"Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered." —Giorgio Armani
Jay Z & Beyoncé: Tiffany & Co.
Written by: David Imogie.
Just recently, Beyoncé who is quite good at springing up surprises shared a bit of what she was up to during the lock down on her social media pages - she teased of an upcoming album, starting a new range of bath bombs and a hemp farm investment. As she gracefully adorns the pages of the September issue of Harpers Bazaar, one is quick to notice the switch up of her taste in jewelry, replacing her dear to heart Lorraine Schwartz pieces for Tiffany. This further confirmed the stories of her new partnership with the LVMH - owned luxury brand Tiffany & Co.
The internet went ablaze on Monday when pictures surfaced of Jay Z and Beyoncé featuring for the Tiffany & Co. Fall 2021 ABOUT LOVE campaign. The images taken by Mason Poole, an LA based photographer and styled by June Ambrose and Marni Senofonte captures the battle for prominence and attention between four prominent brands, Jay Z, Basquiat, Beyoncé and 128.54 carat diamond from Tiffany adorning her neck and screaming for the most attention. According to sources, this is the first time the Tiffany Diamond has been featured in an ad campaign. Beyoncé adorned the yellow diamond which has only been worn three times before made its fourth appearance on her neck at the Tiffany campaign, others who have won it prior to this time includes Audrey Huburn, Lady Gaga, etc.)
Unearthed in 1877 and considered among the most important gemstone discoveries of the 19th century, the rough diamond was purchased the following year by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany which helped cement the brands reputation as king in the diamond space. At the last time it was worn by Lady Gaga to the 91st Annual Academy Awards, the diamond was estimated to be worth $30 million.
Jay Z wasn’t left out of the diamond shine as he was also pictured wearing a unique Apollo brooch in platinum, yellow gold, and diamonds and a few other pieces including, ‘A Bird on a Brooch’ by Jean Schlumberger one of the most renowned jewelers of the 20th century which was remodeled to make a one of a kind cufflinks for the business mogul.
Today, as Tiffany released pictures from the first campaign “About Love” with Beyoncé and Jay Z, one thing that stands out in the background is Equals Pi, a never-before-seen Basquiat painting. Before now, Equals Pi, dating from 1982 , had been owned by a private art collector and had never been publicly displayed before it was acquired by Tiffany - who were interested in it particularly because of the piece’s robin egg blue paint used in the art.
During an interview, Alexandre Arnault , VP of Tiffany, stated that the group didn’t have any literature that said Basquiat made the painting for Tiffany. However “We know he loved New York, and that he loved luxury and he loved jewelry. My guess is that the painting is not by chance. The color is so specific that it has to be some kind of homage.” he concluded.
On their selection process, Jay Z and Beyoncé who are referred to as a ‘power couple’ seemingly because of the status, wealth and businesses they control, not forgetting the huge fan base they have amassed over their careers spanning into decades were chosen by Tiffany because according to Arnault, “ Beyoncé and Jay Z are the epitome of the modern love story," and that the 13-year relationship they have had is symbolic to the kind of love story the brand’s jewelry have embodied over the years.
The collaboration between The Carter’s as they are famously called and the LVMH company Tiffany isn’t surprising as earlier this year, LVMH purchased 50 per cent of Jay Z’s Ace of Spades champagne which amounted up to about $315 million. This new campaign has definitely influenced a change in the creative direction of Tiffany as can be seen in their choice of partnership. This partnership will also see the luxury brand bridge the gap between the new generation of young millionaires and pop culture while tilting towards black activism in line with the roles Jay Z and Beyoncé are currently playing in the society. Tiffany has also pledged to donate $2million dollars for scholarships and other programs for historically black colleges and universities.
The “About Love” campaign which is set to kick off in September with various print media also features an accompanying video shot by Black is King director Emmanuel Adjei on the highly acclaimed song “Moon River”. The video will be made available on the 15th of September on Tiffany’s website. We are eager to hear Beyoncé's rendition of the iconic song and the visual creativity put into the video by the director, until then we will be reveling in the beauty that is Beyoncé, the legendary business acumen and rap style of Jay Z, and the creativity found in the works of nature and the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
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