ew are immune to the pleasures of
precious gems, least of all Francesca
Amfitheatrof, Tiffany & Co.’s design
director. She holds up a necklace,
a piece dripping with 70-plus carats of
diamonds. “It is well distributed so it doesn’t
feel heavy,” she reasons. “You forget you’re
wearing it, like you’re just running around
with diamonds.” The necklace is one of the
pieces from Amfitheatrof ’s first Blue Book
collection of high-end jewellery, one thatWORDS: ZARA WONGF
sets the tone of her tenure as the American
jeweller’s first female design director. It is
also an opportunity for the designer to
push her creativity to its zenith – appealing
to evolving tastes while still paying heed to
Tiffany & Co.’s long heritage.
“You have no limit on the cost, the time
... it’s fun, you can go wild,” she says in an
accent that reflects her international
upbringing. Born in Japan to an Italian
mother and a Russian-American fatherPoint
break
Bold innovator Francesca Amfitheatrof
reveals the oceanic INSPIRATION behind
her Blue Book collection for Tiffany & Co.(who was bureau chief at Time magazine),
Amfitheatrof has lived in various cities
around the globe giving her a worldliness
she’s imbued into her designs for the
American jeweller, along with a fresh
approach. Striking, and elegant of manner
and of dress – today, in Stella McCartney- a more perfect design director for Tiffany
& Co. could not have been conjured up.
For the Blue Book, Amfitheatrof
sidestepped the clean urbanity of her first ▲
68 – MAY 2015HORACIO SALINASvogue VIEW