Swarovski crystals indeed do shine the brightest under the luminescence of Hollywood’s city lights. In celebration of Swarovski’s 130th anniversary, the brand’s travelling exhibition titled Masters of Light—under the vision and creative direction of Swarovski global creative director Giovanna Engelbert and curation of fashion critic Alexander Fury—nestled itself at the iconic Los Angeles landmark Amoeba Music after its stints in Vienna, Milan, Shanghai and Seoul.
Founded in 1895 in Austria, the brand designs, manufactures and sells arguably the world’s most reputable crystals. Throughout the years, it has cemented itself as more than a part of the jewellery industry. It has metamorphosed into an integral part of culture, extending its reach and influence in film, theatre, music and beyond. This association makes this edition in Hollywood all the more special. Alexis Nasard, CEO of Swarovski, noted: “As the global epicentre of the music and film industry, this is the ideal setting to honour our intimate connection to Hollywood and our role in its most iconic moments.”
Within the space lie curated areas that speak of Swarovski’s greatest feats within the entertainment industry. Take the Pop Icons chamber for instance, where high-impact, crystal-embellished outfits worn by Beyoncé, Madonna, Tina Turner and Lady Gaga were displayed. For cinephiles, there was Silver Screen Style where costumes from classics like The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare in Love and Phantom of the Opera were seen with all their glistening details. Then there was Mathemagical, a showcase dedicated to Engelbert’s couture pieces that were used for the Swarovski’s presentation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala in New York. Here, Vogue Singapore speaks with Fury about working with Engelbert, his favourite piece in the exhibition and more.
Giovanna Engelbert has such a clear vision of what she wants the brand to be as a creative director. What was it like working with her for the exhibition?
Giovanna is an incredible individual to work with. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Swarovski but also comes from a rich fashion background, so we share many of the same reference points, loves and passions. It’s wonderful to work with someone who gets just as excited as I do about securing a 1992 Thierry Mugler outfit worn by Beyoncé for the exhibition. I also think the 21st-century brand identity she has created for Swarovski is strong, powerful and seductive. And the pieces she created for the 2024 and 2025 Met Galas are extraordinary expressions of Swarovski savoir-faire. Anok Yai’s blue bodysuit became a pop culture moment. It’s a joy to work with her on this show because she has a well-rounded and precise vision. And she always wants to push to create something new, which is so exciting and inspiring in a collaborator. This exhibition really is her brainchild.
You curated the exhibition in its entirety. Could you tell us more about your approach and the thought process behind it?
Curatorially, the show is very considered. Each outfit is individually extraordinary, but the rhythm of the show creates dialogues between different outfits, and in turn between different spaces, moving from darkness into light, between the Silver Screen Style and Mathemagical chambers, for instance. That idea of visual dialogue is obvious in Silver Screen Style, where outfits are paired to create ‘conversations’ between looks that have aesthetic and ideological parallels. One of my favourite moments was the fact that, when looking at the extraordinary 1925 Josephine Baker outfit in the Pop Icons chamber, you can turn to see Cardi B and Beyoncé, who both carry her mantle and whose looks owe her a debt and pay her homage. I loved that.
Now tell us more about the journey of the exhibition. What did you intend to evoke through the space that it occupies as well as the significance of having this exhibition in Los Angeles?
Masters of Light is about a journey through the history of Swarovski. It explores the brand’s savoir-faire and is illuminated by the house’s deep connections to fashion, music, cinema and culture more widely. Staging the exhibition in Los Angeles meant an automatic connection to Hollywood that we wanted to examine and celebrate. This year Swarovski turned 130, so it had to be special.
Which piece is your favourite in this exhibition?
It’s difficult to choose a favourite piece. There are so many incredible items, the curation has evolved and now we are on the fourth iteration of the show. There are also many amazing fashion houses and private lenders that have contributed, for which I am eternally grateful. In this installation, I was thrilled we could include the archival pieces from Larry McQueen, an amazing collector of historic Hollywood costumes. From his collection, we had a piece created by [Gilbert] Adrian for Greta Garbo in 1933 and one for Marlene Dietrich by Travis Banton from 1937. They’re absolute treasures and it’s extraordinary they have survived almost a century. And of course it was an honour to have the 1962 dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to John F Kennedy. I got goosebumps when that look was installed.
As an avid collector of archive fashion, Swarovski must hold a special place for you. How does your personal affinity with the brand show in your collection and curatorial work?
I am old enough to remember when Swarovski first clicked back onto the fashion radar in the 1990s. I was a kid, but I remember watching Alexander McQueen shows featuring Swarovski looks on television, then Dolce&Gabbana and of course John Galliano’s Dior, this explosion of joy after a moment of minimalism. But what I didn’t know, until I began working on this project almost four years ago, was the depth of Swarovski’s relationship with high fashion—that from the start in 1895 they were supplying crystal to the greatest haute couture houses of the day.
The earliest piece on the Swarovski heritage archive is a dress by the house of Worth, from the first five years of Swarovski’s existence. And that continued. There are dresses from Jean Patou in the 1920s, Dior and Balenciaga in the 1950s, Gabrielle Chanel jewellery from the 1960s, Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix in the 1980s, right through to the likes of Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli today. Swarovski is always part of an incredible fashion story and it’s matched by its collaborations with music, cinema and culture more broadly. It’s a pioneer and a leader.
Speaking of archive fashion, what is a favourite Swarovski piece from your personal collection and why?
I have a few! I have a pair of Tom Ford for Gucci trousers covered with Swarovski crystals from spring/summer 1999, which was worn by Madonna when she received her Grammy awards. I also have a pair of Swarovski crystal-embroidered men’s brogues by Kim Jones for Dior, which I love because they’re the most practical shoes made into something so precious you barely want to touch them. I also have some beautiful skeleton cuffs by Raf Simons embellished with topaz and aurora borealis Swarovski crystals. All of those were featured in our Masters of Light show in Milan. But the thing I covet the most is a spring/summer 2014 Prada suit in bright blue with gigantic yellow crystals that Giovanna owns and wears. I still have to try and convince her to sell it to me.
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