Victoire de Castellane Reflects on 20 Years as Dior's Creative Director of Fine Jewelry

Then there were pieces with hidden symbols and secret compartments from her recent Versailles-inspired collection; her now-signature Tête de Mort skull necklaces; Rose Dior Bagatelle rings with stunningly realistic, diamond-encrusted 3-D petals; and candy-color earrings from her Granville collection, named for Christian Dior's childhood home in Granville, Normandy, among many other treasures Seeing all of those pieces mixed together only reinforced the signatures De Castellane has established: "When I think about what I've done for Dior in 20 years, it's like I've started writing a story, with different identities, codes, and colors that are [my own]," she says "Even in my Incroyable cocktail rings, each side of the setting is different, so when you're alone with your ring, you can look at it and let your imagination wander.

There's not only one way of seeing it-it's not something closed I like to create with the idea of things feeling open." Elsewhere, De Castellane's asymmetry is more obvious: Her new Dior Dior Dior collection includes some of her boldest earrings yet, like the cultured pearl set with one white gold earring and one yellow gold earring "Before, were much more bourgeois-women wore full sets of jewelry, or they just wore it to go out.

Now, it's more bohemian, in a way-you're living with your jewelry every day, and for me, jewelry has to be part of you The 'total look' is for another kind of lady When I arrived in the jewelry world, I thought jewelry could make you look much older, especially if you're wearing it in a serious way-it could age you 10 years! But now, mixing your jewelry and adding costume pieces is much more fun and [feels] younger" The new Dior Dior Dior collection was an homage to vintage lace, with light-as-air chokers, hand jewelry, and double rings in ultrafine "Silken threads" of gold.

"Why lace? I've played with lace on the back of jewelry , so it was hidden only for the customer to see, but I asked myself, why not show it? It's part of the heritage of Dior, so I went to the archives and saw all of the laces made specifically for Monsieur Dior's dresses I thought it was a pity not to have this theme in the jewelry, [so we] made it in gold and played with different stones For me, it's very classical" Every designer who's succeeded Dior has used lace, including Raf Simons, whose interpretation of another Dior classic-the 1946 Miss Dior dress, a nipped-waist, full-skirted strapless number-inspired De Castellane's weighty Bar Corolle Emeraude cuff in emeralds and pink sapphires. Source