Recalling his fashion show finale ritual, Monsieur Dior wrote in his memoirs: «I have no idea if other dressmaking houses have the same kissing ritual after the show is over; but being by nature a person who adores demonstrations of affection and tenderness, I know that I kiss many cheeks that day. And my own cheeks are covered with lipstick, a sure sign of the success of my collection, apart from the fact that red is my lucky color.”
Alongside this essential color are a host of other cheerful shades that Victoire de Castellane has made her own for Dior Joaillerie.
Picture credit: Dior Joaillerie
With Color Dior, chains become elegantly sophisticated. In a play of bold chromatic combinations, a mesh composed of the letters «CD» takes Christian Dior’s initials beyond the logo to dally with an art of living in which jewelry becomes the ultimate fashion accessory. Available in three parures, the new collection highlights versatile, transformable pieces that blend glamour and playfulness.
Picture credit: Dior Joaillerie
It all starts with gold, a precious metal with which Christian Dior, «whose magic name combines God (dieu) and gold (or),» would forever be associated thanks to Jean Cocteau.
Then lacquer enters the picture.
«One day, I said to myself: it’s such a shame that there aren’t more gold colors. I started to work with lacquer, fluorescence, with seemingly infinite possibilities, new shades added to all the others. Gold could be fuchsia. To me, lacquer is gold’s fourth color,» explains the Artistic Director of Dior Joaillerie.
With Color Dior, Victoire de Castellane stretches the rainbow to twelve hues, arranged around diamond-paved «CD» clasps. Starting with white or black, rounds of color appear in yellow, orange, red, parma, pink, violet, French royal blue, electric blue, water mint green and grass green.
By simply turning a letter, a piece may be transformed as desired; the necklace becomes a neo-choker that can be paired with bracelets and earrings.
Illuminated by a central link paved with diamonds, drop earrings play on asymmetry in eight colors, adapting easily to express personal style.
Picture credit: Dior Joaillerie
A second parure in rose gold explores a black and white theme, while a third combines gold and wood.
The elongated yellow gold links of a sautoir are illuminated by diamonds when they cross the «CD» motif which punctuates the piece with three varieties of wood, combining the deep brown of precious ebony, the coffee tones of walnut and the golden brown of lightly grained maple.
A similar trio punctuates a bracelet. The earrings have an ultra-contemporary asymmetry, with a gold stem set with pavé diamonds on one side and a «CD» in yellow gold and maple on the other.
