Dubbed en scène, Piaget orchestrated a glimmering spectacle in Abu Dhabi that melded extravagance and elegance
Fashioning literal depictions of decades of history and style, Swiss watchmaker and jeweller, Piaget recently celebrated their longstanding triumphs with a glimmering, immersive retrospective in Abu Dhabi—coinciding with the Maison’s 150th anniversary. Under the sun, the Maison revived their golden years of the 1960s and 1970s by reimagining patrimony pieces in a contemporary way, where it highlighted contrasting gemstones, fluidity, asymmetry and form.
Without losing sight of its rich, complex past, the Maison demonstrated pioneering craftsmanship with its watches and jewellery collection— where historical objects are juxtaposed against fashionable visuals and architecture at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. “The collection is rooted in art. Our jewellery and watch artistic director, Stéphanie Sivrière, truly showcased the essence of what is extravagant and elegant when it comes to the Maison,”s aid Fatemeh Laleh, International Director of Communication & Images. Peppered with gasp-inducing moments of wonder and sublime beauty, everything in the assortment was a visual feast for the eyes—the most influential being The Piaget Polo 79.
Consciously constructed with elegance and extravagance, the jewellery and watches displayed are a testimony of Piaget’s heritage, its historic importance and its relevance today. “The exhibition is the moment where we look into the past on what was done and see how we’ve made it contemporary while keeping the fundamentals of the Maison—the work of gold, the work of ultra-thin and the work of colour,” said Laleh. Weaving into existence, the gallery is split across three rooms, “Extraleganza”, “Piaget Society” and “When Mastery Ignites Artistry” where it focuses on the fundamentals of everything the Maison does.
Wandering through each room, you’ll notice that the Maison does an arresting job revealing its creative soul and avant-garde. From savoir-faire to discovery and inventiveness, the Maison bridges the gap between haute horlogerie and high jewellery with this travelling exhibition.
A feast for fashion lovers, the glimmering chambers highlighted the Maison’s precious structures, colour nuances and fundamental creativity. So, it’s no surprise we got to glimpse at the excellence of The Piaget Polo 79 which is peppered in 200 grams of solid 18-carat gold and the Pink-Gold Necklace which is adorned with 1 cushion-cut spessartite, yellow sapphire, cornalines and diamonds. “These pieces are some of my favourites—I love the shininess, the preciousness and the elegance of it all,” Laleh gushed.
Celebrating that gold embodies the spirit of Piaget, other spellbinding jewels, are also sure to delight any gold lover such as the Yellow-Gold Limelight Gala watch, the Possession collection and the Yellow-Gold Transformable Swinging Sautoir Watch—whimsical, playful pieces that demonstrate perfect symmestery, precision and beauty. These rare prototypes have been transformed and transcended over the years in a way to highlight the diversity of gemstones and gold. “We’ve gone back to respect what was done at the inception of the brand. It’s not necessarily an evolution; it’s how these pieces have become current to today’s conversation,” said Laleh.
What’s particularly impressive is the Maison’s role in emulsifying haute joaillerie and the beaux-arts with the en scène set in Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi has become a true hub for culture. It has a great understanding, respect and a wish to push forward creative work such as crafting and art. And, I believe watchmaking and jewellery making is exactly that,” said Laleh. The exhibition does a beautiful duty of drawing out extravagant creations in a sunny, open-spaced setting—truly telling you that only Piaget can constitute these kinds of showcases. Even celebrities such as Apo Nattawin, Gabrielle Caunesil Pozzoli, Aditi Rao Hydari, Padmanabh Singh and Ayça Ayşin Turan spent the day there basking in the gleaming rays and soaking in the brilliance of the jewels as well as watches.
Nurturing a balance between watches and jewellery, the exhibition triggers a dialogue between viewers and makers—excelling a great showcase of talent. “I hope that people appreciate the amazing pieces and how elegant they are, and our attention to detail when it comes to crafting,” explained Laleh. “I want them to take away that this brand is a story brand.”
Discover more about the Maison here.
All images courtesy of Piaget
