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«When I was just a little girl and I could not imagine that jewels and stones would become the passion of my life, I spent my holidays in Greece and I remember the wonder I felt immersed in those landscapes. I was fascinated by everything, stones and shells included. It seemed to me that they had their own wisdom, that they helped me feel part not only of nature, but of the passage of time». This is how Francesca Amfitheatrof explains the decision to present the Deep Time fine jewelery collection in Greece, the fifth since she was artistic director of jewelery and watches of the maison and the largest to date, with 170 unique pieces and a record number of precious stones.
The name of the new collection speaks for itself: do you believe that jewels can ideally stand the test of time or even be eternal?
I think it is true for high jewellery, but to a certain extent also for what is called fine jewelery and which does not offer unique pieces, it is true, but maintains its own very strong uniqueness and identity. Or at least that’s what drives us at Louis Vuitton: to recognize
or give jewels a strength that goes beyond the passing of the years and certainly beyond the seasons of fashion and trends.
What is unique about the Deep Time collection in particular?
On the one hand, it is linked to the spirit that has always characterized the Louis Vuitton maison, travel and adventure, as a real experience and of the soul. Imagining, designing and seeing the birth of the Deep Time unique pieces, I and the people who work with me and help me since the “hunt” for stones around the world, we had the impression of traveling through time, above all thanks to the stones, and I hope that the customers who have fallen in love with these one-of-a-kind pieces feel they are embarking on a journey through time and beauty.
He spoke of “hunting” around the world. What particularly fascinates you about stones?
They are treasures that nature gives us, they are formed by changing over millennia: this is why I say that they have the ability to take us to the dawn of the planet, showing us the evolution of the geological heritage of the Earth and of all of us who inhabit it. We creative directors are lucky enough to add our contribution and I believe that the five high jewelery collections presented so far are linked by a common thread: I am not talking about similarities in the design of the individual pieces, because, I repeat, each collection has its own personality very strong. The link is rather, in addition to the exceptional nature of the stones, the craftsmanship and, of course, some symbols of the maison that recur, even if a little less than in fine jewellery.
For the maison, jewelery is a relatively young segment, but there is great excitement, in general, among the fashion and luxury brands, even
for the high jewelery part. Does she like it?
I am pleased and I understand this curiosity and willingness of many brands to enter the jewellery. For Louis Vuitton, I think it’s also a way to involve customers who enter the boutiques in new ways, perhaps attracted by the accessories, bags in primis, and clothing. Discovering jewels and seeing how well they are integrated into the Vuitton world is a very pleasant surprise.