Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan

Bvlgari celebrates women with jewellery exhibition in Moscow

 

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For over 100 years, Bvlgari has delighted with their exquisite high jewelry pieces attracting influential women such as Audrey Hepburn, Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan, Sofia Loren and Claudia Schiffer.

Bvlgari has taken over the Kremlin Museums to showcase a retrospective exhibition – Tribute to Femininity – that traces the history of female emancipation illustrating the evolution of women’s desires as the world around them progresses with time.

‘Tribute to Femininity’, which opened Sept 7, features more than 500 jewellery creations dating from the late 19th century to the 1990s, charting the evolution of the brand’s style and celebrating the charismatic women inseparably linked with the history of the brand.
The Italian luxury brand’s creativity, craftsmanship and exceptional stones will be on show in the exhibition halls of the Assumption Belfry and the Patriarch’s Palace, where Bvlgari has opened up its archives for visitors to discover exclusive pieces, never before seen on public display.

This exhibit, the first of its kind in Russia comprises over 500 high jewelry creatings dating from the late 19th century to the 1990s, charting the evolution of the brand’s style and celebrating the charismatic women inseparably linked with the history of the brand.

 

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Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan’s Bvlgari gold and platinum necklace with turquoises and diamonds, 1957.

Items from Bvlgari’s Heritage Collection as well as from private collections from around the globe including items which have never been displayed in public before, like the famous Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan’s gold and platinum necklace and bracelet with turquoises and diamonds. Or the aquamarine and diamond tiara of the 1930s worn by the Infanta Beatriz of Spain on her wedding day. Highlights of the exhibition include La Dolce Vita’s Anita Ekberg’s cabochon sapphire and diamond parure, Gina Lollobrigida’s platinum set diamond and 21-carat pear shaped Colombian emerald earrings and Anna Magnani’s collection with the famed 25-carat yellow diamond Trombino ring, two platinum diamond brooches each adorned with a large pearl and matching pearl earrings.

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Gina Lollobrigida’s Bvlgari platinum set diamond and 21-carat pear shaped Colombian emerald earrings

The exhibition also features an impressive collection of jewellery owned by the actress Elizabeth Taylor. No Bvlgari exhibit could ever be complete without her collection. By far one of the most conspicuous ever assembled; this collection features the actress’s famed Emerald Suite complete with the iconic diamond and Colombian emerald necklace with removable brooch, pendant earrings, bracelet and engagement ring given all gifts from Richard Burton. It also includes a turquoise and gold Egyptian revival mirror created for the film Cleopatra and an Art Deco sautoir necklace with 52-carat cabochon sapphire.

 

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Bvlgari Tubogas choker with antique Roman coins.

Bvlgari’s history is closely related to such legendary women, reflected in the displays which include a considerable quantity of jewellery that expressed charismatic image and inimitable character. Bvlgari also accompanies its creations with photographs celebrating the femininity and style of the women who wore them.

Tribute to Femininity tells the story of the Roman Maison’s creative prowess, superb color combinations of stones and mastery of craft. From their Parentesi to their Monete and their Serpenti collections, Bulgari’s creations have become timeless icons treasured by all.

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Deauville Beauty Contest, Miss France Yvette Labrousse, 1930

International beauty contest, filmed on August 12, 1930. The scenes include contestants from Germany, England, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Russia, The Bronx, New York, Hoboken, New Jersey, United States and France, competing in an international beauty contest, Deauville (France)

With Miss France 1930, Yvette Labrousse – Yvonne Blanche Labrousse – later known as Om Habibeh, the lady of Yakymour the Begum Om Habibeh ‘Mata Salamat’ Aga Khan, fourth and last wife of Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah, Aga Khan III.

 

 

 

 

Own A Piece Of The Luxurious Paris Ritz

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The façade of the Ritz hotel in Paris. Image: Vincent Leroux.

When it comes to Europe’s grand-dame hotels, none are quite as iconic as the Ritz Paris. The Ritz Paris has been synonymous with refined luxury and timeless glamour for over 100 years. Opened in 1898 by Swiss entrepreneur Cesar Ritz the Ritz has served as the backdrop to several key moments in French history. The Nazis requisitioned it during World War II but had cleared out by the time Ernest Hemingway burst in with a group of Resistance fighters on August 25, 1944, gun in hand, to ‘personally liberate’ it. Realising he was too late Hemingway took to the bar where he is said to have run up a tab for 51 dry Martinis. In 1997, tragedy befell the hotel when Britain’s Princess Diana, who had been staying there, was killed in a car accident in a Paris tunnel while being pursued by paparazzi. The hotel made global headlines again in January, when robbers armed with guns and hatchets ransacked jewellery shops on the ground floor, making off with over four million euros ($4.9 million) in gems and watches.

The Ritz decided to sell the pieces when it reopened in June 2016 after four years of a fittingly glamorous top-to-bottom renovation. After being closed for over 4 years, the Ritz has long been a favorite of visitors to the City of Light, hosting everyone from Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in its opulent rooms and suites.

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Now, the hotel’s fans have a chance to own a piece of Ritz history – 3,500 lots consisting of 10,000 pieces of furniture and decorative objects from the property will be up for auction on the Champs Élysées this April. Organized by Artcurial – the firm that was also behind the sales of historic pieces from pre-renovation Hôtel de Crillon and the Plaza Athénée – the Ritz Paris auction will be held from April 17 through 21.

Price estimates run from 100 euros for a pair of tablecloths to 10,000 euros for a pair of nymph sculptures carrying bronze candelabras that used to decorate the lobby. Each lot in the auction’s extensive catalogue has been meticulously restored, inventoried, and catalogued by a team of 15 experts from Artcurial, who went to great lengths to ensure that every piece bearing the Ritz Paris insignia was returned to its former glory before heading to the auction block.

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A cross section of the Ritz Paris’ illustrious history, the auction includes pieces from the property’s 120 years as a hotel. When it was opened by Swiss hotelier César Ritz in 1989, the original décor was meant to entice well-heeled Americans visiting the city, combining elegant art with antiques and replicas of everything from Louis XIV– to Empire-style furniture to create a unique sense of traditional French elegance. The style of 15 Place Vendôme quickly became iconic, and hallmarks like the hotel’s plush red-velvet barstools, salon sofas from French writer Marcel Proust’s retreats at the hotel, the gilt-framed bed that starred alongside Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper in their 1957 film ‘Love In The Afternoon’, the first en-suite bathtub ever installed at the property (or in any hotel, for that matter), and ornate marble side tables are all up for loyalists to bid on.

In addition to hallmarks of the Ritz’s style, pieces from suites that some of property’s most famous inhabitants called home will be up for sale. Sure to spark bidding wars are pieces such as a pair of plush floral chesterfield armchairs, a gilded headboard, and sleek lacquered bedside tables from the Coco Chanel Suite. The legendary fashion designer called the hotel her home for more than 30 years – giving testament to both the hotel’s enduring stylishness and its famous homelike feel . . . if home is a Versailles-inspired mansion, of course.

A bedboard and lacquered bedside tables from the Coco Chanel Suite

A bedboard and lacquered bedside tables from the Coco Chanel Suite.

Believe it or not, many of the lots aren’t outrageous, either. Bids open at €150 for a pair of gilded lanterns, and €300 for a set of Louis XVI-style banquette. If the over-the-top opulence fits with your own personal aesthetic, then what better way to hold on to a piece of history? One thing’s for sure: there’ll never be another hotel quite like it.

Come into the world of the Ritz Paris.