Louis Vuitton’s new high jewellery collection, celebrating its founder’s 200th birthday, is simply gorgeous

Ruhi Gilder

Paying tribute to the man himself, the legendary French fashion designer Louis Vuitton and celebrating his 200th birthday is his eponymous brand’s new high jewellery collection, Bravery.

The collection captures the spirit of the founder’s journey right from paying homage to his birth date to emblematic pieces.

Here are the highlights from the fabulous 90-piece collection by Francesca Amfitheatrof. 

In a unique concept, this La Constellation d’Hercule necklace pays tribute Louis Vuitton’s birth date, August 4, 1821. It is referenced to a constellation only visible at that time of year through the pairing of tanzanites, opals, tsavorites, and a mist of LV Monogram Star and Flower-cut diamonds.  

This rope-like necklace is reminiscent of the way trunks were carried on a journey. L’Elan Vital is created using more than 2,500 brilliant-cut diamonds.  

The extravagant L’Aventure neckpiece represents 400 kilometres of roads and forests that separate Vuitton’s birthplace, Jura, from Paris. Interspersed with Colombian emeralds and diamonds, in Damier checkerboard stone marquetry. An LV Monogram, round and teardrop-shaped diamond hang from each strand of the exquisite piece.  

The Arrow necklace was ideated as a metaphor for Vuitton’s journey and a literal interpretation of the V in his name. Set with custom-cut rubies, Sri Lankan sapphires and diamonds, it is also an ode to the personal emblem of the founder’s grandson Gaston-Louis Vuitton. The star of the piece is a perfect blue crystal weighing over 26-carat.  

In honour of the various emblematic motifs of Louis Vuitton over the years, the show-stopping Le Mythe was created. It incorporates the Damier pattern, trunk lock-inspired details, studs, rope, and the now-iconic Monogram flower. A whopping 1300 hours of work were required to create this three-row diamond necklace. It’s loaded with a 19.70 carat Sri Lankan sapphire, an 8.64-carat Colombian emerald and a 7.11-carat Madagascan sapphire.   

Mallettage, a crisscrossing pattern that was featured on the inside of Louis Vuitton’s first trunks is the inspiration for this neckpiece. Intricate latticework highlights the 75 round rubies La Passion is set with.  

The 1890 patented Tumbler lock inspired Amfitheatrof to bring the mechanism’s angular shape to this collection. The pieces are studded with diamonds and Santa Maria-type cerulean aquamarines.  

The epilogue to this collection is the light that guided Louis Vuitton on his journey, La Star du Nord. It depicts the North Star with two rows of diamonds finished with a knot reminiscent of those used on the interior of trunks. A repeating element throughout the collection, the LV Monogram Flower makes an appearance right next to the knot.  

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