By Rachael Taylor
At an intimate gathering at Ara Vartanian’s boutique in London, Kate Moss unveiled the fruits of her collaboration with the Brazilian jeweller. Inverted gemstones, rose-cut diamonds, swords and sickle moons create a treasure trove of precious personal talismans that will no doubt fly out of the store.
The pair worked closely to create the collection, which is also stocked at Harvey Nichols and Matches Fashion, with Vartanian spending much time poring over the contents of Moss’s closet and home to get a feel for the textures, fabrics and antiques that she loves. Moss is a jewellery connoisseur – she once described jewellery as her “drug of choice” – so the line had to be a true expression of her style.
The overriding theme of the unisex collection is old English legends and mystical Medieval tales. The story of St George, the patron saint of England, who slayed a dragon to save a pagan town, was a particular inspiration; translated at the bench with oxidised sword motifs and precious shields studded with garnets and diamonds.
A sickle moon surrounding a star is a recurring theme, created with inverted gemstones or mother of pearl on rings, earrings and necklaces. Other spiritual motifs designed to act as personal talismans include a delicate evil eye and gold amulets.
Before joining creative forces, Vartanian and Moss were friends. Moss is a long-time patron of the jeweller, and is credited for convincing him to open his London store, which can be found on Mayfair’s Bruton Place.
Reflecting this cosy congeniality, the shoot for the collection was done at Moss’s home in the Cotswolds. Fenton Bailey, son of legendary photographer David Bailey, took the shots, while four fresh faces signed to Moss’s own agency joined the supermodel to pose in the jewels.
