“Our Craftsmanship Is Centred Around Culture and Arts – Which Translates To Any Region”: Roberto Coin On His Regional Expansion

Bazaar Arabia offers a glimpse into the vibrant Il Ballo del Doge festivities in honour of the world-renowned Venetian brand’s debut in Riyadh

Roberto Coin is in a league of his own. The pioneering entrepreneur and founder of his eponymous Venetian jewellery brand is on a journey, committed to bringing the magic of Venice to a diverse range of cultures across the globe in the form of beautiful fine jewellery.

Most recently, the trailblazing innovator left his mark on Saudi Arabia: The Venetian jewellery house hosted an unforgettably opulent carnival-themed extravaganza at the St. Regis Riyadh.

Under the theme Venice Carnival Rhapsody, Roberto brought the spirit of a masquerade ball – Il Ballo del Doge – to the heart of The Kingdom, bringing two cultures together in a dream-like ambiance where Venice meets Riyadh. The festivities were brought to life with exhilarating acrobats, giant butterflies, and other carnival-themed elements.

From lavish masqueraded costumes, exuding sartorial splendor, to opulent décor and an enchanting dinner fit for royalty, the celebration took guests on a multi-sensory journey across the unique history and culture of Venice at the heart of Riyadh.

Coinciding with the Venetian-themed celebrations, both Roberto Coin boutiques in Via Riyadh and Kingdom Centre showcased a series of limited-edition collections, curated exclusively for the Middle East, composed of both existing and exclusive pieces.

The exclusive pieces offer us a glimpse into the eclectic sources of inspiration behind Roberto Coin’s creations – including Venetian Princess, Animalier; Venetian Calle, and Cialoma lines. No two Roberto Coin pieces are identical, attesting to the unique ideation processes and craftsmanship journeys which precede the genesis of each of the varied collections. “For the Middle East, we have pieces featuring the colours of the Saudi Arabian flag, which we have incorporated into our existing collections,” states Roberto Coin on the sources of inspiration behind his exclusive Middle Eastern pieces.

Bazaar Arabia‘s Managing Editor Natasha Faruque caught up with the visionary entrepreneur, delving into Roberto Coin’s growing Middle Eastern footprint; the extraordinary craftsmanship for which the jewellery maison is renowned; and other upcoming projects to potentially be announced in the near future.

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): How do you capture the spirit of carnival and bring it to the Middle East?

Roberto Coin (RC): We wanted to give something back to Saudi Arabia and my clients here, as we feel very strongly about it. We will try very hard to link Riyadh and Venice. I like to surprise; I even surprise myself, and this is something we have not done before.

HBA: How intrinsic is Venetian craftsmanship to Roberto Coin, and how do you translate this to an international audience?

RC: When I started my brand in 1996, diversity and innovation were our two key pillars, and they remain today. Venice is one of the oldest cities in Europe, so you can imagine how much culture and knowledge surrounds it. Our craftsmanship is centered around culture and arts, so if our clients understand that, it translates to any region.

HBA: What makes Roberto Coin differ from other jewellery maisons?

Roberto Coin: We work with 15 or 20 manufacturers, so our capability is extremely strong when it comes to exploring creativity.

Our collections are so varied, and they have many different arts and styles within them. That is what defines us. Business says you should be able to define a woman by the jewellery brand she likes to wear, but I work differently. With my clients, no one will recognise that a woman is wearing Roberto Coin, but she knows it’s Roberto Coin, and most likely, someone will ask her what she’s wearing because it is so beautiful, and that’s what we want.

HBA: Did you always know you would be a jeweller, and what would you have done if you weren’t?

Roberto Coin: Before I was a jeweller, I was a successful hotelier, but I gave up and started all over again with jewellery because I was so passionate about this world. I tell my team that we might think we are good, but we are never good enough; we have to challenge ourselves to create something better. Being an ex-hotelier, I want people to be extremely satisfied.

HBA: Tell us about traceability within the company.

Roberto Coin: We were one of the first companies worldwide to offer traceability of our diamonds. It is very important to us as a company, and I knew it was something that would become very important to clients in the future. Further to that, we will plant 125 trees in Saudi Arabia to offset our energy usage with our shops in Riyadh. This is something we are now doing with every new boutique worldwide.

HBA: What first attracted you to the Middle East?

Roberto Coin: I came to Dubai for the first time in 1989, and clients started coming to me from across the region, so we had a well-established client base here. We wanted to find the right time to open in Saudi Arabia, and this is the right time. The country should be very proud that the government is investing so much money in its development. I find it very exciting.

HBA: You have created some Middle Eastern exclusive pieces. What do you design for the Middle Eastern market?

Roberto Coin: I design what I like and what I think would be suitable for the women, but each woman is different. We are not the kind of brand to impose. I propose, and if you like it, you buy it. If you don’t like it, I keep it with pleasure! For the Middle East, we have pieces featuring the colours of the Saudi Arabian flag, which we have incorporated into our existing collections.

HBA: Do you have a piece that is especially sentimental to you?

Roberto Coin: None of them. I fall in love with the future.

HBA: Do you believe there are trends in jewellery?

Roberto Coin: I believe that jewellery brands create their own trends, but at Roberto Coin, we stay true to ourselves. We don’t follow trends, and we don’t follow others. Because of that, we have created 108,000 pieces over the years. We want every woman to be different.

HBA: What are your future plans for the region?

Roberto Coin: Further expansion in Saudi Arabia.

HBA: Do you have plans to expand further out of jewellery?

Roberto Coin: We have created some limited edition bags, and we will surely expand to other categories. It could be perfume, or sunglasses, you never know. I am open to doing nice things!

Images supplied.