RIYADH: High-end French jewelry brand Boucheron showcased its latest collection at an exclusive event at Aseel Resort in Diriyah, with the maison’s CEO telling Arab News that the move highlights the importance of Saudi Arabia to the label.
In Boucheron’s second “La Maison” event in the Kingdom, it showed off its “Carte Blanche, Ailleurs” collection.
A shot of the the exterior of La Maison. (Supplied)
“We decided to invest in Saudi Arabia, doing the Maison event last year and now this year, because it’s a market that is totally changing very quickly, echoing our values about women empowerment, and it was a kind of story that I felt which was really going with the sense of what we can propose at Boucheron,” CEO Helene Poulit-Duquesne told Arab News.
Saudi Arabia’s focus on promoting the role of women in the economy, as part of Vision 2030, struck a chord with Boucheron as the brand is itself driven by a female-led workforce, with Poulit-Duquesne at the forefront and Claire Choisne as the artistic director.
Helene Poulit-Duquesne, the CEO of French jewelry label Boucheron. (Supplied)
It is something which allows the company to push creative boundaries, create objective designs made by and for women, and establish client empathy, the CEO said.
“We have a culture, which I love, where femme is really important, and we feel we are part of a bigger venture and we act like family,” she added.
A room within La Maison. (Supplied)
Featuring a palette of ochre brown, clay, black and white contrasts, the new collection, first unveiled during Paris Haute Couture week in July, boasts pebbles, glistening diamonds, and white gold shells in a bid to reflect the nature by which it is inspired.
The exhibition also featured a number of the label’s legacy pieces, shown for the first time in Saudi Arabia, including the famed 1879 “Question Mark" necklace, created by founder Frederic Boucheron in tribute to the social revolution of women.
“He wanted to free the woman … At that time, if you wanted to get dressed, you needed a lady’s maid because it’s difficult to (clasp). So the design of the ‘Question Mark’ necklace is totally flexible and you can put it on by yourself because there’s no clasp.
“The thinking behind it was really impressive at that time,” Poulit-Duquesne explained.
Also on show at the event, which ended on Nov. 10, were pieces from the “Animaux de Collection” and “Plume de Paon” collections, as well the “Serpent Boheme Solarite” collection.
