The luxury jeweller honours a dance production of the Shakespearean classic with a high jewellery collection featuring 100 transformable pieces
Although it was a hot day in Sydney, VIP guests attending the private preview of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Romeo & Juliet high jewellery collection were unfazed by the heat. Guests sipped on chilled champagne to cool down as they sailed on a private chartered yacht from Circular Quay to Manly where the collection's unveiling would happen.
From the dock, guests were then chauffeured up a narrow, winding road to the historical St Patrick’s Seminary, referred to by locals as ‘a castle on the hill’.
A section of the heritage site, which currently houses the International College of Management Sydney, was transformed by Van Cleef & Arpels into a show theatre reminiscent of ancient Verona for the day.
Art Meets Heart
Van Cleef & Arpels is known for creating mesmerising artistic expressions through jewellery so it's no surprise that for the Romeo & Juliet collection, it would combine different forms of art in a harmonious synergy.
“Literature is one of the maison’s major sources of inspiration. The year 2003 was when we first paid tribute to Shakespeare with our Midsummer Night’s Dream collection,” shared Nicolas Bos, president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.
The high jewellery collection’s core concept is based on famed choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s dance interpretation of the Shakespearean play.
Having collaborated with Millepied since 2012, and knowing the innovative nature of his work with LA Dance Project, Bos was confident that Millepied’s contemporary ballet performance was the start of a new thematic collection for the maison—one where dance, music and visual arts can come together in perfect harmony.