The Daring Visionary of Haute Joaillerie
Victoire de Castellane and her uplifting work for Dior!
Dear embroidery & textile friends,
Last Monday evening, I had the joy of attending an unforgettable conference at the Sorbonne in Paris — a conversation between the radiant Victoire de Castellane and fashion journalist, writer and magazine collector Jérôme Gautier. Stay tuned, these wonderful chats will soon become a podcast!
It was one of those magical evenings, surrounded by passionate students, that remind you just how powerful beauty and creativity can be, especially in these uncertain times. What I enjoyed above all was the joy and enthusiasm of the designer. I find her universe fascinating, her positive message uplifting and I wanted to share both with you.
Victoire de Castellane, for those who may not know, has been the dazzling force behind Dior’s fine jewelry for nearly three decades — a true visionary who has reshaped the world of haute joaillerie in France and beyond with audacity, color, and emotion. And while she works in precious stones rather than fabric or floss, her approach is deeply kindred to ours. Her world shimmers with the same love of detail, sumptous materials, textures, and storytelling that we treasure in embroidery. You can see all these treasures in the book published in 2020 by Rizzoli.
She belongs to the House of Castellane, a noble Provencal family whose origins date back to the 11th century, and which has included feudal barons, crusaders, archbishops and marshals. From a childhood of aristocratic eccentricity (her grandmother Sylvia Hennessy, née Rodríguez de Rivas, Countess de Castilleja de Guzmán, wore emeralds to do the dishes!) to a career spent crafting fantastical treasures, Victoire’s story is embroidered — if you will — with inspiration. She designed her first earrings at just five, melting her religious medals, and by her early 20s, was working under Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, dreaming up bold costume jewelry that danced with wit and whimsy. Her mother, as well as the rest of her family, attended the conference on Monday, all wearing happy and proud smiles. It was heartwarming to see them there.
In 1998, Christian Dior named her artistic director of their fine jewelry division. She is the first to ever hold this position. Admitting she is self taught and she hated school, she wasted no time in rewriting the rules of the genre, creating a shock among the very conservative jewelry experts at the Place Vendôme. With Victoire, jewelry is no longer just an accessory — it becomes a medium for poetry and visual fantasy. Her collections are fairy tales and symbolism turned into precious stones, wearable works of art that blur the lines between dream and design.
Her collections — such as Belladone Island, Fleurs d’excès, and Cher Dior — are explosions of colors and shapes. These are not demure diamond studs or simple solitaire rings. Instead, imagine surreal bouquets of candy-colored gemstones, snakes coiled around rubellite hearts, or gardens of enamel, opals sprouting from gold vines.
Her favorite stones include Paraiba tourmalines, opals, and spinels — gems that pulse with unexpected hues and inner life. She likes opals, she said, “because in one stone, you have the colors of all the other stones”. When I asked her about some of her unusual stones choices, she replied: « “I love colored stones. They are like sweets, I can almost taste their flavors. I’ve always thought that using only the main four stones (emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds) is like not giving access to the rest of the stones to a very private club. When they are all as beautiful and interesting to me". She has launched new trends in the business, like this one, with her unique and daring approach to design. Much like embroidery threads, her color palette is expressive and delightfully unexpected.
For those of us who delight in stitching, rich embellishment, and poetic detail, Victoire’s universe is an infinite source of inspiration. Her designs practically feel embroidered — layered, dimensional, rhythmic. Each jewel is composed like a couture garment, with a tactility that speaks to our shared love of handcraft. They don’t just sparkle — they whisper stories. If you want to know more about her and her work, invite you to watch this fantastic documentary by the equally fantastic Loic Prigent.
As Dior creative director, de Castellane has developed a very distinctive style while still managing to capture the essence of the house, drawing on Christian Dior’s love of gardens and his favorite flower, the roses, his fascination with the sumptuous décor of Versailles, as well as the Maison’s haute couture roots and its use of beautiful fabrics. She intentionally brings her own style into play of course, to shake things up. “It’s not because it’s real that it has to be boring” she explains.
In a world that sometimes feels heavy, Victoire creates as an act of lightness and hope. “I create to fight against what gives me anxiety,” she shared. “I try to make joyful, happy things… Our mission is to create beauty, to build dreams that then bring emotions to people.” What a beautiful reminder. Whether we’re stitching beads onto a new design, restauring a 17th century piece or doing an embroidery workshop across Italy, we are all building dreams — slowly, thoughtfully, stitch by stitch. Here’s to making joyful things! 🌸
Bises from Paris,
Nadia