Where is better suited to the debut of an annual collection called Red Carpet, than the red carpet of one of the world’s most photographed and star-studded events: the Cannes Film Festival? Indeed, it has long been a tradition for Chopard to launch its high jewellery highlight of the year at the festival, where famous faces and international movie stars come together to celebrate the art of filmmaking. Chopard’s storied partnership with Cannes began in 1998, with the maison not only creating trophies for festival winners but also a high jewellery collection to adorn actors and actresses as they strut down the red carpet. This year was no different as the 77-piece collection was revealed in all its sparkling glory, gracing the cinema world’s most beautiful and iconic faces.
Necklaces, rings, earrings and watches – among other pieces – were all lit with the glittering fire of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious gems, and were inspired this year by a theme close to the cinematic world’s heart: fairy tales. At the helm of the Contes de Fées’ Red Carpet collection was Chopard’s co-president and artistic director, Caroline Scheufele. Thanks to her creative vision and eye for proportion and colour, the 77 creations were bursting with whimsy and wonder, as a world of fantasy met the animals and plants of our natural world, ever important sources of inspiration for Chopard over the decades.
Scheufele’s animal-inspired creations spotlight not only those animals that are favoured as heroes or heroines in fairy tales, nor do they single out majestic creatures conventionally associated with beauty and grace. Instead, the artistic director has been embracing nature fully since the 2010 Animal World collection, employing a playful touch to give less-loved creatures such as flies, pigs, rats and even sardines the glamorous high jewellery treatment. This year’s Red Carpet collection, too, sings the praises of formerly unsung heroes of nature.
The blue whale gets the recognition in this case, alongside make-believe characters such as fairies, angels, unicorns and dragons. Adorned with a gradient setting of sapphires and diamonds, the Whale ring, like all of the pieces from the Red Carpet collection, is crafted in ethical gold. The whale is further brought to life with onyx cabochon eyes while its mouth, ajar, holds a 1.
77-carat pear-shaped aquamarine. A duo of fluttering fairies carrying matching briolette diamonds weighing a total of 3.98 carats frames the face as a fun set of earrings.
The fairies’ wings are set with sapphires and diamonds on white gold to ornament the pair, caught in mid-flight. Sculptural pieces such as a necklace that mimics the intricate foliage and roots of an oak tree, or a crimson rose ring, each petal adorned with rubies resting on top of leaves fashioned from black diamonds, nod to the delicate proportions and fleeting beauty of nature. The flora-inspired Oak necklace features intricate interlacing of rose gold and titanium, further accented with yellow sapphires, tsavorites and emeralds.
The gem-set leaves sit among clusters of flowers and brown-tinted titanium acorns. Another whimsical design inspired by fairy tales is the Mushroom ring, fashioned from ethical rose gold. The delicate, ribbed and polka-dotted mushroom cap is set with a shimmering sprinkle of orange, brown and cognac diamonds, with white diamonds acting as playful dots.
Two timepieces are also part of this year’s Red Carpet collection, both radiant with a breathtaking array of gems. The diamond and emerald watch features two emerald-cut main stones weighing a total of 6.27 carats, with an additional 2.
96 carats of pear-shaped emeralds, which dazzle around the bezel and the watch’s dial. Marquis-cut and pear-shaped white diamonds come together as petals of flowers fashioned into the watch’s bracelet. For a more demure look, the Red Carpet jewellery watch in rose gold brings a softer shimmer with its arrangement of pink and white diamonds.
Two pear-shaped pink diamonds weighing a total of 6.27 carats make the piece impossible to ignore. A number of actresses had the pleasure of walking the Cannes Film Festival red carpet this year wearing designs from Chopard’s high jewellery collection, from earrings that frame and bring light to the face, to statement necklaces that command attention on the red carpet.
French actress Eva Green opted to wear the Rose ring with an all-black ensemble, which added a pop of sparkle and colour to her red carpet look. American actress Hunter Schafer opted to pair a high-sheen blue sculptural strapless gown with a Red Carpet collection necklace set with nine heart-shaped sapphires totalling 62.05 carats.
The necklace further sparkled with more than 20 carats of pear and brilliant-cut diamonds. Other pieces from the collection that got their moment in the spotlight included the Red Carpet collection earrings featuring two square-cut fancy, intense yellow diamonds. Chinese actress Liya Tong styled this piece with a diamond cuff and two rings, including a pear-shaped number, also from Chopard.
Barbie director and actress Greta Gerwig rocked a bubblegum pink look on the red carpet, pairing her dress with a pair of drop earrings featuring pear-shaped diamonds that totalled 10.17 carats. Actresses Eva Green and Hunter Schafer, DJ Peggy Gou, and director Greta Gerwig all wore jewellery from the collection on the red carpet.
