Gucci enters the echelons of Place Vendôme

Gucci recently launched its first-ever line of high jewellery and it is a kaleidoscope of dazzling, colourful gemstones. Designed by the creative director Alessandro Michele, the exclusive Hortus Deliciarum collection comprises 200 pieces of jewellery. Made in Italy and featuring unique, unrepeated motifs that Michele describes as “discordant symmetry”, it is a tribute to the splendour of love and nature. The collection will be available for purchase at Gucci’s new and first high-jewellery boutique at Place Vendôme in Paris.

This introductory collection reveals a story of Michele’s poetic vision while mirroring the maison’s eclectic design sensibilities. And so, it revolves around a trio of themes as seen through the prism of a mythical Garden of Eden, Arcadia or Xanadu, yet with a decided Gucci essence.

The first is an ode to eternal love and boasts of vibrant gemstones such as pink and blue sapphires and yellow beryl. One can feel the sense of romance in the antique-inspired chandelier earrings, dramatic crest of heart rings and lightweight tiaras, particularly against the historical styles of Rococo, Baroque and Georgian.

Such an exceptional collection certainly deserves an equally remarkable setting. And Place Vendôme, built in 1686 by the French King Louis XIV and home to many haute couture brands — Chanel, Bvlgari, Dior, Boucheron, Chopard, Piaget and Cartier among others — is the perfect venue for Gucci's newest boutique.

Presenting an elegantly muted design aesthetic, its stands out in stark contrast to Gucci’s other international boutiques that are abundant in distinctly amplified and exaggerated tints. A monochromatic mosaic floor, white marble, furniture carved out of ebonized wood, and antique mirrors — all add to the drama of the jewellery on display and bring out the inner charm of these precious gems.

Courtesy: prestigeonline.com