Milan is the city that will host for a month one of the most brilliant collections (in every sense of the word) that exist in the world. The exhibition Masters of Light of Swarovskiwhich debuted in Shanghai last year, arrived in the Italian fashion capital in the Palazzo Citterio (open to the public until July 14) to continue spreading the glow for which the Austrian firm is best known. Co-curated by the Swarovski Creative Director Giovanna Engelbertand the acclaimed fashion journalist, Alexander FuryMasters of Light is a tour in which all fashion fans will be able to see up close 60 pieces that range from those creations by renowned houses that include Swarovski crystals, to archival pieces.
The first part of the Masters of Light tour in Milan.
Courtesy of Swarovski
The tour begins with a brief immersion into the world of Swarovski through its history, beginning with the true beginning of Daniel Swarovski settling in Austria to create crystals that imitated the hypnotizing brilliance of a diamond. Throughout the first room, which is a tunnel covered by mirrors where some icons such as the red shoes of the character Dorothy Gale for the Wizard of Oz and the Cinderella slipper, are exhibited as part of the firm’s legacy. Among these pieces you can also see one of the first jewelry designs that Swarovski launched as part of its brand diversification (a pair of earrings from which Engelbert was clearly inspired to create his Hyperbola pieces, catch my attention).
The second part of the sample is made up of looks from brands such as Thierry Mugler, Balenciaga and Atelier Versacehave included the sparkle of Swarovski. One of the highlights is a design created by Miuccia Prada for Spring-Summer 2014 (look 25 from that collection, to be precise). There’s also the striking look two from the collection. Fall-Winter 2020 by British Richard Quinn and two dramatic designs by Alexander McQueen that contrast with each other. There is also the Derby pair that Kim Jones created for Dior Men in Fall-Winter 2022. The exhibition would not be complete, of course, without the Saint Laurent boots by Anthony Vaccarello that broke the Internet and waiting lists in mid-2017.
