Archival Dior dress designs inspire new jewellery

Victoire de Castellane joined Dior in 1998. Tasked with turning out the French maison’s line of fine jewellery, de Castellane set about researching Christian Dior’s life, passions and many works. Since then, the couturier’s love of plants, gardens and horticulture has given shape to creations such as the Bois de Rose rings - bands cast from precious gold in the shape of rosebush stems, replete with spiky thorns - while his superstitions inspired the Rose des Vents collection. Here, a windrose with an eight-pointed star at its centre is a nod to the lucky star Christian Dior carried with him as a token of good luck.

With a new group of designs, unveiled today, de Castellane pays tribute to the house of Dior and its haute couture dressmaking ateliers.

Part of the Couture Dior jewellery collection, and another take on the ribbon motifs that de Castellane first explored with her Diorama designs, these new designs interpret Christian Dior’s spring / summer 1951 collection. That collection first introduced the Naturelle line, a new silhouette that was more flexible, fluid and light compared to the famous 1947 New Look. With that in mind, de Castellane designed a necklace, a bracelet, a double-ring and a hair ornament, among other pieces.