Style Icon: How the simple four-leaf clover became a symbol of elegance across the ages
Depending on how far dorsum your memory stretches, you might recall seeing silver screen legend Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco, bedecked in a long, gold necklace studded with four-leafage clover motifs.
The necklace – or sautoir, to employ the French term – is office of Parisian jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels' signature Alhambra drove, and is one of the most recognisable jewels in the world.
The princess was such a fan that she had sautoirs in various guises: Yellowish golden, coral, lapis lazuli and malachite. For about of the 1970s, they accompanied her at both public occasions and private events.
Actress Kelly Rutherford, famous for her role as high society queen Lily van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, and the inimitable Mariah Carey, are also large fans of the Alhambra. Both are oftentimes photographed sporting – besides sautoirs – earrings, pendants and/or bracelets from the drove.
It is easy to empathize why they, forth with many of the planet's Louboutin-shod, Birkin-toting women adore the series. Elegant, feminine and easy to wear, the pieces are bachelor in a multitude of dissimilar materials and color palettes, making it a cinch to coordinate with existing wardrobes.
STROKE OF LUCK
No doubt the fact that the clover motif is likewise a lucky symbol contributed to its success.
Jacques Arpels, nephew of company co-founder Estelle Arpels, was a house believer in serendipity. "To be lucky, you have to believe in luck," he one time said. According to company records, the 2d-generation owner would routinely pick 4-leaf clovers from his garden to distribute amongst his staff and inspire optimism.
It was Arpels' travels that inspired the birth of the Alhambra collection in 1968. Moorish quatrefoil patterns and architectural elements found on the Doge's Palace in Venice reinforced his idea to employ the clover motif. A delicate beaded contour was added to showcase the visitor's artisanal skills.
The Alhambra'southward debut was timely, too. Women's fashion was undergoing a revolution in the belatedly 1960s and early 1970s, reflecting sweeping changes in (mainly American) society at the time. Looser, liberated silhouettes prevailed every bit a result. And the sautoir's fluid design was well-suited to such profiles.
FAB AT fifty
The Alhambra celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, with new takes on the classic style. There are xx-motif sautoirs, five-motif bracelets and two-motif earrings to choose from.
If your wardrobe is largely monochromatic, it is likely that you will be drawn to the pieces rendered in white gold, onyx and diamonds. Van Cleef & Arpels typically uses Brazilian onyx, which is prized for its deep black hue and mirror-like surface polish.
For a slightly warmer aesthetic, you may opt for the pieces hewn from pink gold, grayness mother-of-pearl and diamonds. The grey mother-of-pearl comes from French Polynesia and is valued for its harmonious silverish-grey tones, regular surface and high-quality sheen.
Otherwise, there is a version in yellowish gilt and rock crystal, the rock crystal displaying a milky, frosted transparency that is lifted by the radiance of the gold.
Most vibrant of all – and imbued with a regal splendour – is the version fabricated from yellowish gilt and lapis lazuli. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, lapis lazuli was used to craft objects for royalty. Here, the hard stones were specially selected for their purity, intensity of color, and quality of sheen, so you lot, likewise, can be queen for a twenty-four hours.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/lifestyle/style-icon-four-leaf-clover-van-cleef-and-arpels-256091
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