Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 40 - Winter 2023 i L'OFFICIEL USA

Allegoria, the latest High Jewelry collection from Gucci, draws inspiration from nature’s eternal revolutions: Fancycolored tourmalines evoke vibrant spring blooms in Gucci’s signature Flora motif; summer designs are adorned with the saturated hues of emeralds, spinels, Paraiba tourmalines, and diamonds. As the autumn leaves shift, warmer tones of yellow sapphires, pink tourmalines, and mandarin garnets capture the limelight. The winter selection nods to snowfall and the festive season and showcases one-of-a-kind old mine, European-cut diamonds. These antique stones contribute a vintage tone and show the Florentine house’s dedication to savoir-faire, all year round.…

In a world of corporate disconnect, the life of a C-suite executive can feel far away from the average customer. But Hong Kong SAR-based entrepreneur Adrian Cheng is changing that. His innovative business model of “shared values” focuses on investing in communities to foster a prosperous environment for both his company and his customers. Focusing on a variety of areas, such as youth mental health as well as the accessibility of art and cultural programs, Cheng is fostering a new way of earning that improves everyone’s bottom line. Cheng is the Chief Executive Officer and third-generation scion of New World Development Company Limited (HXEx 00017), owner of Rosewood Hong Kong, and founder of K11 Group. He is a cultural entrepreneur who operates on the cutting edge of art and commerce…

Crafting resplendent jewels that transcend time has long been a guiding principle at Harry Winston; this year’s opulent High Jewelry collection, Royal Adornments, is a testament to the house’s unwavering commitment. Widely recognized as the “King of Diamonds” and once owning the famed Hope Diamond, Winston had an acumen for sourcing and setting rare and exceptional gemstones—brilliant rubies, sapphires, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, even pink conch pearls. Like his diamonds, his gemstones boasted an illustrious lineage and were real-life artifacts from the jewel boxes of Marie Antoinette and Catherine the Great. In 1952, Life magazine proclaimed that only the House of Windsor could rival Winston in stone-collecting prowess. Though he pioneered the publicity-drawing practice of loaning jewelry to actresses on the red carpet, Winston also maintained an air of discretion, often…

YOU MUST ALWAYS HAVE THE COURAGE to dare AND TRY NEW THINGS; EVEN IF IT CAN BE risky, IT CAN ALSO BRING a lot of joy. Internationally known actress, producer, entrepreneur, and singer Fan Bingbing has major Chinese and global film projects on her resume—such as The 355, with a star-studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o, as well as the franchise blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past. Born in Qingdao, China, for years, Fan regularly topped international lists of the most well-known and influential Chinese actresses. In addition, she has since become, by all measures, a fashion and beauty icon. She was a juror at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and returned to the Croisette this past May, drawing global attention…

Fashion and the dramatic arts have long shared a symbiotic relationship. Ballet, in particular, shares a richly intertwined past with the fashion industry, influencing styles and silhouettes decade after decade. From the casual Coco Chanel-designed costumes in some of Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes of the 1920s to the balletcore trend of today, this inspired partnership continues to flourish on the streets, runways, and stage. The bond between fashion and dance goes much deeper than sparking trends, and gives choreographers and designers alike the opportunity to ensconce themselves in a new medium that foregrounds two assets intrinsic to their respective disciplines: movement and the body. Countless designers have lent their talents to renowned ballet companies: Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Iris van Herpen, Sarah Burton, and Valentino have all delivered…

“When you walk into a home, you want to be transported somewhere, and you want to be in an environment that is a fantasy for you. It’s important to create a unique experience. It’s almost like creating a brand identity for each client,” Clive Lonstein says. The designer recently completed a year-long project in Aspen, Colorado, the resort town as well known for its skiing as for its blue-chip art scene, intellectual community, and private night clubs. The home, originally designed by Richard Gluckman in the 1990s, has been completely transformed into a haven of ‘70s sophistication and—if the forest green hue that echoes throughout is any indication—warmth. Lonstein’s discerning clients wanted a strong cozy factor for the family home that never traded on elegance. Like the house itself, Lonstein’s…

Sophie Calle’s À Toi de Faire, Ma Mignonne at the Musée Picasso in Paris (on view through January 2024) is not only a mise en scène of works and themes from throughout her career—it was also an opportunity to empty her house in Malakoff, in the suburbs of Paris. Drawing on the question of what would happen to her things upon her death, as she has no heirs, the French contemporary artist inventoried a lifetime of objects and art in the manner of the famed auction house Hôtel Drouot. The items then installed on four floors at the Musée Picasso became a dress rehearsal of sorts for the inevitable auction of her estate—a way of exorcising the universal fear of one’s erasure. Currently, Calle’s house is empty, and she lives…

“I call mocktails the fruit salad,” says the model Constance Jablonski. Her friend Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger agrees. “It’s a shame if it’s too sweet and you can’t have three or four.” In 2021, the two women co-founded French Bloom, a 0.0% alcohol sparkling wine, as a much-needed alternative to water (too boring), soda (too casual), and the dreaded syrupy-yet-overpriced mocktails, for those who are sober or merely conscious of how much alcohol they drink. Jablonski is French, as is Frerejean-Taittinger’s husband. They were friends, but really bonded in 2019 over both feeling like…whatever the opposite is of “life of the party.” Working in international development for the Michelin Guide, Frerejean-Taittinger learned what it was like to feel excluded when she was pregnant with twins and not able to drink. She never…