹ t for designs incorporating waves and circles for example

The new Jawaher collection brings together the Islamic tradition of black cloaked abayas with a glimpse of sumptuous crystal to juxtapose and embellish, adding glamor for modern Arabic women

jewels of the east

Fashion photographer Neil Kirk’s stunning images show a new side to Middle Eastern fashion. His portfolio for the Swarovski Elements new Jawaher collection (‘Jewel’ in Arabic) is hi-tech and archaic at the same time, mirroring the collection’s fusion of Islamic tradition and state-of-the-art couture. In one shot a woman leans over the steering wheel of a car, her wrists weighed down with jewelry. Elsewhere she looks menacingly at the camera, wearing a sumptuous bejeweled kaftan and crystalflecked gloves. In another, she is reclining in a leopard skin-lined boudoir. In a group shot, four women pose defiantly in their abaya robes, crystals gleaming. The collection sends a clear message: you don’t have to sacrifice fashion for tradition.

WORDS Viv Groskop PhOtOgRaPhy Neil Kirk

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The project is the result of a collaboration between traditional Islamic fashion designers and Swarovski Elements. The selection

SULTRY DUSK Previous page Jalabiya, Kanzi; ring, Melinda Looi BLACK AND LIGHT Left (from left) Abaya and shaila, First Choice House by Abrar; ring, Jacky M; sunglasses, D&G Dolce & Gabbana; abaya and shaila, Hanayen, GCC; sunglasses, Pucci; abaya and shaila, Sweet Lady; ring, Chelsea Taylor; sunglasses, Melinda Looi; Football, Schonbek RUBY ROAD Above Abaya and shaila, Ajooba; bracelet, Claudia Arbex. rings, Frangos Nikolas, sunglasses, Escada by De Rigo Vision

of abayas (pronounced ‘ah-bye-ya’ – a full-length robe-like dress) and jalabiyas (kaftans) from United Arab Emirates’ fashion house Sweet Lady features heavy crystal embellishments. The collection feels modern: Jawaher aims to capture ‘the intrinsic elegance and glamor of Arabian women today’. As well as the unique robes, it also includes textiles, accessories, jewelry and homeware. Jawaher ﬁrst launched in Dubai last May, with an exhibition following in London in October. The London event launching the collection at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Lounge on Great Marlborough Street was hosted by Courtney Blackman, co-founder of networking venture Fashion Business Club. At the launch, Blackman chaired a seminar on tradition and fashion with, she says, ‘the most amazing panel that spanned the globe – from London, celebrity stylist Rebekah Roy attended, along with Ziad Antoun, a Lebanese designer based in Kuwait specializing in bridalwear and Ute Schumacher who is the director of Trend and Design at Swarovski.’ The aim was ‘to explore culture, history and how traditional wear is being brought to life now through modern design and embellishment’. One of the panel members was Maria Grachvogel, a long-time fan of Swarovski for her own designs. ‘I have been aware of the abaya for some time because we have a number of Middle Eastern clients,’ says Grachvogel. The abaya, she explains, covers the body from head to toe: ‘But it doesn’t have to be a rigid design at all. It has to be long-sleeved and closed at the front but you can play with that in lots of different ways.’ Some women like to wear their abayas in individual styles, Grachvogel adds. ‘The customer I made one for, liked to wear it with a hook at the front – to adjust depending on whether you are in the company of men or not.’ (The abaya is worn over the clothes for modesty.) ‘I had a lot of fun with it. One of my favorite dresses in my collection is a bubble smock cut in a circle with drapes. So I did a full-length version which was open at the front.’ Grachvogel describes being involved in Middle Eastern traditional fashion as a unique experience: ‘It’s an honor – you get a sense of the respect they have for their culture.’ The Jawaher pieces are similarly ingenious: a glamorous new twist on ancient designs. Viv Groskop writes for The Guardian and is a contributing editor of Russian Vogue

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Joseph AltuzArrA four seasons in and this paris-born designer is already known as a risktaker. his atelier pop-feel collection is no exception, with clashing bakelite, leather and jet crystal WORDS Clare Coulson PORTRAITS Andy Ryan

No-one could accuse Joseph Altuzarra, the current boy wonder of New York fashion, of playing it safe. After presenting his Fall/ Winter collection – a slick and boldly sexy take on urban glamor (think opulent fur-trimmed tailoring, patchworked leather sheaths and form-ﬁtting jersey dresses) he could have been forgiven for offering up more of the same for his next effort. Instead, he chose to take a risk. ‘At 27, you can’t box yourself in, or do what people would like you to do. The Fall/Winter collection came from a very singular point of view. For spring, I was interested in overreferencing so that nothing looks like it came from one idea.’ The result was an incredibly modern – or maybe post-modern – mix of seemingly disparate themes. There was a Sixties Pierre Cardin mood but spliced – as artfully as Altuzarra’s collaged dresses – with tribal references, military notes, all topped off with a nod to youthful rave culture in neon belts and tubular bracelets. From his opening look – an angular-cut dress in

110

white duchesse satin, cut asymmetrically across the skirt and cinched with an eye-popping yellow belt – to his closing parade of beautiful columns that were constructed with a jagged patchwork of jersey and python, the collection was innovative, dynamic and utterly fearless. It also neatly illustrated why this young designer has risen so swiftly, and won the respect of diligent critics such as The New York Times’ Cathy Horyn, who said of Altuzarra’s Spring/Summer show on her blog: ‘Nothing pleases a fashion crowd like seeing a young designer take risks in a sophisticated way.’ At the same time as working on his Spring/Summer collection, Altuzarra began work on his debut collection for Atelier Swarovski jewelry and this has strong echoes of his ready-to-wear collection (see feature on page 68). Taking inspiration from Bakelite pieces, the range has

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‘With clothes, Women have very specific needs or desires. Whereas jeWelry is so much to do With size and Weight or practical things’

a pop feel but with a sharp, contemporary spin. Clear resin cuffs and skinnier bangles are punctuated with octagonal crystals in jet and opal. Rectangular pendants strung onto leather thongs strengthen the theme further while chunky cocktail resin rings are topped with a hunk of jet crystal. Joseph Altuzarra grew up in Paris, with his French father and his expat American mother, before moving to America to study art and art history at Philadelphia’s Swarthmore College. Before graduating in 2005 he applied ‘on a whim’ and won an internship with Marc Jacobs, after which he spent two years working with New York duo, Proenza Schouler. ‘Not going to fashion school meant that really I didn’t know anything,’ admits Altuzarra of the early years of his career. ‘But the whole technical aspect of being a designer was really important to me.’ So in lieu of design training, he apprenticed with Nicolas Caito (New York’s best known pattern cutter who trained at Lanvin and Rochas before setting up his Manhattan atelier). ‘He helped me develop a lot of technical skills including pattern cutting and draping. And it was Nicolas who encouraged me to go back to Paris, too.’

catwalking.com

When he returned to Paris, Altuzarra became design assistant to Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy and stayed for two years: ‘Working with other designers you can take all the elements you like. He is such a perfectionist – I learnt so much working with him and it was amazing to be able to experiment there.’ But it was also where he would make connections too, with New York It-girl Vanessa Traina – who now consults and occasionally models for his label – and Carine Roitfeld who was one of the ﬁrst editors to endorse the young designer when she wore one of his coats early in 2009.

URBAN GLAMOR Top Altuzarra’s post-modern pieces – ﬁrst three designs from Fall/Winter 2010, then Spring/Summer 2011. Above Atelier Swarovski by Joseph Altuzarra crystal bangles, RRP from €148

Altuzarra returned to New York and set up his studio on the outskirts of Chinatown in 2008, and it’s easy to see how all that experience has fed into the look that he rapidly developed. He describes the label’s DNA as being focused on ‘tailoring, a very specific type of shoulder and the idea of deconstruction which is something I am interested in.’ And like one of his heroes – Tom Ford – Altuzarra also takes an all-woman approach to design. ‘We’re certainly for a very speciﬁc type of woman, very strong, very sexy and sensual,’ says the designer thoughtfully. ‘But I have always thought that it’s so much more modern to create clothes that are accessible for older women, too – women want to be seductive in their ﬁfties or sixties or at any age now.’

Like many of his contemporaries Altuzarra has cleverly created a circle of chic young muses including Vogue Paris stylist Melanie Huynh. ‘I think as a male designer designing for women, we know what we like but having someone actually tell you if they will wear it is great. The first thing I learnt about was the bra problem,’ he says, laughing. ‘It sounds so basic, but I would always want to do backless and until women actually put on the clothes you don’t think so much about those kind of problems. It’s so important to know your limitations when you are designing.’ Perhaps it’s that refreshing willingness to combine creativity with practicality – a theme many designers are currently obsessing about – that makes Altuzarra one of the critics’s most lauded new stars. (This summer he was nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear and he was also among the finalists for the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award this winter.) It’s also clear that it’s the problem-solving process of design that excites him. ‘Your work as a designer could be unfulfilling, it’s not exactly intellectual. But what makes it interesting for me is the process of developing an idea,’ he says when describing how he pulls varied references together in one collection. ‘That analytical process helps you keep it very concise.’ This is a good word to describe his work – for a designer just at the outset of his career he has so far shown a remarkable self-assurance in the ideas he puts forward. But he is adamant that it’s his focus on technique that’s paramount: ‘I often get asked if a collection is an evolution or a revolution. I think you can always choose a theme or a concept, however technically, I think you can develop a very individual aesthetic and that is threaded through collections, so collections always remain very Altuzarra.’ His reach will extend further this spring when he brings his fresh, youthful approach and uncompromising vision to his collection for Atelier Swarovski. No stranger to collaborations, he has previously collaborated with Swarovski for his Fall/Winter 2010 collection, as well as the shoemaker Gianvito Rossi in 2009. ‘It was very collaborative in every sense of the word because I had to think about lots of things I would never normally have to think about,’ recalls Altuzarra. ‘With clothes, women have very specific needs and desires. Whereas designing jewelry is so much to do with size and weight or very practical things that I never normally have to think about – like if a sleeve will fit over a cuff.’ Yet despite all those practical considerations, the results are just as you would expect – bold, simple and extremely covetable, and the collection is sure to fly off the shelves.

Clare Coulson is the fashion features director of Harper’s Bazaar

PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Brooks SET DESIGN Emma Roach

NATURAL HAPPINESS Taking inspiration from the Earth, her beauty and her bounty, the Spring/Summer 2012 Trend themes reflect our need to embrace nature in order to walk hand-in-hand with our future. They reflect our need to find the joy in life, to find the happiness within as well as the radiance that surrounds us. This season there will be a positive mood, bringing with it a moment of reflection and radical change. Reflecting the Earth’s natural beauty, crystals will glitter and sparkle in the designs of the future offering optimism and energy while uplifting our spirits. This season, it is literally time to shine

CLASSIC Inspired by Earth, the Classic theme prompts us to take time out, to enjoy the Earth for her natural beauty and her bounty, to repose and reﬂect. It asks us to create a more intuitive and intimate relationship with the Earth. Boasting a simple organic elegance, the enhanced, authentic simplicity of dense natural plant dyes and deep saturated red and wood tones deﬁne this theme.

Fern Green

Crystal Vitrail Medium

Peridot

Padparadscha

Smoky Quartz

Crystal Bronze Shade

ROMANTIC Inspired by Chalk, the Romantic theme speaks to both the young and the young at heart. Feminine yet avant-garde, a warm whitewash of powdery pastels is punctuated by the luminous strength and sensuous intensity of bold fuchsia. This theme calls to the creative artist within, redeďŹ ning romantic with an edgy yet irreverent attitude. Jewelry and accessories are at once both whimsical and conceptually romantic.

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White Alabaster

Crystal Silver Shade

Light Grey Opal

Fuchsia

Chrysolite Opal

White Opal

Stone light courteSy of nicole farhi

PROGRESSIVE Inspired by Rock, Progressive is awe-inspiring, solid and monumental. Functional and durable, a discreet flash of darkened grey is combined with earthy essentials and a highlight of turquoise to harmonize the palette. Crystal is integrated into the very fiber of fabrics and takes on a practical application as pragmatic reflective optics in fantastic, futuristic sports-inspired clothing and accessories.

Indicolite

Montana

Smoked Topaz

Crystal Bronze Shade

Crystal Silver Night

Chrysolite Opal

HARMONY Inspired by Sand, Harmony encourages us to go back to our roots, to become almost tribal and nomadic in our outlook in order to emotionally re-connect with ourselves. Colors are deep rooted in earthbound matter, with a medley of raw and sensual natural tones surprising the eyes. The outlook is folkloric but not ethnic, touching the spiritual soul with primal and primitive elements.

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Crystal Vintage Gold Pearl

Khaki

Crystal Red Magma

Garnet

Black Diamond

Topaz

GLAMOUR Inspired by Precious Metals, Glamour is sophisticated and luxurious. Captivating and entrancing, it represents plenitude and power yet symbolizes warmth, love and hope with its yellow/gold overtones. The theme is full of life and power; with rich elements combining to showcase a fearless yet feminine design ethic complete with divinely inspired details.

Crystal Vintage Gold Pearl

Light Colorado Topaz

Sand Opal

Crystal Dorado

SunďŹ&#x201A;ower

Crystal Bronze Shade

Crystal Univer se

oUt of this world In the next few years crystals will be made in space. It might sound like science ﬁction now but it will produce ﬂawless gems that are truly heaven sent WORDS Nick Smith

pHOTOGRApHY: NASA

SPACIAL AWARENESS From left: A shot from the NASA International Space Station. One of the artiﬁcial crystals

It may sound like science fiction, but growing crystals in space is nothing new. Ever since the Skylab missions of the Seventies scientists have experimented with making small, but perfectly formed, cubes of salt up in the heavens. It’s not the cheapest method of salt production ever devised, but there are good reasons for wanting to grow crystals in zero gravity. Beyond gravitational pull they grow ﬂawlessly and quickly. Artiﬁcially producing tiny quantities of the ionic compound sodium chloride (table salt) in space is admittedly impressive, but you can do that in your airing cupboard. And you don’t have to send a rocket into space. So are we simply looking at a clever idea that has no down-to-earth applications? Professor Alex Ignatiev from the University of Houston in Texas doesn’t think so. He says growing artificial

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crystals ‘off-world’ can improve the efficiency of ultra-thin semiconductors by up to 60 per cent. There are the microscopic crystal formations found inside computers that control time-critical operations. But more importantly, they are increasingly to be found in solar cells – the rooftop panels that can heat your home by converting light from the sun into electrical energy. The great thing about solar energy is that it’s free, reliable and is going to be with us for billions of years. It makes sense to exploit this resource as soon as possible, but first we’ve got to get some complicated science right. Ignatiev’s experiments will take place in a small laboratory connected to the International Space Station molecular beam epitaxy – a method of depositing crystals in a vacuum. The program is due to start in 2013. The project is being funded by the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos and means America and Russian scientists will be working together. Dr Alexandre Ivanov at the agency says that while it’s possible to produce similar artificial crystals on Earth, they’d be less pure. ‘If produced in space, they will be of a much higher quality, and so we will get materials that will allow us to improve our quality of life.’

But don’t you need a lot of them? ‘It sounds like weird science now, but it may well become a reality,’ says Dr Ivanov, referring to the idea that one day there may even be factories on the Moon manufacturing these crystals in bulk. He says we could even produce enough solar energy to provide electricity for the whole world from lunar power stations using thin ﬁlm semiconductor crystals. Back on earth, we might have to content ourselves with more modest short-term beneﬁts. UK electronics journalist Chris Edwards says the most likely outcome is that these crystals will be built into our domestic solar panels by the end of the decade. ‘Which means,’ says Edwards, ‘that you could be providing 100 per cent environmentally friendly electricity to your home sooner than you think.’ Nick Smith is a contributing editor on the Explorers Journal and is a former editor of Geographical

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