STYLE / Jewellery
ofa grandpalaceinwinterfollowedby a joyous summer
settingwithanoutdoorvignettesurrounded by bales
ofwheat.
Asonemayexpect,therichnessofRussian decorative
artsshinesthroughinthecollection.Iconic symbols of the
culturesuchasthekokoshnik(headdresses made of velvet
andadornedwithpearlsandtrimmings) were infused into
thedesigns,andthisparticularhighjewellery collection
alsohasprevalentcouturetouches.“From intricate
embroiderytoboldcolours,Russiancouture was a strong
inspirationforusthistimearound,”stressed Leguéreau.
Whilethereis muchtominefromRussia’s grandeur,
Leguéreau’spersonaldiscoveryformed the foundation of
theentirecreativeprocess.“WhenI visited, I saw paintings
ofhappypeopleandreallyfelttheirjoie de vivre. This
humanitywaswhatI wantedtoexpress in the exhibition
andcollection,”hesaid.
TheHouseofChanelmayoftenbeviewed as thoroughly
modernist,butasLeParisRussedeChanel high jewellery
collectionimparts,thewomanbehindthe brand is fi rst
andforemosta multifacetedpersonattracted to a variety
oferas,culturesand,mostofall,people. One thing that
neverescapestheChanelbrand,however, is its inexplicable
allure.“WhenyouareFrench,youknow that Chanel is
unique...it hasmagic.It standsfortheheight of excellence,
andeventhoughthebrandcreatesproducts only for
women,it is alluringevenfora man,”shared Leguéreau
abouthismotivationforjoiningthehouse over a decade
ago.Truthbetold,wewouldsayit would be hard to fi nd
anyonewhocanresisttheferventcallof Chanel.theme of the collection was decided over two years ago.
He went twice in two different seasons, summer and
winter, which allowed him to layer a modern interpretation
of Russia along with the facets he uncovered from the
archives. “It’s part of my work to be able to start from a
large concept then to synthesise it. It’s like a fi lm director
making a movie from a book. I take the essential parts—
what I want to keep, what element is most important for
the message I want to give—and go from there.”
RUSSIAN EXPEDITION
Leguéreau’s fi rst-hand experience of Russia was evident
at the invitation-only exhibition in Paris we attended in
July, at the exclusive invitation of Chanel. Guests were
greeted by a recreation of the ornate mirror in Coco’s
apartment, followed by pieces that cleverly incorporated a
key emblem: the eagle. The two seasons were also clearly
expressed in the exposition—we were welcomed by a scene
Aigle Cambon cuff in yellow gold with
quartz and diamonds (above); Roubach
ring in white gold with cultured pearlsan
diamonds (right)Sarafane earrings and necklace in white gold
with cultured pearls and diamondska
nd136 singapore tatler. october 2019