MilliOnAir Magazine July/August | Page 259

Curated by Chiara Ottaviano, the exhibition follows Bvlgari’s history as an example of the success of an Italian company in the transition from being a small, family-run firm to a global luxury brand.

Bvlgari stories and anecdotes will be included in a broader study of the decisive factors in securing the international standing of Italian-produced fashion and design with its unique mix of originality, excellent craftsmanship, richness and tradition.

The show incudes jewels from the company’s Heritage Collection, some of which are being

exhibited for the first time, as well as creations on loan from important private collections. The

exhibition narrative will be enriched with previously-unseen archive documentation, historic photos and films covering over one hundred years of the Maison’s history, interlaced with numerous stories relating to the economy, society and customs. As an elegant counterpoint to the jewels of the Brand’s Heritage Collection, the haute couture dresses from Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini’s private collection give a vivid feeling of the tastes and trends of the various epochs in which the Bvlgari story has unfolded.

The story starts with the company's founder, Sotirio Bulgari, the talented silversmith who left

Greece and came to Rome in 1884 looking for his fortune. It then covers family anecdotes,

marketing strategies and creative intuition right up to the beginning of the 1990s. The Maison's

success with wealthy clients and prominent socialites is a further element to illustrate the

affirmation of the Brand and its network of contacts. The jewels that were owned and worn by the stars of the Dolce Vita like Elizabeth Taylor, Gina Lollobrigida, Ingrid Bergman, Anna Magnani and Audrey Hepburn reflect the international fame achieved by the brand in the period after the Second World War, a critical time for the rebirth of both Rome and Italy as a whole.

The show will focus on the key aspects that make Bvlgari's style unique and recognisable still

today, as the emblem of an Italian school of jewellery with ancient roots and which is constantly evolving. The exhibition thus showcases the most emblematic jewels that capture the excellence in craftsmanship, the taste for colour, the sumptuous shapes and rounded lines that are typical of Bvlgari. The Maison's particularly popular and distinctive iconic creations include the gold jewels set with ancient coins which reflect its talent in revisiting old traditions in a highly contemporary manner. The creations from the 1980s and 90s, modular and wearable at any time of day, illustrate the Brand’s ability to be in tune with the dynamic life of working women.

The exhibition will play on the idea of a “corridor through time” with a series of installations featuring arches and steps welcoming mannequins dressed in the outfits - both onlookers and protagonists of the various eras that are described in the route.

“The exhibition is the product of a rigorous, balanced and transparent academic project,” underlines Edith Gabrielli, director of the Lazio Museum Centre. “I already believed that Bvlgari is one of the most impressive Italian businesses, and my opinion has been confirmed. It is so in the history of taste, because the Bvlgari brand encapsulates a great tradition of technique and beauty in applied arts. It is so in the history of work: we should never forget the hundreds of people, mainly Italian nationals, who are employed in the manufacture at Valenza or in the Maison's headquarters in Florence and in Rome. For this reason, organizing an exhibition about Bvlgari and with Bvlgari is definitely a positive contribution to our country.”

“This is a unique chance to rediscover Bvlgari’s history and creativity as an icon of Italianproduced craftsmanship, beautifully enhanced by the splendid settings of Castel Sant’Angelo and Palazzo Venezia. The talent, passion and ability to capture the spirit of the time possessed by the company founder Sotirio Bulgari and subsequent generations of his family have shaped the history of jewellery in general, and this success story in particular,”

explained Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bvlgari Group.

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