FOR THE BRAVE
Inspired by a powerful heritage, Bravery is the new high jewellery collection created in celebration of LOUIS VUITTON’s bicentennial anniversary.
Inspired by a powerful heritage, Bravery is the new high jewellery collection created for Louis Vuitton’s bicentennial anniversary
In honour of the 200th anniversary of fashion designer Louis Vuitton’s birth, his namesake brand has unveiled the Bravery high jewellery collection, which retraces his remarkable saga of bravely leaving his native Jura to find better opportunity in Paris and eventually founding one of the biggest luxury brands in the world. Comprising 90 emblematic pieces designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director of Watches and Jewelry at Louis Vuitton, the collection is presented in eight themes: La Constellation d’Hercule, L’Elan Vital, L’ Aventure, The Arrow, Le Mythe, La Passion, Le Tumbler, and La Star du Nord.
As Vuitton was born on 4 August 1821, the La Constellation d’Hercule set of necklace, brooch, rings and earrings is named in reference to the constellation that is only visible at that time of year. The necklace, made up of tanzanites, Australian opals and tsavorites, ends with a diamond-set rope, a nod to the ones once used on trunks. L’Elan Vital, an expression of Vuitton’s strength of character, offers a more evident reference to those in its selection of necklace, earrings, chokers, bracelets and earrings. The white-gold and diamond ropes of the necklace are consistent of the ones young Vuitton used to carry luggage.
Representing the 400-kilometres stretch of roads and forests that separates Jura from Paris is the L’ Aventure necklace. An elegant piece that can be worn in six ways, it combines Colombian emeralds with three rows of platinum, yellow gold and white gold. Completing the set are three rings, a bracelet and two pairs of earrings. As for the Arrow, it is a literal interpretation of the V in Vuitton’s name. A three-coloured V
– set with diamonds, rubies and sapphires – that references the personal emblem of the founder’s grandson, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, can be found at the centre of the necklace.
The Le Mythe necklace, bracelets, rings and pendant earrings selection combines several emblematic Louis Vuitton signatures including the Damier pattern, the Monogram flower, rope, and trunk lock-inspired studs and motifs. The three-row necklace, a centrepiece of the Bravery collection that can be worn in 12 different ways, is an opulent mix of a Sri Lankan sapphire, a Colombian emerald and a Madagascan sapphire resting on a bed of diamonds. Meanwhile, the La Passion lattice necklace is a white-gold collar studded with diamonds and 75 round rubies, lined down the middle with three bright red Mozambique rubies. It comes with matching cuff bracelet, two rings and clip earrings.
Marking the first time that the Tumbler lock, a patented lock mechanism invented by Vuitton in 1890, has inspired a high jewellery piece, Le Tumbler set includes a necklace, bracelets, earrings and rings. It is interpreted here as a diamond-set clasp that is placed off-centre on a multicoloured necklace. Lastly, the diamond choker of the La Star du Nord collection, also comprising earrings, bracelet and ring, illustrates the metaphorical figure of the “good star”. The transformable model, as it can also be worn as a ring, features a Monogram Flower, which is a 10.07-carat diamond accentuated with an LV Monogram Star cut, set alongside a white gold knot referencing the ones used on trunk interiors.