Springing Into Season
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS collaborates with artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet for a radiant showcase of eight new additions to its femininely floral Frivole collection, writes kiran pillay
Spring is a time of transformation, renewal and rebirth. Every year, to greet the coming of the season, Van Cleef & Arpels pays a tribute to the wondrous beauty of nature. This year, the maison’s Frivole collection is enriched with eight exquisite new creations. Highlights of the collection include two secret watches, transformable treasures, and the collection’s first heirlooms crafted from rose gold with pink sapphire accents. Endeavouring to bring the dazzling colours and warmth of the season into its boutiques, the maison recruited the talents of artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet, winner of the Grand Prix Design Parade Toulon Van Cleef & Arpels in 2017. Since March, the maison’s windows have greeted the spring with flowery displays. The brightly coloured décor comprises cut-out stems and petals drawn in oil pastels, reassembled into striking floral compositions, appearing to emerge from curved sculptures and vases which display the jewels.
In addition to the window displays, Alexandre was also tasked with the creation of large-format scenes, to be installed in-store or at external events. Characterised by copious bouquets unfurling across façades and furnishings, the artist shares his vision of nature. “I wanted to create the illusion that wildflowers had appeared in the windows during the night as if by magic. It reminds me of that wonderful moment in spring when you find yourself looking at a garden covered in dew, with flowers that have just bloomed.”
Visitors to Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques will find themselves transported to an immersive and surreal Eden. Alexandre’s installations give guests the impression of strolling through an open sketchbook, where the line between architecture and illustration blurs. The original concepts crafted by the artist at his Paris studio reflect the artist’s inclination towards impulsive outlines and eruptions of resplendent hues. “The idea was to present flowers in bloom, but also the colours that come to life in spring,” he explains.
BOTANICAL BONDS
When the young talent agreed to explore the maison’s cherished theme of flowers, it was a plunge into new and unfamiliar territory. “I have been drawing vases for several years; I say they are like actors on a stage, elements in a theatre production. But people often point out that there are never any flowers in my vases. So, I thought it was funny and interesting that – when we met – the maison invited me to draw some, leaving a lot of room for the energy of colour,” Alexandre shares.
The artist also found common ground with the maison’s fondness for illustration. “I share the maison’s passion for drawing. Its pictorial archives reveal the importance it has always allotted the technique,” he professes. “For me, that love for drawing was the real starting point for our collaboration, and the first connection between us.”
Having first encountered the Van Cleef & Arpels’ team in 2017, at the Design Parade Toulon, Alexandre had never before worked with a high jewellery maison. He was fast fascinated by the industry’s creative power and imagination. “I trained in industrial design and it is very different from jewellery, but I can see links between the two. For me, jewellery and design are both fields of controlled, strict, and precise expertise, yet ones that require out-of-the-box thinking to create exceptional pieces.”
THE FRIVOLE COLLECTION
An exceptional new addition to the maison’s flowering collection includes the Frivole 7-flower bracelet. Shimmering in mirror-polished yellow gold, the bangle springs to life on the wearer’s wrist with threedimensional charm. The petals of these simple, graphic corollas bloom as though to greet the warmth of the sun’s rays. Precious metal gleams in the light, magnifying the splendour of heart-shaped petals. Moreover, the varyingsized flowers evoke the vitality of nature while the heart of every artful blossom sparkles with one or three diamonds.
Echoing the appealing aesthetic of the bracelet is the new Frivole Secrète watch. Golden yellow, sun-drenched flowers come together for the very first time in this stereoscopic masterpiece, concealing a dial face paved with diamonds beneath an ornate arrangement of blooms.
The second Frivole Secrète watch makes for a cool contrast as its delicately pivoting corollas are crafted from luminous white gold. As spring is a time of metamorphosis, so too does this bracelet-watch exemplify change and adaptability. With its diamond-paved dial face discreetly hidden, this airy bouquet may be transformed into a pendant and styled as a necklace or mounted on a jewellery structure and worn as a clip.
With its next piece, the maison adds a touch of cheeky flair with the Frivole Between the Finger Ring. This unique design – also available in a yellow gold variant – features three finely polished white gold blossoms conversing with a single diamond paved flower. A reflection of the maison’s iconic style, the asymmetry of the partial band engenders a dynamic spirit that parodies the vigour of nature in spring.
Subsequently, the Frivole 5-flower bracelet, crafted from white gold with diamonds, is a piece that truly enhances the collection. The new bracelet may be paired with Frivole’s 9-flower necklace to form a matching set. The variance in size between the delicate floral motifs assists in elegantly embellishing the wearer’s wrist with sparkling diamonds.
Another treasure embodying the spirit of transformation is the robustly sized Frivole clip pendant. Made from white gold, this large-format pendant may be worn on a white gold chain, styled as a brooch on clothing or clipped on as a hair adornment. Finely paved with diamonds on every heart-shaped petal with three diamonds at the centre, this eye-catching stunner was made to grab attention.
Last but certainly not least, the maison presents a new Frivole pendant and matching earring set in rose gold and pink sapphires, marking a first for the collection. Petite and effortlessly effeminate in its tender shades, the pink gemstones at the core of the dainty fleurs are illuminated by diamond-set petals. Celebrating the vibrant colours of nature, this fresh design wholly elevates the maison’s floral universe to enchanting new heights.
ROOTED IN EXCELLENCE
To highlight the form of certain creations, Van Cleef & Arpels employs the maison’s venerable mirror-polishing technique. This method of hand-polishing results in intense reflections as it accentuates the gleam of gold. In addition to that, the maison employs the use of openwork to enhance the brilliance of pieces. With this method, the jeweller pierces the gold structure to allow light to filter through precious stones.
Finally, the maison devotes careful attention to stone selection. Expert gemmologists have chosen diamonds that meet the strictest standards: D to F for colour and IF to VVS for clarity. For example, the pink sapphires crowning the new Frivole finery are remarkably intense in colour, lending brightness to the creations.
Van Cleef & Arpel’s connection to nature is as much a part of the fabric of the maison’s identity as its masterful techniques and practices. Since 1906, the maison has drawn inspiration from the beauty of the plant world through changing eras and artistic movements. The Frivole collection has remained faithful to that creative tradition, enhanced by Alexandre’s imaginative vision that reminds us of the natural magic that blossoms around us.
“Van Cleef & Arpel’s connection to nature is as much a part of the fabric of the maison’s identity as its masterful techniques and practices”