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Finishing Flourishes to Runway Looks

Launch Slideshow

"Everything is symbolic," Miuccia Prada said of her Autumn/Winter 2016 runway show, and just as her designs were scattered with references, the same can be said for many of the pieces featured in the upcoming Fine Jewels sale. While the latest ready-to-wear creations are seen as a display of the 'modern' they are in fact often the result of a multitude of inspiration and ideas from the past. Harper’s Bazaar fashion aficionado Florrie Thomas draws some timely comparisons between a selection of pieces from the sale and some of the notable trends from the Autumn/Winter collections. Click ahead to see more.

Fine Jewels
21 September | London

Finishing Flourishes to Runway Looks

  • Gem set and diamond brooch designed as a branch of bleeding-hearts. Estimate £3,000–4,000.
    Spring’s penchant for florals continued into Autumn/Winter. But at Prada, these were no ditsy prints: bold appliqué, gilded brocade and embroidered flowers adorned gowns. This arresting brooch, a branch of bleeding hearts carved in rhodonite and nephrite, embodies the season’s signature bold flower motif.

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  • Cultured pearl, amethyst and diamond necklace. Estimate £3,800–5,100.
    An eternally beloved emblem of Chanel, the pearl necklace took an arguably more prominent role than ever in the Autumn/Winter show, teamed with new renderings of their iconic tweed suit. Fashion celebrated its love of British heritage with tweed and check appearing across the board. This cultured pearl, amethyst and diamond necklace has the sense of a precious family heirloom.

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  • Crescent Moon brooch set with diamonds, late 19th century.
    Estimate £4,000–5,000.
    Star and crescent motifs were increasingly fashionable in the late 19th century due to their association with Western Orientalism. They represented spirituality and femininity. These symbols of the midnight sky, adorning dresses at Alexander McQueen, led to romantic, very feminine evening gowns. Similarly, at Prada, book charms hung off belts emblazoned with stars and moons, like a spiritual spell book.

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  • Spinel and diamond brooch, late 19th century and later, composite. Estimate £5,000–7,000.
    Alessandro Michele coined the phrase 'attic chic' to describe his aesthetic, and his collections for Gucci continue to juxtapose fabrics and vintage-inspired designs in this manner. This late-19th-century diamond and spinel brooch looks like it could be the starting point for the brooch worn at the neck of this look from his Autumn/Winter show.

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  • Lady’s wristwatch/bangle, Neiman Marcus, 1970s. Estimate £3,000–5,000.
    In his final show for Saint Laurent, Heidi Slimane took a sleeker approach to his vision of the label. Gone were the ripped tights, parkers and worker boots of previous seasons, to be replaced by pure 80s glamour. The jewellery, too, was simpler, but bold and lustrous. This geometric 1970s bangle with its rectangular watch wouldn’t have felt out of place on the Saint Laurent Autumn/Winter catwalk.

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  • Purple sapphire ring. Estimate £3,000–4,000.
    Historically a colour associated with royalty, due to the expense of the dye, purple seems almost as uncommon in jewellery and fashion now as it was then. However Autumn/Winter was the season of purple, particularly at the Milan shows. From deep purple velvet at Roberto Cavalli to head-to-toe violet at Gucci, purple is the colour of the season. Why not complete your purple look with this stunning diamond and purple sapphire ring?

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