Victoire de Castellane
“I hate being bored” is one of the Artistic Director’s most frequent refrains, a stance that’s reflected in the eclecticism and playfulness of her work: collection after collection, she likes to have fun — with seriousness and professionalism, bien sûr! She embraces all universes and turns every jewel she creates into an extraordinary adventure, a story unto itself.
“Just because something is real doesn’t mean it has to be boring”
In 1998, Victoire de Castellane was appointed Artistic Director of the newly-created jewellery department at the House of Dior. Armed with tourmalines, aquamarines, amethysts, garnets, citrines, peridots, morganites, tanzanites, and topazes, Victoire de Castellane ushered in a creative lexicon bursting with color and creativity.
From her very first collection for Dior Joaillerie, Victoire de Castellane has been in constant dialogue with Christian Dior, bringing him back to life through her creations. Born three generations apart, their timelines naturally prevented them from ever meeting in person. No matter! Victoire feels she knows Christian inside and out.
For the Rose des Vents collection (inspired by a compass rose mosaic at the founding couturier's childhood home in Granville), she dreamed up little encounters and enchanting exchanges, illustrated with naive drawings. They share the same passion for flowers: Monsieur Dior’s garden at Milly-la-Forêt has inspired a number of jewellery collections, in which nature is untamed or orderly depending on her mood. The rose, the founding couturier’s favorite flower, became an infinite field of expression, from the delicacy of its buds to its velvety petals and even its thorny stem, which inspired the La Rose Dior collection. The cannage motif, an iconic Dior code since the House’s first fashion show on February 12, 1947 – picked up from the caning on the Napoleon III chairs used to seat guests – served as inspiration for the My Dior collection, which combines delicately interlaced gold sometimes enhanced with gemstones. There is always a tale behind a piece by Victoire de Castellane.
