Small Talk JULIE CLODY
Tatler speaks to the newly appointed managing director of Van Cleef & Arpels Hong Kong & Macau about the relationship between dance and jewellery, as well as her favourite design from the French maison’s archives.
What areas do you plan on developing under your leadership?
One of my plans is to enhance our client experience. I want to bring in my 20 years of experience in the luxury industry to enchant our clients, going above and beyond to make their experience with Van Cleef & Arpels one-ofa-kind. Secondly, we will continue to strengthen our position as a stand-out example of a high jewellery maison, bringing our unique high jewellery creations from our Mains d’Or, or Golden Hands [a name given to Van Cleef & Arpels’ craftsmen], in the Paris workshop to our audiences through an annual high jewellery event and other campaigns.
If you could name only one piece from the archives as a favourite, what would it be?
I have always been in love with the ballerina clips. The very first ballerina clip was created in New York in the 1940s at the prompting of Louis Arpels, one of the maison’s founding Arpels brothers, who was very passionate about ballet and opera. It was very well received by the American clients amid the recovery of the Great Depression, as the ballerina and fairy clips became a symbol of joy and hope. The ballerina clips have never gone out of style since then, as we constantly revive the design with creative use of materials, patterns and stones throughout the years. They are timeless and continue to be a representation of the maison’s signature design code.
The ballerina clips will always remain important; the worlds of dance and jewellery share many common values: both [are in] pursuit of excellence
Are the high jewellery collections offered by Van Cleef & Arpels regionspecific? If yes, how do they vary across Asia?
For us, beauty is timeless, universal and should never be bound by gender or region, hence we have never felt the need to define a collection for a target audience. At Van Cleef & Arpels, we tell our stories through a poetic universe filled with a positive view of life. And we express these stories through rich art, culture and the golden touch of excellent craftsmanship. Whomever these beautiful stories appeal to, regardless of who they are or where they come from, they become part of the Van Cleef & Arpels universe as our prized collectors.