New Dawn
In 1998, the fashion house
announced the opening
of its official fine jewellery
division, Dior Joaillerie.
French jewellery designer
Victoire de Castellane was
chosen as its creative director
in 1999. Before that, she
had been designing costume
jewellery collections for
another brand for 14 years.
Born Into Legacy
De Castellane was born
into an aristocratic French
family. Her love for jewellery
grew from watching her
grandmother, Countess
de Castilleja de Guzman,
change her baubles to match
her different outfits several
times throughout the day.
Dramatic Effect
De Castellane is known for her
bold aesthetic and bringing a
dramatic “costume jewellery”
vibe to precious jewellery,
revolutionising how fine and
high jewellery are typically
designed. Case in point: the
Archi Dior collection (left) from
2014, where the design of
the elaborate pieces follows
architectural principles.Fine Balance
Her jewellery designs for Dior Joaillerie veer
to extremes—the new Mimirose collection
(left) features tiny diamonds and gemstones
on the most delicate of gold chains,
while the Incroyables et Marveilleuses
rings from 1999 featured gobstopper
80-carat semi-precious stones.Looking Rosy
The Rose des Vents collection was
unveiled in 2015 and swiftly became
a popular icon of the brand. At the
centre of the jewellery pieces is the
compass rose motif, which is also
shaped like a star in reference to one of
Monsieur Dior’s favourite lucky charm.Making Headway
Skulls, a recurring theme
in Dior Joaillerie creations,
demonstrate de Castellane’s
knack for making fashion
statements out of precious
materials—they appeared
in the Reines et Rois
collection (above) in
2009, and in a more
whimsical form in last year’s
Tête de Mort collection.singapore tatler. october 2019 141