Small Talk CAROLINE SCHEUFELE
The Chopard co‑president and artistic director on this year’s cinema‑inspired Red Carpet Collection, her favourite films, and what else to expect from the brand
Tell us about the 2022 Red Carpet Collection themed to “Chopard Loves Cinema”; what are some of your favourite pieces?
The [75-piece] collection was inspired by iconic movies and moments in cinema. There are a lot [of pieces] I love personally, such as the rose brooch inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s first sound film,
City Lights. Chaplin was my favourite actor as a kid and I purposely made the rose in black and white, because it was a black-and-white movie. I also like the pumpkin ring [that references Cinderella], which opens to reveal a diamond slipper.
How did you select which films to take inspiration from? There are many things about a film that can inspire, from the jewellery worn in the film to the place it was shot to the music and more. I [asked] my team to list their favourite movies—and there had to be international ones—[that] marked their childhood, teenhood or adulthood. We then shortlisted the films, discussed what inspirations we could take from them, and that’s how it all came together.
Which pieces were the most challenging to create?
The ones that were incomplete before we showcased the collection in Cannes. For example, we recently completed a beautiful necklace inspired by the movie Casanova, and it took a long time because we had to specially cut a lot of stones. They have to be the same colour and sometimes, after you cut a stone smaller, [it doesn’t] match the others any more. Everything has to be uniform, so [it was] quite a challenge.
This year marks the
25th anniversary of Chopard’s partnership with the Cannes Film Festival. What does this milestone mean to you? When I first started, I never would have thought I’d find myself here 25 years down the road. We’ve achieved so much together, so it’s a big milestone. The festival and partnership have also brought about many unexpected encounters and opportunities for me. I’ve met so many new people from different industries that I otherwise would never have had the chance to meet, and worked with them on interesting projects.
What are the top three films everyone needs to watch in their lifetime?
Gone with the Wind and Casablanca are iconic. There are so many … To Catch a
Thief, Avatar, Cinderella. My taste in films is like my taste in music and food: very varied and [dependent] on my mood.
What similarities do you draw between the world of cinema and that of jewellery?
They both have the ability to take you into another world. When you watch a movie, you cry, get scared or come [away] happy; it brings [out] many emotions and it’s the same with beautiful jewellery. Cinema and diamonds both make you dream.
What else can we expect from Chopard in the next few months? We have three big openings of boutiques in Dusseldorf, Milan and New York this year, and will officially open one in Hong Kong after Chinese New Year. We’re also celebrating 25 years of the L.U.C manufacture movements this year, so there’s a lot going on. And as we speak, I’m already working on the Red Carpet Collection for 2023!