Brilliant – The Story of Atelier Swarovski, edited by the fashion historian and author Bronwyn Cosgrave, will feature contributions and collaborations with some of the most celebrated names in fashion and art, with a foreword by Karl Lagerfeld and introduction by Hubert de Givenchy.
Celebrating ten years of Atelier Swarovski, designers of different disciplines will tell their own stories of collaborating with the brand including Christopher Kane, Viktor & Rolf, Jason Wu, Mary Katrantzou, Fredrikson Stallard as well as the architects Hariri & Hariri, with portraits by fashion photographer Roger Deckker.
The book will also feature a selection of essays by successful authors about the values which inspire Atelier Swarovski. Douglas Coupland – the Canadian novelist, FT columnist and former artist in residence at Google – will write about how technology has changed the way we look at art, design and fashion. Sarah Thornton – author of Seven Days in the Art World – reflects on the role of collaborations in creative fields. Michael Brooks of New Scientist decodes why light continues to impel and fascinate.
The photographer Carl Kleiner has travelled to Austria to capture the Swarovski archive in a still life shoot set within the company’s crystal factory near Innsbruck, alongside Iwona Blazwick, Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, who explored the archive to curate a selection of historic artefacts that have and will inform Swarovski’s fashion, design and art collaborations moving into the next decade.
There will be an array of tributes to Atelier Swarovski from former British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman, Vogue China Editor-in-Chief Angelica Cheung, Vogue International Editor Suzy Menkes and Imran Amed, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Business of Fashion, amongst many others.
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board commented: “It is a pleasure to see the spirit of Atelier Swarovski captured in this beautiful book from Condé Nast. We are delighted that Karl Lagerfeld, Hubert de Givenchy and many other luminaries have contributed to this celebration of a brilliant decade of inspiration. As we reflect on our journey so far, we look forward to seeing what the next decade of creativity and innovation will bring.”
Darius Sanai, Director and Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast Contract Publishing said: “We are delighted to celebrate Atelier Swarovski’s wonderful collaborations by publishing a book which is a showcase of fresh collaboration itself, between Condé Nast, Swarovski, and some legendary figures in fashion, design and art. The original photography and writing, and stunning design and typography, take it to the level of the most beautiful art books.”
Brilliant – The Story of Atelier Swarovski will be on sale from 13th December.
