Chaumet bejewels Saint-Germain-des-Prés with “Autrement”
Tradition, with a twist. Luxury French jeweler Chaumet celebrated the art of doing jewelry differently with a spirited soirée celebrating their new exhibition aptly titled Autrement (or differently) on Thursday night at their ephemeral Left Bank address at 165, Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris.With the exhibition ending its month-long run on November 2nd, Chaumet hosted an intimate evening with a who’s who of Parisian personalities who explored Julia Hetta’s photo series encased in antique frames from famed French framers Maison Le Brun. While awaiting a major move back to its home at the Place Vendôme, Chaumet has found a temporary home in a pied-à-terre across the Seine on the Boulevard Saint-Germain. Autrement is a mélange of fashion and fantasy, elegance and eccentricity designed to highlight the limitless possibilities to accessorize “autrement” with the Maison’s High Jewelry. The exhibit is a dialogue between art and fashion that explores female expression through the ages. The photos are not only an ode to the brand’s craftsmanship, but also a romp through history depicting how jewelry has always been a unique form of expression from the Italian Renaissance to today.Think: necklaces as tiaras, bracelets as bust ornaments or anklets, pins worn in braided hair and more. Julia Hetta’s lens has captured modern women reinterpreting pieces worn from Empress Joséphine or channeling classical paintings depicting the audacious ways women through the centuries used jewelry as a way to express their whims of fashion and fantasy. Chaumet President Jean-Marc Mansvelt welcomed an elegant blend of familiar faces and new friends of the brand including John Nollet, hairstylist to the stars, who added his talented touch to create the hair styles seen in the photos. Other guests bedazzling the elegant evening included Vincent Darré, Marie Beltrani, Hugo Matha, Betony Vernon, Romain Brau, Alice Balas, Margaux Avril and so many more for a sparkling night and the perfect send off before Chaumet returns to its right bank home early next year. Autrement is open to all, but by appointment only, and runs through November 2nd at 165 Boulevard Saint-Germain.
