www.hollywoodreporter.com: The one-of-a-kind immersive activation was designed to spotlight the Austrian crystal brand’s milestone 130 years in business and is the brainchild of Swarovski global creative director Giovanna Engelbert, curated with the help of British fashion journalist and critic Alexander Fury.
4 comments:
Woah I absolutely would love to see this exhibition. I have known about Swarovski crystals my whole life. I remember getting a pen with the crystals inside when I was little and I felt so cool and luxurious. I know that a large part of their brand is involved with clothing so I am so glad that this exhibit exists to show off all of the famous pieces they have created. I am obsessed with all things old hollywood and these pieces that are in the exhibition are the epitome of old hollywood. Its so interesting to me that I know a lot of these classic looks because of the celebrities that have worn them to recent events like the Met Gala. It is something to be said that younger generations are being exposed to these classics in such different ways. It reminds me of movie remakes in that way.
Gonna be totally honest: Swarovski is kind of conceptually trashy. Their jewelry is incredibly ugly and insanely priced. It's a franchise that is based off of glamorizing people with high status and the upper class. There is so much dysfunction in the brand because not only are the pieces ugly, but also insanely overpriced. Maybe I'm just not a fan of their general aesthetic, but something about cold icy diamonds feels trashy to me because they are just symbols of wealth and power now. Most runways, red carpets, and events that rely on what celebrities wear to them make me feel uneasy because of how dystopian they are. And here is another example. Swarovski’s remaining success not only depends on its symbol of wealth and status, but also because of the nostalgia factor. In this exhibition, they are doing both. I really don't care about marylin monroe’s dress because we've seen it millions of times before.
I hardly knew anything about Swarovski before reading this, but oh my goodness this is such a stunning collection. I always loved sparkly and bold concert looks and would love to design one one day, so seeing this collection of works from notable artists all together is so inspiring. I also really liked how a lot of the pieces subtly incorporated the jewels, either making them scattered around the clothing, as an accessory, or even making them so tiny that it looks like pure glitter. However, as pretty as some of these pieces are, I am not the biggest fan of the quality of the jewels for the price they are charging. As a kid that was overly obsessed with rocks and gemstones, I do wish that brands made these gorgeous natural creations more accessible to people. I hope that in the future anyone that wants to will be able to wear and/or own these pieces at a reasonable price.
I started this article thinking it was going to be an exhibit of how the crystals refract and work with light and was pleasantly surprised while a little disappointed to see it was an exhibition of how Swarovski has been a huge influence on stage, screen, and style. We’ve seen this as recently as Taylor Swift’s latest album drop “The Life of a Showgirl.” The style of the crystals was once again featured front and center on the album cover. These pieces are each so intricate and this exhibit is displaying the versatility and applications of the crystals. The display of items used in fashion versus the largest crystal chaton would be an interesting comparison. The large chaton showcases the refraction elements and lines of the crystals that are tiny details on the crystals embedded in the outfits that are lost due to the size. Being in a coldworking glass class this semester had made me realize that even though these aren’t natural crystal, but a special recipe of elements melted and formed into glass then manipulated into these intricate works. I understand why people wish they were more affordable, but due to the amount of work that goes into these crystals before they are embedded into the outfits, I think they are fairly priced because it’s not just one or two crystals.
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