Van Cleef & Arpels Brings its Jewels to Life with Benjamin Millepied

The climate was tense in London on June 24, but Van Cleef & Arpels and legendary ballet choreographer Benjamin Millepied brought some sparkle to what was perhaps the dreariest Friday of the year. Van Cleef & Arpel’s relationship with ballet began in 1967 when it inspired the three-act ballet, Jewels.

The evening featured three pieces by Millepied. The first was his own “Hearts and Arrows”, a piece that saw the dancers dressed in black-and-white sportswear. The second was “On the Other Side”, a performance from the Jewels trilogy.

CEO and Creative Director Nicolas Bos had it in mind to reimagine the relationship the jewellery house had with ballet for a modern world. His vision involved melding structure, the colour of the jewels, music and dimensions.

Interestingly, there was no display at Sadler’s Wells where the performance was staged. Instead, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Bond Street store windows paid homage to the ballerina with a figure in a tutu and a dancer collection of pins and brooches that date back to the 1940s.

Although there was no new collection to celebrate this collaboration, it showed the innate thread that connects the jewellery house’s rubies, emeralds and diamonds with the power of dance.

For more information on Van Cleef & Arpels, contact your Insignia Personal Assistant.