Earlier this year in the FX drama Feud: Capote vs the Swans, the dramas of New York high society socialites in the ’60s and ’70s were laid bare. An unlikely protagonist emerged: the distinct, opulent jewels of the era. There is a scene of socialite and former Vogue editor Babe Paley, after a cancer diagnosis, surrounded by her jewels and doling them out to friends. A particular piece catches the eye of one of Paley’s friends—a rubellite Verdura bracelet.
The show has since spurred a growing interest and fever for designs from those decades, and particularly designs by jewellers whose names had otherwise lost their lustre to time. Duke Fulco di Verdura, for one, was a designer of bold, sculptural pieces who made a mark on 20th-century fine jewellery. Before founding his eponymous brand in 1939, the Sicilian aristocrat was the head jewellery designer at Chanel and the man who introduced Maltese cross cuffs to Gabrielle Chanel.
Verdura has changed hands over the decades, but in the present it is owned and run by Ward Landrigan, the former head of jewellery at Sotheby’s. In its revived form, the house creates designs from nearly 10,000 sketches that Verdura made in his lifetime. Landrigan’s efforts at continuing the legacy of storied, unsung designers might just be paying off. Since being featured on television, Verdura designs have begun to sell out.
Another name that Landrigan has instigated a comeback with is Suzanne Belperron, one of the most influential—and very few female—jewellery designers of the 20th century. Her work was worn by everyone from Elsa Schiaparelli to the Duchess of Windsor, with a sensual tactile style that remains strikingly modern. Today, her ageless style is embodied in a contemporary collection that’s crafted from an archive of over 9,300 gouaches and designs by Belperron.
Apart from the Landrigans, there’s the designer Francesca Amfitheatrof—presently the artistic director of watches and jewellery at Louis Vuitton and formerly the first female creative director at Tiffany & Co. She recently added a new role, concurrent to her position at Louis Vuitton, as the head of creative at cult Venetian jeweller Codognato.
Family-owned and run since 1866, Codognato is known for distinctive intaglio and enamel designs sought out by royals, actors, directors and artists in the know. Amfitheatrof succeeds the late, fourth-generation jeweller Attilio Codognato, and the two are said to have fostered a friendship over the years through visits and conversations. As an outsider stepping into a family operation, and the impressive influence she wields, chances are high that Amfitheatrof will usher in a new generation of designs to draw in fresh fans and collectors at the Venetian house.
The June ‘Impact’ issue of Vogue Singapore is now available online and on newsstands.
