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| by Jeanne Lawrence The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond 1950–1990, at the de Young Museum San Francisco—The de Young Museum launched The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond, 1950–1990 with a glamorous opening night party this fall. Featuring approximately 150 of the renowned Italian jewelry house’s creations, the exhibition will continue until February 17, 2014. At the exclusive gala for only 280, the dinner guests went all out, with the fashionistas wearing beautiful evening gowns accented with their best Bulgari baubles. Flying in for the occasion was Bulgari VP Nicola Bulgari and his daughter Veronica, and CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. |
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| A STAR-STUDDED EVENING Opening night celebrities included actresses Hilary Swank and Kate Bosworth, fashionistas China Chow and Jacqui Getty, and prominent members of the city’s Italian community, such as Counsel General Mauro Battocchi, Maria Manetti Shrem, and Daniela Faggioli, joined by trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAM), which includes the de Young and the Legion of Honor. |
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| BULGARI HISTORY & DISTINCTIVE STYLE The exhibition is inspired by a 2010 retrospective in Paris, timed to the 125th anniversary of the House of Bulgari. The firm was founded in Rome in 1884 by the Greek-born silversmith Sotirios Boulgaris, who later changed his name to the more Italian-sounding Bulgari. |
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| During the post-war boom in Italy, Bulgari became a fashion leader when they created some of the most innovative jewelry designs in the world. This is the first U.S. retrospective for the jewelry house, now owned by the French luxury conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy). (What don’t they own?). |
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| Known for boldly colored combinations of semiprecious stones and diamonds, a profusion of multicolored cabochon (rounded rather than faceted) gemstones, and heavy gold, Bulgari’s forms are inspired by Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and the 19th-century Roman school of goldsmiths. Keeping up with the times, Bulgari’s newly appointed face is Carla Bruni, the former first lady of France, who’ll be modeling Bulgari’s new Diva collection, inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry. |
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| CELEBRITIES IN BULGARI During the ’50s and ’60s, when Rome was one of the movie capitals of the world, Bulgari made news with distinctive designs for movie stars such as Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and Elizabeth Taylor. The brand’s bold and innovative style remained popular among celebrities and the jet set in the decades to come. |
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| ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S COLLECTION Taylor reportedly said that as you age, you need bigger and bigger jewels to replace the sparkle of youth (and, no doubt important to her, to keep yourself in the spotlight). If you saw the Elizabeth Taylor sale last year at Christie’s auction house, you would have noticed her huge collection of pieces by Bulgari. |
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| DINNER UNDER TWINKLING “STARLIGHT” Inspired by the jewelry house’s preference for mirrored rectangular tables when entertaining, Los Angeles decorator Ben Bourgeois filled the dinner tent with long rows of mirrored tables that appeared to be floating. |
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| THE TOASTS |
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| GUESTS |
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| Photos by Jeanne Lawrence, Drew Altizer, Bulgari Historical Archive, Antonio Barrella Studio Orizzonte, Ron Galella, Jack Nisberg, Archivi Farabola, Gian Paolo Barbieri, and Umberto Salvemini. *Urbanite Jeanne Lawrence reports on lifestyle and travel from her homes in San Francisco, Shanghai, and New York, and wherever else she finds a good story. |
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