24 April 2020

Swarovski celebrates the birthday of Jean Paul Gaultier with a short film featuring Lily McMenamy

The precious crystals of the Couture Collection presented for the 50th anniversary of Jean Paul Gaultier
Swarovski celebrates the brand’s long-standing partnership with Jean Paul Gaultier, and the birthday of the designer himself, with the release of a short film featuring Lily McMenamy wearing crystal embellished looks from Jean Paul Gaultier’s 50th Anniversary Couture collection, along with jewellery created especially for the occasion.
 
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier. Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier. Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
 
 
Filmed in Paris in the designer's studio during the Haute Couture week in January, by director Toby Knott, Lily McMenamy dances through the stairs and corridors at a pace that is stratified on an off-screen voice of a 2017 interview with the designer - where he talks about authenticity in design and his passion for creating pieces that celebrate the difference.
 
 
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier. Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier. Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
 
 
The jewels worn by McMenamy are inspired by the street punk of the 90s, with cuts of Swarovski crystals designed to emulate vintage mirrors, and perfectly embody the attitude of Jean Paul Gaultier.
 
 
 
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier
Swarovski and Jean Paul Gaultier have enjoyed a strong creative partnership that dates back to their first runway collaboration in 1997. In 2015, Swarovski supported ‘From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’, a major retrospective of the designer’s work curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot and held at the Grand Palais in Paris and the HypoKulturhalle in Munich. In the same year, Gaultier started work on a bespoke Swarovski crystal cut titled ‘Kaputt’, which also featured in his 2016 jewelry collection, ‘Reverse’, for Atelier Swarovski. In 2018, Jean Paul Gaultier starred in ‘The Soul of Swarovski’, a four-minute film by Academy Award-nominated director and photographer Eric Valli, offering an intimate portrait of the company’s creative process.
 
 
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier
Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier
Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier.
Swarovski & Jean Paul Gaultier
Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans. Copyright © All rights reserved.
 
 
Jean Paul Gaultier's 50th anniversary show - which was his last catwalk collection - featured 700,000 crystals supplied by longtime collaborator Swarovski. At the time of the show, Jean Paul Gaultier had commented: "Swarovski has accompanied me since my beginnings even when I could only afford a few crystals and I am happy to be able to present our new collaboration at my last Gaultier PARIS show".
 
Sparking delight since 1895
Swarovski creates a more sparkling world and delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and sells the world’s highest quality crystal, genuine gemstones, Swarovski Created Diamonds and zirconia, finished products such as jewelry and accessories, as well as interior design and lighting solutions. Now celebrating its 125th anniversary and run by the fifth generation of family members, the Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach with approximately 3,000 stores in around 170 countries, more than 29,000 employees, and revenue of about 2.7 billion euros in 2018. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. In 2018, the Group generated revenue of about 3.5 billion euros and employed more than 34,500 people. In 2019, Swarovski UK Limited received a Royal Warrant as manufacturer and supplier of crystals to HRH Queen Elizabeth II. A responsible relationship with people and the planet has always been an integral part of Swarovski’s heritage, and is embedded today in the company’s well-established sustainability agenda. In addition, the global Swarovski Waterschool education program has reached 500,000 children on the world’s greatest rivers. The Swarovski Foundation was set up in 2013 to honor the philanthropic spirit of company founder Daniel Swarovski, and works to support culture and creativity, promote human empowerment and conserve natural resources to achieve positive social impact.
 
Credits
Model: Lily McMenamy. Director: Toby Knott. Creative: George Yandell for Spring Studios. Stylist: Vanessa Coyle. Still images: Jason Lloyd Evans.
 
Edited by Lisa Maria River
Source text, pothos, video: Swarovski Press Office / Copyright © Swarovski
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
 
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