THERE NEVER IS A LACK of drama in Louis Vuitton’s high jewellery collections and its 4th collection proves it.

With 125 spectacular pieces, the latest range, called Spirit, is imbued with the power of mythological creatures which the French luxury fashion house says contemporary Louis Vuitton women will recognise themselves in.

What this translates into are strong statement pieces that bring together concepts held dear by the maison — liberty, strength, the notion of infinity and also the ideas of destiny and of soaring to new heights. 

In Spirit, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for watches and jewellery, Francesca Amfitheatrof, took the mythology around fantastical creatures and transposed it to the 21st century, creating allegorical high jewellery pieces saturated with her vision of the symbols showcased in the collection. 

“Like a phoenix rising from the ashes to take flight, or a dragon breathing protective fire, the Louis Vuitton woman exudes amazing strength, energy and optimism,” she says. “It is that very femininity – so emancipating and emblematic of the maison – that I wanted to embody in Spirit.”

Triangles and Vuitton Vs are used extensively to express the energy that propels this adventure in jewellery, resulting in a new and high-impact visual language that also gives Spirit  a graphic purity. 

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“I used this shape in many pieces, playing with triangles of different sizes,” says Amfitheatrof. “It reads as the Vuitton V and resembles an arrow, which was the earliest graphic symbol ever created by humans – pointing the direction, it constantly urges us forward.” 

Her powerful designs are brought to life with some rather extraordinary gems. It took three years to source and bring together a tsavorite weighing over 65 carats with a selection of sapphires from Sri Lanka, emeralds from Colombia, rubies from Mozambique and flawless diamonds.

The collection is set in five universes - Liberty, Grace, Fantasy, Radiance and Destiny - with each reflecting the maison’s values. 

As Louis Vuitton’s largest ever high jewellery collection, Spirit required over 40,000 hours of work in Parisian ateliers, ensuring that the women who eventually wear its magnificent pieces will bask in their technical finesse and mesmerising power.