Dior Unveils Diorissima High Jewelry Collection in Venice

VENICE — “It’s always important to raise the bar in terms of techniques and to offer something increasingly special,” believes Victoire de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Joaillerie.

And so she did, unveiling her latest high jewelry collection for the brand, Diorissima, with a cocktail, gala dinner and fashion show at the Palazzo del Casinò at the Venice Lido on Tuesday evening.

Models wearing the delicately sparkling gems and couture gowns designed by creative director Jonathan Anderson weaved their way around the burgundy velvet seats and gaming tables in the 1930s building, which is peppered with Art Deco references.   

However, de Castellane said the show’s venue is never the first step in the creation of her collections. “It all starts with a dream in my head, an idea, a technique even before considering the gems, which come in later to add preciousness and shine,” she explained.

Asked about working with Anderson on the show, she said she presented the designer with sketches of the collection before he created the 20 specially designed gowns, “which were absolutely amazing,” she enthused. Some even sparkled with crystals between the folds and drapes.

Diorissima combines abstract themes with naturalism in three groups, expressed through the “botanical universe, underwater worlds and celestial bodies,” explained de Castellane. They all reflect founder Christian Dior’s personal passions, and nature in particular is a strong lever for de Castellane, too. “When I see greenery in nature, it makes me happy. We need to see nature, especially when living in a city,” she mused.  

This sense of happiness is fundamental, she said. Talking to clients, she realized “they really understand that the mood of the collection is joyful and that there is something childish in the pieces that touches them, because I am told they love this spirit, the little scenes. I see that they really want something very playful, especially in these strange and difficult times. That’s why, for me, it’s so important to keep the creativity with this joyful spirit. It helps me and it helps clients.”

This has led de Castellane to see that the collections are embraced by younger clients as well, “because of this joyfulness. I imagine they want something younger, sophisticated but also fun.”

Diorissima featured whimsical interplay and layering of shapes, cutouts, juxtapositions and colors, overlapping motifs and sculptural volumes, celebrating the art of collage. Through the latter, the designer also paid tribute to the artists and friends admired by the late founder, from Henri Matisse to Pablo Picasso.

Out of the 141 creations of necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, earcuffs and brooches, 112 were presented in the first chapter in Venice.

Forming unexpected combinations of gemstones, as part of the botanical universe, de Castellane created mesmerizing arrangements of petals, leaves and blossoms, wisteria, fruits, and poppies.

The Diorissima lucky clover set with a 6.51-carat untreated emerald from Colombia stood as the central stone, surrounded by leaves created by an opal doublet on a chrysoprase base, or a green chalcedony doublet on a turquoise base.

Another standout was the Glycines bib necklace with pink rubies and light pink sapphires and 12 certified pink spinels from Tanzania totaling 12.52 carats, and more than 4,100 stones.

Seaweed, corals, anemones and bubbles were part of the underwater worlds theme. Here, the Fleur Aquatique necklace shimmered around a central Paraiba-type tourmaline of 4.75 carats.

The celestial bodies group dripped in constellations, stellar forms, shining suns, shooting stars, clouds and rainbows. The Voie Lactée necklace with 3,000 stones sparkled with white diamonds around the central 7.03-carat diamond with an interplay of round-cut and pear-cut diamonds.

Lacquer, applied in technical touches or as bold flat surfaces in pastel or fluo tones, brought depth, intensity and contrast to each composition. Intricate layered motifs, in the spirit of collage, created volumes and a sense of movement. Precious backgrounds were created using the doublet technique, which involves layering one thin stone over another — such as opal over chrysoprase — to bring out subtly hued gradations — and reflecting the intense craftsmanship involved. Opaque lacquers or lacquered mother-of-pearl created intense colors, enhancing the brilliance of the gems.

“I like to play with colors because I love them and I always want to push them, even more than the stones,” said de Castellane.

The designer said that the Diorissima moniker was a way “to play with the original Diorissimo [fragrance] and offer a feminine version. Also, it a superlative, referencing more color, more daring designs and techniques, and more precious jewels.”

The playful mood was also reflected by the modular pieces since brooches can be worn as hair clips and bracelets transformed into choker necklaces. Also, she underscored how collections are timeless and can be mixed and matched together.

“I’m still the same, I have been designing for Dior for 30 years and I have the same way of working, with a lot of freedom. My inspiration starts more with words or feelings and I draw a common thread between the previous collection to develop the next one.

 “I love my work and I’m very happy, because I work with fantastic people, very good and nice teams,” she concluded. “It’s a real privilege to work with the most beautiful stones, and to see also people who are creating the dream that you had at the beginning, and then the dream is realized. That is fantastic for me.”