Swarovski’s creative director on new collection
Swarovski creative director Nathalie Colin shares her sparkling vision
Reclining on a sofa in The Peninsula Bangkok’s suite, Nathalie Colin was the picture of grace and sophistication as she previewed the Swarovski spring 2019 rings, necklaces and cuffs that accessorised her pleated golden-yellow dress.
When asked her favourite, Swarovski’s creative director pointed to the statement cuff bracelet sparkling with Austrian crystals and textured like snake skin.
“Sometimes it’s hidden underneath the sleeve so people can’t see it, but I still like wearing the cuff — it makes me feel stronger,” said Colin, who has been the driving force of Swarovski jewellery since 2006. Accessories enhance a person’s personality, she suggests, and wearing different jewellery with the same outfit can change your look, making you look more youthful or more glamorous.
Over the course of her 12 years, the French creative director has been behind more than 25 collections and is never short of ideas about what to do next.
“I have to entertain myself and the team, otherwise we would be doing the same thing. It’s important to generate good energy in the office. This energy is embodied in each jewellery collection,” she explained.
The autumn/winter 2018 Crystal Tales collection transports you to a mystical forest, whose flora and fauna have been reimagined as key pieces. Meanwhile, the spring 2019 designs are inspired by the Sun and the Mediterranean Sea. Each season, Swarovski rolls out a diverse range of jewellery under sub-themes, such as March, Magician, Magnetic, Manor and Merry from the Crystal Tales collection.
“Women don’t have the same personality and don’t like the same things. We can’t do a collection with a small number of designs and say that you have to choose from just that. Instead you are spoiled for choice,” she said.
Sparkling options now feature coloured crystals masterminded by Colin when she was the company’s consultant back in the 1990s.
“The first thing then was to convince Swarovski to do more colours to cater to people’s preferences. Fashion is about colours. Then I suggested asymmetrical faceting of the crystals, for a surprising and magical play of light,” she said.
As the creative director, Colin has played a prominent role in modernising the Austrian brand and establishing it as a key player on the international fashion scene. Her strong fashion sense developed at a young age. She remembers designing accessories on images of models in her grandmother’s shopping catalogues.
“I drew eyewear, bags, necklaces to accessorise the clothing worn by the models — that kept me quiet for a long time,” she recalled. “I also played with my mother’s long necklaces, by moving them around into various shapes.”
Designing jewellery is not only about silhouettes. Materials, techniques and details, among many other things, need to be considered, not to mention weight.
“Wearability is as important as being fashionable. For instance, earrings can’t be too heavy. The back or unseen side is also important and we go into great detail to create each [piece of ] jewellery,” she said. “The dainty ones are actually more difficult to do than the big pieces. It’s like painting; when you have a large canvas, you can use many colours for a spectacular work of art. It’s harder to create something distinctive on a smaller canvas or a piece of jewellery.”
Nevertheless, Colin noted that creativity at Swarovski is facilitated by the family spirit. The company was founded in 1895 by Bohemian jeweller Daniel Swarovski, whose vision was to use crystal to create an accessible “diamond” via glass-cutting innovations for women. It is now run by fifth-generation members.
“Crystal is such a lively, versatile material, adding positive and glamorous touches to every design. Like its many facets, there are so many layers of inspiration that I can explore when designing with crystal,” she said.
What else would the exuberant creative director like to sketch on a design board?
“I love shoes,” she enthused. “Every time I go shopping for another thing, I always come back with shoes. Some pairs are uncomfortable to wear, still I can’t resist buying them. Like jewellery, shoes are a part of the total look and personality.”
Women don’t like the same things. We can’t do a collection with a small number of designs. Instead, you are spoiled for choice