A top official of renowned French jewellery maker Boucheron has praised Qatari women’s passion for high jewellery and lauded them for their love for creative pieces. Claire Choisne, creative director of Boucheron, who is on her maiden visit to Qatar and the region to take part in the ongoing Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE) 2020 under the umbrella of Fifty One East, said Boucheron is presenting several of its latest collections at the event and some of them for the first time abroad.
“We are showcasing some of the new necklaces from the 2020 Signature High Jewellery Collection for the first time abroad. These include the Boucheron classic and timeless icon piece, the ‘Question Mark’ necklace invented by our founder, Frédéric Boucheron, in 1879. In addition, we are also presenting the creative High Jewellery Collection ‘Paris, vu du 26’ inspired by the architecture and culture of Paris as seen through the eyes of the Maison,” Choisne told Gulf Times.
Choisne was all praise for Qatari women from her interactions during her brief stay so far. “I am really happy with Qatar and the people as I am amazed by their passion for real jewellery. I find that the women here are very bold and love to wear creative and strong pieces. People I have met here are really comfortable with the strong designs. Women in Qatar really appreciate these kinds of designs and it makes me work hard to fulfil their ideas,” she noted.
As for the ‘Paris, vu du 26’ collection, Choisne explained: “I decided to pay tribute to our city, Paris, and chose an architectural element because I found it very aesthetic. Then I started working on them and got them transformed into a piece of high jewellery. The challenge was to give femininity and movement to the piece and we were successful to make the transition happen into striking pieces.”
“In January, we introduced the ‘Question Mark’ necklace taken from our archives which was originally designed by our founder. This is one my favourites from the archives. Each year, we do two new high jewellery collections. In July, we do one totally on a new design and concept and in January we work on a model from our archives,” the designer continued.
The Boucheron official urged Qatari designers to have a global vision while working on their collections. “I suggest Qatari designers to work hard. They must look ahead and trust their ideas. They should work on their designs with a global vision. I don’t work for a particular country or people but I work with a global vision for all the people,” she advised the emerging young Qatari designers.
The creative designer also noted that the collections like Jack De Boucheron have been catering to everyday luxury jewellery. “Jack De Boucheron is one collection that I love very much because it represents the philosophy of the Maison in a modern way. It is very subtle and people can wear it as a bracelet or necklace. It is a piece that gives the freedom to wear it anyway one wants to and caters to everyday luxury. It suits everyone, young and old alike,” she explained.
Choisne noted that jewellery designs are hard to conceive and is an evolving process. “From conception to design and the final product, it is an evolving process as we work in teams. We draw the designs and start making necessary changes until we come across the final product that we want to showcase. We get a three-dimensional object of the product at the end and make sure that it is flawless,” she pointed out.
The official was also all praise for the architecture of the Museum of Islamic Art, which she has visited. “It was a great experience. I am inspired by several pieces there. I will also be visiting National Museum of Qatar, another architectural marvel by French architect Jean Nouvel. I am also really happy to visit Qatar this year and get to know more about the country as it celebrates the Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture,” she concluded.