L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS j e w e l r y . S n a k e s w e r e positive symbols asso- ciated with rebirth, hea- ling, and ancestors in t h e c l a s s i c a l w o r l d . Bulgari has been simi- larly using the Serpenti (snake) motif in brace- lets and numerous other w a y s i n i t s c r e a t i o n s s i n c e t h e 1 9 4 0 s w h e n Constantino and Mario Bulgari created the first spiraling Serpenti watch a n d b r a c e l e t . T h e Serpenti is an instantly r e c o g n i z a b l e B u l g a r i s i g n a t u r e , o n e t h a t ' s c o n t i n u a l l y r e f r e s h e d with new design twists, ensuring it appeals to modern jewelry lovers a n d c l a s s i c c o l l e c t o r s a l i k e . W h a t d o e s i t represent for you? Serpenti is Bulgari's most legendary icon, a symbol of power, charm, and seduc- tion but also - and above all - it represents endless rein- v e n t i o n . F r o m t h e 1 9 4 0 s o n w a r d s , o u r S e r p e n t i j e w e l r y h a s c o n t i n u a l l y changed its skin, updating a n d a d a p t i n g t o t h e s u r - rounding environment and the continuous evolution of society without ever losing its essence! Serpenti is a transformative symbol that e m b o d i e s t h e c o n c e p t o f metamorphosis. You craft the classics o f t o m o r r o w . A t w h a t point do you realize you are creating a timeless piece? When I find the perfect h a r m o n y b e t w e e n g e m s , design, and craftsmanship. In other words, when my t e a m a n d I r e c o g n i z e something iconic in the desi- gn. Any Bulgari jewel repre- s e n t s t h e b r a n d i n a l l respects, ranging from crea- tivity to recognizability. How do you work on c o l o r s a n d s h a p e s ? What comes first? And at what point does the c h o i c e o f p r e c i o u s metals fit into the creati- ve process? A: It depends on what I'm creating. When it comes to fine jewelry, the inspiration always starts from the gems' shape and color. The design follows. On the other hand, if I work with diamonds, the starting point is the design, and the cut comes later. Elisabeth Taylor loved Bulgari. Richard Burton o n c e s a i d t h a t d u r i n g t h e n i n e m o n t h s s h e spent in Rome filming C l e o p a t r a , E l i s a b e t h learned a single word of Italian: "Bulgari." Also, Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida had a pen- c h a n t f o r t h e i c o n i c R o m a n H o u s e , a s d i d S h a r o n S t o n e a n d C a t h e r i n e Z e t a - J o n e s and today actresses and s u p e r m o d e l s s u c h a s Bella Hadid. How does it f e e l w h e n a c e l e b r i t y steps out on the red car- p e t w e a r i n g a B u l g a r i piece? It is a point of pride for us to see actresses and celebri- ties wearing our jewelry, and i t r e p r e s e n t s a c o m m o n t h r e a d w i t h h i s t o r y a s Bulgari has always been the jeweler of the Divas! And this fil rouge that continues thrills and makes both me and the Maison proud. W h o i s , i n g e n e r a l , t h e B u l g a r i w o m a n o f t o d a y ? W h a t k i n d o f woman do you have in mind when you create? A w o m a n w h o i s n o t afraid to dare. I would say a woman with a strong perso- nality and at the same time elegant, sensual, and femini- ne! What are your tips to style high-jewelry? How to pair a Bulgari glamor n e c k l a c e o r e a r r i n g s with a dress? It's a very personal choi- ce. The primary thing is to feel at ease. However, when I w a n t t o a c c e n t u a t e t h e b e a u t y o f a j e w e l , I w e a r s o l i d c o l o r o u t f i t s , n e v e r clothes with any pattern. Contrary to popular belief, the neckline does emphasize a piece of jewelry better than a solid color. Hollywood stars, US first ladies, princesses, a n d e v e n r e b e l l i o u s countesses were huge d e v o t e e s o f B u l g a r i . I a m t h i n k i n g a b o u t Dorothy di Frasso, an A m e r i c a n h e i r e s s i n Rome in the 1920s and 1930s, the lady who tau- g h t h e r p a r t n e r G a r y C o o p e r h o w t o d r e s s , m a k i n g h i m t h e m o s t e l e g a n t m a n i n Hollywood. Cooper and she were habitues of the B u l g a r i b o u t i q u e . I n 1 9 3 9 t h e y b o u g h t t h e m o s t e x p e n s i v e d i a - m o n d n e c k l a c e i n t h e e n t i r e c o l l e c t i o n . T h e Bulgari historical piece that enchants you most of all? A : E l i z a b e t h T a y l o r ' s famous sautoir with, in my opinion, the most beautiful s a p p h i r e i n t h e w o r l d . Fortunately, that long neck- lace is now part of our priva- te collection! H o w i m p o r t a n t a r e sustainable practices to Bulgari? They are fundamental. C o n s u m e r s ' p u r c h a s i n g c h o i c e i s n o w m o r e t h a n e v e r g u i d e d b y e t h i c a l , social, and environmental criteria. From mining to the production process, Bulgari ensures that the entire sup- p l y c h a i n u s e s p r e c i o u s materials of responsible ori- gin, with the utmost consi- deration for ethics and the environment. We proudly state 100% of our artisanal p r o d u c t i o n i s m a d e w i t h g o l d f r o m f u l l y t r a c e a b l e and certified sources. We reached the milestone at the end of 2021 thanks to a con- tinuous improvement pro- cess across the House's enti- r e v a l u e c h a i n a n d t h e renewal of the prestigious Chain-of-Custody certifica- t i o n i s s u e d b y t h e Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) that counts Bulgari among its members. B u l g a r i h a s c r e a t e d unforgettable brooches that marked the history o f j e w e l r y , e s p e c i a l l y those with floral motifs. Are brooches objects to be reevaluated in con- t e m p o r a r y j e w e l r y making? Yes! In our high jewelry collections, we always inclu- de some. In recent years, the a t t e n t i o n t o w a r d s t h a t a c c e s s o r y h a s c o n s t a n t l y b e e n g r o w i n g . A l s o , s o m e b r o o c h e s t o d a y a r e m a r k e t e d s p e c i f i c a l l y t o men, and they're different from the dainty, ladylike pins of the past. The history of Bulgari i s a t r e a s u r e t r o v e o f anecdotes. They say that in the '50s, the Shah of P e r s i a R e z a P a h l a v i w o u l d g i v e t h e y o u n g S o r a y a E s f a n d i a r y a Bulgari jewel every day, e s p e c i a l l y w h e n s h e spent two months in bed s e r i o u s l y i l l w i t h typhoid just before their w e d d i n g . H e w o u l d place a precious orna- m e n t o n h e r p i l l o w e v e r y m o r n i n g . Furthermore, a decade earlier, during WWII, t h e S S k i d n a p p e d a n Italian count, Vittorio Cini de Monselice, then r e l e a s e d f o r B u l g a r i jewelry. But what is the s e c r e t f o r m u l a o f Bulgari's artistic longe- vity and your longtime tenure as creative direc- tor? The secret stands in inno- vating the brand without ever distorting it. We keep alive the link to our history and origins, and above all, we work with passion. Every time is exciting! Continued from page 4 A portrait of Gianni Bulgari, former chairman and CEO of the company (Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. Author: GB-Enigma/Flickr. License: CC BY-SA 2.0)

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