In early September, Hermès unveiled its latest high jewelry collection to the American public, celebrating with a show of artistry in the big apple. Enchaînements Libres took its first steps in New York City as Hermès partnered with choreographer Christian Rizzo to create a routine for a pair of interlocking dancers.
The collection features jewelry like statement necklaces, earrings, bracelets, as well as a ring. The crowd at the Lincoln Center's Appel Room admired the dancers on stage prior to models entering and showing off the articulate wearability of each piece. Truly it was a moody affair. The models were dressed all in black and wore pieces like the Hermès Grand Jeté necklace, brought out even further against their dark clothing.
Hermès had previously worked with Rizzo on two other projects, including one in 2004, and another in 2016 called A
“All of the pieces in this jewelry collection have chains and links in common,” Rizzo said to ArtNet News. “For me, they evoke all types of collisions and embraces, like pivots between two bodies, and all the possibilities of movement.”
“At Hermès, the chain is a fundamental motif that draws on its origins as a harness-maker and saddler, and on a long tradition of chain-making know-how,” says Pierre Hardy, Hermès’ creative director of jewelry. “Taking the chain as a theme is choosing to pay tribute to this unique métier while exploring a shape, a form of great symbolic richness. To build the collection, I started by reflecting on links, their sequence, what connects micro to mega, the very human to the very abstract.”
The meaning of Enchaînements Libres or “Freedom in chains,” is to demonstrate the symbolism of the chain as a figure of strength and attachment. Hardy's mission was to redefine the concept of the chain with asymmetrical pieces of varying bold colors and design choices.
“The whole collection is designed around the body,” Hardy continued. “Far from the jewelry of former times, which obstructed movement, these pieces are designed for modern lifestyles. They dance in unison with the bodies that wear them.”
Information originally sourced from ArtNet News.
