But how to translate this into jewelery?
It’s all in the V. The inverted triangle shape
appears across the collection as an accent in
onyx, a repeated shape in diamond pave, or
diamond shoulders at the outer edges of an
enormous opal set as a ring. It’s suggested in
the shape of the bold black onyx surround
that frames a vivid emerald in the bold
“Newport” ring, and the blue enamel shapes
surrounded by diamonds, pearls, and equally blue tourmalines in the generous lengths
of the Exelsior necklace.
Louis Vuitton’s Great Escape
Acte V/The Escape takes its cue from the
artist movement Streamline Moderne
As far as aesthetic and artistic movements go, I’m more fascinated layman than expert. Art Nouveau I pretty much have
sussed. Art Deco I get – not least because everything I’m most
attracted to, be it furniture, textiles, jewellery or vintage fashion
– usually hails from that era, as I keep finding out. But Streamline Moderne? That’s a new one for me. It’s also the inspiration
behind the sixth and latest high jewelery collection from Louis
Vuitton, “Acte V/The Escape”.
As it turns out, Streamline Moderne is what it says on the box –
streamlined. Those smooth curves of cars from the 1930s – the
long, sweeping lines of their fenders – and the austere, ballooning shape of the Zeppelin, that’s all Streamline Moderne.
A lot of the furniture we think of as Mid-Century Modern – the
fat, squat chairs with smooth, curved lines, often in gleaming steel and soft leather – are all under the influence of this
forward-looking movement.
64 ModernLifestyles.tv
But just as prevalent as this iconic V shape
is the tassel – multiple strands of tsavorite
beads or pearls suspended as bunches from
drop earrings, choker-like diamond necklaces and a cuff. The tassel is synonymous
with jewellery of the Art Deco era, but as
Acte V/The Escape is the second chapter
of a high jewelery collection which started
with the Art Deco-inspired first chapter, it
makes sense.
And, as always with the luxury French maison, travel is an underlying theme, and in
the case of this high jewelery collection, it
is in the colours of the materials that travel
is evoked – a remarkable grey Burmese
sapphire like a sea fog, iridescent Australian
opals evoking the colours of the ocean,
and the exotic blues of a particular shade of
tourmaline. Tahitian pearls, Australian opals,
Burmese sapphires – Acte V/The Escape lives
up to its name with a round-the-world trip
of a collection inspired by a bold aesthetic
movement that has me fascinated.
Louis Vuitton
www.louisvuitton.com