STYLE Edit: Van Cleef & Arpels supports Hong Kong Ballet’s performance of Jewels by George Balanchine – the historic work inspired by the luxury brand’s gemstones
- The jewellery brand has had a strong connection to dance since the 1940s, when co-founder Louis Arpels created its first ballerina clip
- Louis’ nephew Claude invited Balanchine, a famed choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet, to the brand’s Fifth Avenue boutique in New York
This year, to showcase its affinity for the dance world, Van Cleef & Arpels is sponsoring a performance of Jewels by the Hong Kong Ballet, which will run from May 21 to 23 as part of the Le French May arts festival’s 2021 programme.
As the story goes, one of the maison’s co-founders, Louis Arpels, was a fervent ballet fan, and passed on his passion to the rest of the Arpels family and to the brand itself. He was responsible for the creation of Van Cleef & Arpels’ first ballerina clips in the early 1940s. In the decades since, Van Cleef & Arpels has created numerous stunning pieces of jewellery inspired by the art of dance.
Later, Louis’ nephew Claude Arpels would invite Balanchine, then already a famous choreographer and the co-founder of the New York City Ballet, to the maison’s Fifth Avenue boutique in New York. The relationship that resulted would eventually lead to Balanchine’s 1967 creation of Jewels, which today remains one of his most well-known and widely performed works.
To further celebrate this partnership between Van Cleef & Arpels and the Hong Kong Ballet, the brand will also be flying in patrimonial and museum pieces for exhibition in its Landmark Prince’s boutique from now until the end of May.