by Ana Carissa Daez , Global MBA Ambassador 2020-2021, Luxury Brand Management France
This July the cohort paid an in person
visit to L’Ecole des Arts Joailliers by Van Cleef & Arpels the esteemed
haute jewelry brand. Founded in 2012 the mission of the L’Ecole is to share
with people the art of jewelry. It goes beyond just the history and work of Van
Cleef & Arpels and focuses on educating and developing an appreciation for
the craftsmanship, heritage and beauty of fine jewelry as a whole. The school
offers 20 different initiation courses across two campuses, one in Paris and
another in Hong Kong.
The Paris campus is situated on a street
parallel to Place Vendome the famous home of many French haute joaillerie
brands. On the afternoon of our visit the cohort enjoyed two classes one on the
history of Art Nouveau and its impact on jewelry design and the other on
“Trying Out the Jeweler’s Techniques” which dealt with the savoir faire of
jewelry.
During the savoir faire course we
met with two master jewelers and a lecturer who trained us in stone setting,
metal cutting, and wax carving and molding. We donned white lab coats before
entering the classroom which was setup with desks and tools that were exact
replicas of those used by the craftsmen at the workshop of Van Cleef &
Arpels a few floors above us. Over the course of two hours, we were put to work
pressing, sawing and polishing metal and carving wax. Working with our hands we
experienced first-hand the attention to detail and intricacy involved in
crafting fine jewelry. It helped us develop a deeper appreciation for jewelry
pieces and what it takes to make truly exceptional work. The master jeweler’s who
guided us stressed that it took weeks to months of training for them to master
these techniques.
When the bell tolled (it is a school after
all) we handed in our lab coats and adjourned to the salon for a quick 10-minute
break before climbing the stairs once again for our Art History class. Taught
by two professional art historians the history of Art Nouveau came to life
before us. One lecturer likened the period to a shooting star, a brief shining
art movement that lasted only 20 years but paved the way for some truly
memorable jewelry creations. To give us a better understanding of the backdrop
against which Art Nouveau in France developed, we traced the history of the
industrial revolution, colonialism and the belle epoque. We learned about the
inspirations for the period in unusual flora, fauna, and feminine ideals. These
inspirations were reflected in the intricate jewelry designs of the time, many
featured unusual flowers or animals like thistles and daisies or frogs, bees
and bats.
Japanese culture was another big
inspiration. The school has in its possession a collection of books on Japan
that was published in France during the time of Art Nouveau. As a special treat
our lecturers donned black satin gloves and lifted two of these aged books from
the mantelpiece of the classroom to show us. It was an enchanting way to bring to life the
colors and thinking of the time period. Notable in the books is the use of pale
colors that are typical of the Art Nouveau style.
Once we had finished examining the books we
transitioned to learning about the life and work of notable jewelers of that
time from Rene Lalique to George Fouquet and Paul and Henri Vever. We than
closed with receiving our certificates for both courses and an invitation to stop
by the new free exhibit happening for the next few months or to drop by the
school library should we wish to learn more. All in all, a truly educational
afternoon.
Learn more about the Luxury Brand Management track of the Global MBA
Get in touch with Ana Carissa Daez to hear her #essecgmbaexperience
Talk to the Global MBA Admissions Team.
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