Lily Collins wears like no one else the rebellious luxury of Cartier's latest fine jewelry collection
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Lily Collins, ambassador for Cartier, wears the spectacular pieces with diamonds and onyx from the exclusive Clash [Un] limited collection
Fine watchmaking targets non-binary fashion
Joana Bonet
"Never copy, only create" or "be very kind" were some of the recommendations of the founder of the house, Louis-François Cartier, to his goldsmiths and employees at the end of the 1840s, when they still occupied the rue Montorgueil workshop. But when Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, Napoleon's niece, became a regular customer, Cartier moved to rue de la Paix in pursuit of greater ambitions. Then he oscillated between invention and art in search of new objects, and he began to become famous with a clock whose mechanism was hidden called the Mistery Clock.
Innovation and audacity, as well as the messages their pieces conveyed, made Cartier “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers”, according to the blessing of King Edward VII. And it is that the history of the firm is stitched with icons. In 1914 Cartier launched its Panthère watch, with diamonds and onyx set on the bracelet, which, following the instinct and beauty of the panther, would give rise to the emblem of the firm. And two years later, in the middle of the Great War, the Tank watch was inspired by the tanks of the European fronts.
A unique piece
One of his most special pieces is a mitten-watch–Baignoire Mitten– that reinforces the bridges between art and the jewelry. It is a unique piece made up of a rose gold mesh set with an authentic constellation of diamonds (almost 1,600), and inscribed with the face of a Baignoire Allongée watch.
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In 1924, Jean Cocteau, a friend of Chanel and Cartier, suggested that Cartier rethink Saturnian forms, and thus Trinity Cartier was born, made up of three rings in yellow, pink and white gold –representing the Holy Trinity – intertwined. Many more would follow: the legendary Taylor-Burton ring, the Love bracelet, or the simple gold nail Just un Clou... The firm, now owned by the Richmond group, continues to draw on art deco, an inexhaustible source of inspiration to this day, such as demonstrates his latest capsule collection, Clash [Un]limited, for which actress Lily Collins is the ambassador.
“This collection is bold, fierce and very different, but at the same time very Cartier. A new twist in his story, although deep down Cartier always remains true to his essence. And that's how I see myself, so it was a great honor to be asked to be the face of a collection that is pushing the envelope,” says Collins.
The protagonist of Emily in Paris chooses, among all the pieces that make up Clash [Un]limited, the studded rings: “they slip between the fingers and are fascinating. It's a whole new way to wear jewelry. Cartier adds a small element of surprise to the collection. There's a real femininity, but with a tough side that gives off this energy that makes me feel special when I wear them."
Inspiration
The firm, now owned by the Richmond group, drinks from Art Deco as it did with other mythical collections
Exaggerated volumes, intense blacks and extravagant shapes shape a collection, limited edition, whose concept is based on extreme tension. They are pieces that seek the clash of opposites, rigorous geometries, and oversized volumes.
At Clash [Un]limited, the picot – the brand's classic pyramidal shape – takes on special prominence, with a radical focus on black and white jewels (sometimes with violet touches). In the chest of the collection there are pieces with different uses: pocket jewellery, rings that are placed between two fingers or double rings, clip-on earrings to be worn inside or along the ear, reversible bracelets and necklaces... It has something a sophisticated review of British punk from the late 70s, in order to infect the pieces with its iconoclastic hunch; yes, with onyx instead of steel and diamonds instead of glass.
The maison's workshops worked during the pandemic, striving to see the diamond in a different way, mixing it with onyx and amethyst, and giving the pieces movement on the skin, one of the strongest trends of the moment . Articulated pieces that imitate skin are pursued; the picots of the bracelets move and move connected to an onyx ball located inside the jewel that rotates on itself.
Collins says that being part of the Cartier family means for her to join a community of unique mavericks who display great strength of character. “Cartier is Paris – he concludes – and embodies a certain idea of elegance and refinement that is very French. But also a classic extravagance.”
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