Entrance Designed by Karl Lagerfeld
It’s a special time in Paris because the 26th Biennale des Antiquaires is currently open at Le Grand Palais. This year, this biannual antiques fair was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, with a giant hot air balloon as the center piece. The different stands showcase absolutely gorgeous jewelry and artwork. Everything is for sale so if you’re a serious buyer, you could even try on the jewelry. Among the jewelers, we went to see Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Boucheron, Piaget, Chanel and Dior.
Fendi Cafe
I’m really lucky because one of my classmates works for Van Cleef & Arpels and was able to provide more background on the Bienalle and the VC&A stand. She really emphasized how this was a once in a lifetime event because you would rarely have so many exquisite pieces from all different brands in one location. I loved listening to her talk about the jewelry and inviting us into the world of VC&A.
Boucheron had beautiful timepieces
A Boucheron pin owned by Elizabeth Taylor
Andy Warhol’s Chairman Mao
I really liked how they set up the artwork (the one on the right is a Picasso).
Van Cleef & Arpels did a mini replica of their store!
That model was rotating inside the case.
My classmate explained that it’s a butterfly with a subtle tiger face.
What girl wouldn’t be in love with VC&A’s star necklace?
VC&A had a whole line of gorgeous astrology pins.
I really liked Piaget’s use of the space and how they used mannequins to highlight the jewelry.
This was one of my favorite pieces, an Asian-inspired Piaget necklace.
Dior made dioramas to showcase their pieces.
I loved the diorama idea; it was really inventive.
There is no rhyme or reason 