Embark on a Le Voyage Recommencé with Cartier High Jewellery
Embark on a global journey with Cartier’s latest high jewellery collection, which looks back to the future
British singer Labrinth at the piano accompanied by an Italian youth choir. American actor Adrian Brody making his DJ-ing debut, spinning remixed Arabic pop and French retro-hits, as girlfriend Georgina Chapman cheers him on. Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani chatting to Egyptian Tara Emad as Elle Fanning hugs old friend Riley Keough, and Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Gong Li and Thai-German actor Kimberley Anne Woltemas all mingle amid the spectacular gardens of Florence’s Giardino Corsini. Inspiring, unexpected, modern, diverse – the friends of Cartier, who came together from the four corners of the world to celebrate the launch of the maison’s latest high jewellery collection, truly epitomised and celebrated its spirit; it was a Voyage de Recommencé in every way. The fact that the first 78 pieces were unveiled in Florence, a city synonymous with the Renaissance, a rebirth, echoed the overarching theme of a reinitiated journey.
An Honoured Heritage, a Contemporary Touch
The famed French house may have been founded in 1847, but staying relevant has never been a challenge. At the end of the evening, Labrinth thanked long-time director of image, style and heritage, Pierre Rainero, saying, “I’m so interested in the history and the values you have at Cartier; we should meet more and exchange ideas.” Pierre is obviously moved by the gesture; “He was not obliged to say that to me. That’s why it was touching, because he was so sincere,” he tells Bazaar Arabia.
It’s a minefield many a venerable house has had to navigate; staying true to the intrinsic tenets that it was established on, yet ensuring it’s attractive to a modern clientele, and still evolving creatively. That single interaction clearly showed that Cartier has managed to pull of this hat trick with aplomb. They’re drawing in a new generation, an international customer, who identifies with and wants to be a part of the maison. It’s at once aspirational and yet familiar. Pierre is intrigued by this conundrum and realises that is one of his primary responsibilities; paying homage to history while giving each collection a fresh approach. “That’s the best comment we can receive, when people say, ‘Oh, this is very new. Oh, this is very Cartier.’ That’s what we aim for. It shows how the Cartier style has a capacity to evolve while remaining very present. There’s a richness of possibilities and strength in our principles that allows that kind of comment.”
Setting off on a Journey
This collection goes to the heart of the Cartier ethos as one of the first maisons that were open to exploring the wider world – for example, they established a close relationship with the Middle East while in the pursuit of pearls. Pieces like the Girih necklace, debuted in Tuscany as one of a 350-strong presentation that combined past collections and vintage pieces alongside newly unveiled designs at the Villa Reale di Marlia – which hosted luminaries like Jackie Onassis in the past, and opened its doors for the first time for guests of the house – were clearly inspired by Islamic geometry, and Orientalism, alongside traditional feline motifs and art deco shapes. “We deliberately wanted to create comparisons. We wanted to explore existing fields of expression. So that’s why you have a chapter dedicated to how geometry is important to Cartier, and what it means today and its role in our compositions. But the way we work with geometry is very, very different today from when we started,” Pierre explains of the presentation that juxtaposed collections and clearly showed the evolutionary story of Cartier high jewellery. “And as for the inspirations from other cultures and other civilisations, we deliberately explored existing fields of inspiration from our tradition, to show how today it’s done in a new way.”
Conquering Stereotypes
This collection has such breadth to it, that it’s clear that every client in the house will find something to covet. When asked if certain regions were attracted to particular themes – and if that played a part in determining what to create, Pierre was emphatic: “In terms of aesthetics, we never work that way. We always work the Cartier way.” He makes a pertinent point when continuing, “Let’s not forget that when we were at first inspired from other cultures, or other civilisations, or other periods, we didn’t create those pieces for the clients from that part of the world or time. Never. It was to enrich the vocabulary of shapes.” These designs champion inclusivity, and view Cartier’s traditions with a contemporary lens, ensuring innovation, especially when it comes to technical breakthroughs and settings, and surprise always stays at the forefront of what they create. Pierre puts it best when he states that despite the intricate thought process behind every piece, in the end, you’ll never know where it will find its home as it’s such an intensely personal decision: “You realise jewellery talks to you… It is instinctive. It’s linked to who you are deeply, in your soul.”
Images Supplied.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s July/August 2023 Issue.