Louis Vuitton Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds

Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds Chapter II High Jewlery Collection

Louis Vuitton Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds

Following the shift from Awakened Hands to Awakened Minds, this High Jewelry collection orchestrates the progression of savoir faire and science to renew the century’s cultural mobility and the advent of mechanization. Drawing on the malleability of precious metals and Louis Vuitton’s taste for remarkable gems, the jewelry presented here activates, interlocks, and animates the Maison’s unique ability to make artistry of technical mastery.

The second chapter of Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds resumes the journey through 19th century France’s innovations in craftsmanship and science with 7 themes and 50 extraordinary pieces inspired by the era’s visionary breakthroughs.

Spurred by a deeper understanding of the world, and the advent of mobility, ateliers begin to experiment with other forms, materials, and techniques, broadening their skills and scope. True to the “awakened” ethos and Francesca Amfitheatrof’s unique ability to interpret and render the era’s industriousness and craft, the collection pulses with creative acceleration.

Befittingly, this testament to innovation introduces a men’s capsule that includes a compass, a pocket watch, and broaches, linking the era’s taste makers to the jewelry they inspired. Reflected in the wide-ranging designs, Louis Vuitton’s strong woman is ever-present and tantamount to the country’s evolution. Like the newly independent artisans who experienced a broadening of their scope and skills, the Maison’s vision continues to this day. From the LV Star cut Élégance Diamond headband, to the extraordinary yellow diamonds and exquisite stones that light up the second part of this collection, France’s appreciation for beauty knows no bounds.

Victoire

Among the collection’s masterpieces, is Louis Vuitton’s ode to the Eiffel Tower. Victoire honors the Parisian landmark’s feat of engineering in a highly inventive interpretation of unparalleled savoir faire and technical ambition representing more than 3 923 hours of work. Headlining the lineup, a showstopping high collared necklace, intricately constructed in its architecture and artistry, to exemplify the visionary leitmotif that correlates Awakened Hands to Awakened Minds. Likened to the tower, the impressive geometric workmanship dips and directs the eye to the Maison’s V. Hosting a remarkable 10,43 D IF carat and 3.08 D IF carat LV Monogram Star cut Diamond of never-before-seen technical mastery, these remarkable stones telegraph the design’s lit-from-within passion. Running the length of the multitiered tiered necklace, 33 Yellow Diamonds are strategically set in a luminous chorus line that amplifies Victoire’s ode to modernity. Equally striking, two impressive 5,05 and 5,07-carat Yellow Diamonds pendant earrings are the most precious in Louis Vuitton’s high jewelry collection to date. Articulating Victoire’s ingenuity, a companion bracelet with a 3.98 carat Yellow Diamond, and a 2,56 carat ring explore the graphic world and its mobility, likening this rendition of the Eiffel Tower to the architectural marvel that is a body in motion. With bold intricacy and structural agility, that on occasion hint at the surrealism to come, Victoire crowns this collection as Louis Vuitton’s visionary tribute to the 19th century.

Louis Vuitton Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds

Gravité

Powered by the era’s advances and the advent of mobility, Gravité follows Foucault’s delineations with scientific precision and an eye for the invisible. Like the Pendulum, that etched its 360-degree petal shaped gravitational pull across the sand, Louis Vuitton’s design achieves harmony in juxtaposition and velocity in interaction, by alluding to the precious metals as conduits. Perfectly balanced, Gravité plays with different settings and Diamond cuts to channel the eye and highlight the designer’s intention. Rectangular, triangular and round pave set Diamonds line the strands to articulate graphic exactitude. Threading and overlapping to form a V shaped pendant that holds a breathtaking and detachable 6,48 carat Saphire from Kashmir. Set in perfect symmetry, two additional 4,38 and 2,13 carat Sapphires from Kashmir anchor the pendant from above endowing the articulation and complex superposition with the power of motion. This white gold Diamond and Sapphire necklace required 2,058 hours of work. Like the similarly inspired three stranded collared necklace which mimics the interplay of geometric patterns and overlay, the quality of the 27,20 carat star Sapphire is hypnotizing. Similarly inspired, the rings and bracelets follow the design’s graphic exactitude while energizing luminosity and movement. The headlining power of Gravité is emphasized in the setting and movement of the matching bracelet and rings, which like both necklaces, punctuate each hypnotic design with a showstopping Sapphire.

Rarely has a collection delved into a historical rendition so sensitively attuned to the real life dynamics taking shape at the time. And in so doing set forth on a voyage of discovery that knows no bounds. Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds articulates the relationship of craft and science in a journey of iconic beauty. Envisioned by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Jewelry and Watches, the country’s patrimony is a jeweler’s legacy for the world.

Images: © @NathanielGoldberg

Credits: © Courtesy of Louis Vuitton PR