UP FRONT LUXURY
LUCIA LOVES
LIFE’S LITTLE LUXURIES
Can brands get more iconic than Tiffany? asks Lucia van der Post
A
s brand names go there are few more golden than that of Tiffany. Who wouldn’t recognise one of those delicious duck-egg blue boxes? Who has never heard of Breakfast at Tiffany’s? And its iconic building on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan is recognised the world over. It made a niche for itself very early on, way back in the late 19th century in New York, when it acquired not only a great cache of rare diamonds and gemstones which it turned into its own fine pieces of jewellery, but also because it bought the French Crown jewels in 1887. The famous Tiffany ring setting, featuring a multi-pronged raised claw which allowed much more of the diamond to be seen, was devised by Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1886 and it is still today the most popular engagement ring setting in the world. Tiffany has always put design at the heart of its offering, collaborating with the much-revered Jean Schlumberger in the 1950s, whose wild and FROM TOP: Everyday Objects paper cup, £540; Charles Lewis Tiffany; Paper Flowers firefly cluster ring, £16,200; Art of the wild bracelet, POA; the distinctive blue box; the flagship store on Fifth Avenue
whimsical designs are credited with putting Tiffany at the forefront of jewellery houses during his reign. Since then it has produced lines by Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and, more latterly, by Francesca Amfitheatrof (who famously used the symbol of the letter T in a complete collection of austerely elegant pieces). Its latest collection, Paper Flowers, is a deliciously pretty line which uses platinum and gemstones, designed by Tiffany’s chief artistic officer Reed Krakoff. In its delicacy and sheer charm it should have a big appeal. Krakoff took as his starting point a graphic flower motif, made from layers of petals and while he mostly uses white diamonds there are flashes of colour from yellow diamonds, from Tanzanite (with which Tiffany is famously associated) and sapphires. All in all it is typically Tiffany – light-hearted, designed to be worn nonchalantly, insouciantly and confidently yet precious all the way through. There is also fragrance, china and giftware while at either end of the price scale there are more affordable silver objects that make great presents and, at the very top, most exclusive end, there is the annual Blue Book collection of one-of-a-kind spectacularly beautiful pieces still made by artisans working on the top floor of the New York store – a perfect blending of long-established workmanship coupled with utterly modern, ever evolving design. Very Tiffany. tiffany.co.uk
SUMMER SORTED Looking for last minute holiday gear? Hansine is the brainchild of Hansine Johnston whose small collection of luxe bohemian kaftans, cover-ups and tea dresses are all made from fine silks or cottons. Her mohair cropped cardigan is a perfect cover-up for cooler evenings. hansine.co
CLEAR VISION Izipizi does simple, beautifully designed reading glasses – get them in any amplification up to 3+. Infinitely better looking than the usual high street fare – these cost about £30 a pair either online or from the The Conran Shop. theconranshop.com
NORDIC HOUSE Keep the tangles out of your long necklaces by storing them in Nordic House’s austerely simple plain white ceramic ‘donut’. A mere £15 but it could just save hours and hours of untangling the knots and chains. nordichouse.co.uk
30 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | September 2018
P00-Lucia.indd 30
26/07/2018 10:31
