There's beauty in things that do what they are meant to do well. In the case of crystals, let's get straight to its main function: to sparkle, dazzle and bring a touch of brilliance to its wearer. Never mind that it's not a precious stone, because the splendour of crystal jewellery pieces these days is no less impressive than that of their fine jewellery counterparts. If anything, Swarovski's annual regional gala at Kuala Lumpur last month was a star-studded indication that crystals can be just as glamorous and bedazzling, despite their roots of mimicry.
Hosted at the St. Regis Hotel, the gala and launch of the Winter 2018 Crystal Tales collection welcomed global jewellery brand's creative director, Nathalie Colin, to Malaysia for the very first time. Having joined Swarovski in 2006, Colin is largely responsible for the modernisation of the brand, as well as for bringing a range of colours into designing crystal. She is the very reason why you can also get crystal pendants in the shape of emojis and fox-shaped rings today, besides the expected selection of swan charms and ball-appropriate collar necklaces. Never before has the world of crystals been so wide-ranging and abreast of all the latest trends.
Swarovski
"When Daniel Swarovski created the first crystal, he wanted to offer a diamond to every woman," the Frenchwoman explains of how jewellery pieces of the past were designed. "The aim was to make luxury jewels accessible, where the first collections used to copy fine jewellery. But today, that's not what we do. We have our own design language, creativity and silhouette. It's amazing today that we actually see fine jewellery collections copying fashion jewellery. I would say that today crystal has created a new territory of expression. It's very, very connected to the world of fashion, but it's not only fashion, you can also find crystal application in many other industries to add a touch of elegance and sparkle."
As the tide has turned with high-end jewellery houses today also creating fun and edgy pieces, there is no denying that jewellery can be a part of all facets of life, if there is the right piece for it. There's more room for pieces that may not necessarily be the most timeless, as quality but affordable jewellery comes in the many dozens of collections by Swarovski. When Colin first joined Swarovski, she first identified that jewellery must complement the looks and outfits in fashion trends. On how designing was done, she says: "I had people around me to spot which trends will be strong in fashion so that I could anticipate and design jewellery that would be in the same spirit of the big trends in fashion. What I look for are emerging trends in all creative fields: architecture, design, music. I try to spot what is new, and often that is what is translated into fashion and jewellery trends."
The Winter 2018 Crystal Tales collection is indeed an enchanting walk in the forest and invitation for wearers to dive into a magical crystal world. Inspired by fairy tales, Colin gleefully admits that the fox is one of her favourite iconic pieces of the collection. "After we designed all the other animals, we all fell in love with the fox, in particular the earrings, where one side is a head and the other a long tail. The muzzle looks very cute. Our fairy tale starts with a walk in the forest and it turns out to be an enchanted forest, where the animals like foxes, squirrels, spiders and snakes come up next to you, wrap you and turn into jewels. The branches of trees become pendants or earrings. It could be that you also find a small house in this forest and inside, you find vintage mirrors and decor on the walls and this has given us some inspiration for our vintage-looking pieces."
One of Colin's biggest challenges for this collection was to balance the vintage pieces among the more modern ones. Amid rainbow-coloured necklaces and statement flower chokers that could spin, there are also very classic long necklaces that would be well-placed in an English period series. Still, it gets a very modern placement of colour, where one side is black stones and the other side is completely made with crystals. Then there are also bold chains in fuchsia or ocean blue which are dotted with crystals of every size. Colin says this piece could easily suit the streets, when styled with oversized pants and sneakers, but at the gala, Thai actress Mew Nittha wore it glamorously when paired with her midnight-blue gown.
It's a colourful world that the director has created this season, textured by butterflies, scarabs and birds that delicately embellish pieces both versatile and statement-making. There are countless styles to choose from, but one of the most poignant traits about these crystal pieces is not what can be seen by the eye. "I strongly believe if you pick the right accessory to help you feel good, to feel more beautiful, that can help you feel more empowered and stronger about your life," Colin adds. "Jewellery can play a really strong role because jewellery is not neutral. It carries a lot of symbol and power. It has a lot of potential to be the brilliant shine in your life."
The Winter 2018 Crystal Tales collection is available at all Swarovski stores.
