Dior teases a possible high jewellery collection with a collaborative piece created by Victoire de Castellane.
A palette of pastels and whimsical animal motifs was the Dior Summer 25 collection’s point of interest as Kim Jones enlisted the help of South African ceramic artist Hylton Nel for the season’s showing. As you would imagine, much of the inspiration came from Nel’s works, as the links between ceramics and fashion are explored and captured. The Men’s Folio show review notes it as “A labour of love” as Dior Summer 25 highlights the qualities of both the art of making fashion and ceramics as closer than one may think — requiring hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work.
Among the towering cat sculptures and the Dior Saddles, the collection’s main carrier, a series of brooches added a touch of elegance to the Dior Summer 25 collection. These brooches, seen on various looks were a testament to the collection’s attention to detail though the high jewellery brooch in look 39, with its composition of precious gems and diamonds, outshone the others. Created in collaboration with Dior’s creative director of Dior jewellery Victoire de Castellane, this aquamarine brooch was a nod to her past collections while respecting the creative direction of the Dior Summer 25 collection.
Despite their different mediums, Hylton Nel and Victoire de Castellane share a common thread in their artistic vision. Both artists transform inorganic materials into works of art through their respective processes: shaping and firing for Nel’s ceramics, and cutting, polishing, and setting for de Castellane’s precious stones and metals. de Castellane’s personal affinity for colour, animals, and the whimsical perfectly complements Nel’s artistic vision, creating a harmonious blend in the Dior Summer 25 collection.
A 58.85-carat aquamarine central stone takes centre stage, its hue evoking the ever-popular colour and shade seen in ceramics thanks to the presence of cobalt carbonate or oxide. A ribbon envelops the aquamarine stone, its shape reminiscent of de Castellane’s 2022 Dior Print High Jewellery collection. A series of diamonds and pastel-hued pink and yellow sapphires alternate on the front side while the rear is decked in vibrant blue sapphire gradations. The dazzling scene is completed with five birds fluttering to a chorus of savoir-faire and exquisite craftsmanship, a hallmark of Dior. More details of the High Jewellery will be unveiled and we will be sure to give a proper overview in due time.
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