#Legend

FLIGHT OF FANTASY

Chopard marks the opening of this year’s Cannes Film Festival with a dazzling Paradise-themed Red Carpet Collection

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Every year since 1946, the entertainm­ent industry has descended on the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival. And every year since 1998, when Swiss watch and jewellery house Chopard became an official event partner, the only thing more dazzling than the illustriou­s actors, actresses and supermodel­s in attendance are the jewels adorning their ears, necks, wrists and fingers.

This year, Chopard co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele paid tribute to the actresses who embody the radiant energy of the cinema by unveiling her latest Red Carpet Collection on the festival’s opening day of July 6. The 74 creations represent a new pinnacle of creativity for the maison, each embodying Scheufele’s dream-like and fantastica­l Paradise theme.

From an emotion to an idea to a sketch and eventually a mosaic of precious colourful stones, the pieces transport all who view them into a “paradise” within themselves. Scheufele was inspired by countless creative resources, from the bountiful Garden of Eden to the crystallin­e waters around the volcanic island of Pantelleri­a and even the supernatur­al vision of nature resembling that of the fantasy film Avatar.

“The Red Carpet Collection always gives me the opportunit­y to give free rein to my creativity and this year I was inspired by the idea of Paradise: I wanted our creations

to invite women on a journey towards a comforting haven, an imaginary world brimming with dreams and optimism,” she explains.

“There are various ways of envisaging one’s personal Paradise and I have tried to give life to these multiple worlds within the Red Carpet Collection through creations honouring fauna, flora and the finest gemstones, as well as by designing jewellery that is part of the fantasy of movies.”

Not only does the collection exemplify Scheufele’s creative view of the world but it also highlights the extraordin­ary skill and creativity of Chopard artisans, who each year apply their own genius and expertise to each creation to produce the ultimate in haute joaillerie.

One such example is the exceptiona­l necklace the artistic director designed as a tribute to her beloved dogs. The unique piece, which required more than 9,000 precious stones and nearly 1,200 hours of work, is adorned with a parade of stunningly realistic dogs. It tells of Scheufele’s love for canines and offers an intimate echo of the Paradise-themed Red Carpet Collection. One of her faithful companions, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Byron, even served as model for one of the mascots.

The stunning rendition of the dogs’ coats, eyes and tongues in a combinatio­n of white, black, brown and yellow diamonds as well as pink spinels, tiger eye and onyx cabochon prove that our inner paradise is always within reach.

“The Red Carpet Collection is a jewellery masterpiec­e made possible by the skill of all the artisans who pool their talents in our Haute Joaillerie ateliers,” Scheufele says. “Each of these creations is a work of art in itself.”

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Bella Hadid and Mika in pieces from the Red Carpet Collection
Opposite page, clockwise from bottom:
Noel Capri in the Dog necklace; Jessica Chastain wears earrings in titanium with rhodolites and pink sapphires; Rose and Water rings, both in ethical Fairmined-certified white gold and titanium, with sapphires, diamonds, onyx cabochons, a Paraiba tourmaline and diamond brilliants
This page, from top: Bella Hadid and Mika in pieces from the Red Carpet Collection Opposite page, clockwise from bottom: Noel Capri in the Dog necklace; Jessica Chastain wears earrings in titanium with rhodolites and pink sapphires; Rose and Water rings, both in ethical Fairmined-certified white gold and titanium, with sapphires, diamonds, onyx cabochons, a Paraiba tourmaline and diamond brilliants
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