GOING FOR GOLD: Saint Laurent is the latest European brand to expand into the fizzy market for fine jewelry.
Its first collection, unveiled this week on the French brand’s online store, social media channels and in select flagships, includes takes on the house’s Cassandre and Le Maillon motifs.
The Cassandre is the famous vertical YSL logo, which has appeared as shoe heels and handbag hardware, while the Maillon depicts oversized links of a chain for a touch of tough glamour. (“Maillon” is the French word for links.)
Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello, who has made statement jewelry a key feature of his trenchant runway fashion statements, employed 18-karat gold, diamonds and other precious materials to create a range of bracelets, cuffs, necklaces and earrings.
Retail prices range from about $790 for an 18-karat gold Cassandre logo stud earring up to $48,000 for an oversized gold chain bracelet. A twisted cuff bracelet in recycled white gold goes for $7,990.
A bracelet with the Cassandre logo.
Courtesy of Saint Laurent
The house bills them as functional, collectible and timeless, capturing “the forward-looking outlook and exacting Parisian excellence of the house.”
Campaign images by Juergen Teller depict models dressed in sleek jersey gowns and interacting with house plants, water spigots and a handsaw. Wrists are particularly loaded up, as they have been at several recent Saint Laurent fashion shows.
A host of Europe’s top luxury brands have added fine or high jewelry collections in recent years, including the likes of Balmain, Gucci and Prada.
Source: WWD