The Power of Couture, the latest collection of Boucheron high jewelry
For the past 4 years, Boucheron has launched a new high jewelry collection, “ Histoire de Style ,” every January, inspired by the house’s archives. The 2024 collection of 24 pieces, “ The Power of Couture ,” revisits Frédéric Boucheron’s draper heritage .
The Historical Context of The Power of Couture Jewelry
Born in 1830, Frédéric Boucheron had a youth immersed in precious fabrics . His father was in fact a draper specializing in silk and lace . These influences would later be found in his jewelry.
“ Bows, knits, grosgrain, pompoms and lace abound in our archives, ” said Claire Choisne , artistic director of Boucheron . “ For this 4th edition of Histoire de Style, I decided to explore the theme of couture, without any hassle. ”
At the age of 28, Frédéric began manufacturing and selling luxury jewelry and trading precious stones. As early as 1860, he incorporated lace patterns into his creations, which can be seen in the Boucheron archives.
The Power of Couture jewelry
In the Power of Couture collection , the inspiration for the piece “Le Col” is taken from a tiara made by Boucheron in the 1900s .
A formal outfit often features a high, rigid, fitted collar. For this “diamond necklace” version, the culmination of 1,900 hours of work, the stones are set on thin strands of metal, so that they appear to float.
The versatile “Power of Couture” diamond necklace can be separated into 2 necklaces thanks to 3 discreet fastening mechanisms.
Like the previous Histoire de Style collections, “New Maharajahs” and “Art Déco”, Power of Couture jewelry also plays on versatility.
Power of Couture Buttons: an original jewel
“ Les Boutons ” is a set of 15 buttons in white gold, diamonds and rock crystal that can be worn alone or combined. They can be used in the hair, as real buttons slipped into buttonholes or pinned on a tie.
Crafted in white gold and diamonds, “ Les Épaulettes ” can be transformed into a pair of Boucheron bracelets (pictured above). With this piece, Boucheron’s artisans sought to sculpt the white gold to mimic the traditional strips of fabric worn over the shoulder to accentuate the shape of a garment.
Bows, like lace and ribbons, have been a recurring motif in Boucheron jewelry since the early 20th century. The Le Nœud jewel has the flexibility of a grosgrain ribbon thanks to the use of rock crystal, and the know-how of Boucheron's artisans.
It can be transformed into a Boucheron brooch or a shoulder set. The Knot also has a detachable element that can be worn as a luxury bracelet. The central stone can also be mounted on a solitaire ring.
Boucheron jewelry in all its lightness
The Power of Couture shares the same refined lightness as the brand’s earlier fabric-inspired jewelry. But for this collection, Choisne opted for something more brilliant. Namely, a monochrome palette of rock crystal and diamonds. This choice tempers the baroque character of the traditionally gilded decorations and brings more visual lightness.
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