Swarovski’s new chapter: Giovanna Engelbert on her colourful vision for the future of jewellery.
In a year full of restrictions, crashes and lack of physical experiences, Swarovski defied all odds. Presenting Collection I in February, the Austrian jewellery house turned a new, refreshed and colourful chapter. Following the new collections, the brand’s identity and physical retail space was completely reconstructed to portray the vision of how jewellery is more personal than ever. All of this was made possible by the fearless and innovative vision of its newly appointed creative director, Giovanna Engelbert. In conversation with Perfect, the Italian-born designer maps out the future of Swarovski and how collaboration with strong women like Adwoa Aboah and Amina Muaddi is crucial to her vision.
Perfect: After a tremendous year and two collections with the brand, how would you describe your experience with Swarovski so far?
Giovanna Engelbert: I have already been committed to the creative direction of Swarovski’s B2B division since 2016 and was focusing on the areas of ingredient branding, design and content curation. My current role is a natural evolution and now covers all creative aspects of Swarovski as a whole. Back then, and today, there are just no boundaries for creativity. Especially with a company like Swarovski, who owns a material and with such an enormous experience and knowledge of craftsmanship, almost everything is possible. It’s unbelievable what Swarovski has done in the past, even in its early days. And today, I’m asking for a lot and don’t accept any compromises, but the team makes it happen.
Perfect: You just unveiled the first redefined Swarovski WonderLab store in Shanghai, what is the main inspiration behind this type of space?
Giovanna Engelbert: I wanted to create a place that transports customers into the imaginative world of Swarovski the moment they step in. The store is rooted in an interpretation of our brand codes, colours, packaging, and, above all, our heritage. I started by asking myself: How will a jewellery store look in the future? And that’s what came up to me: a lab, a spaceship and control room, a cabinet of curiosity and a space for dreams – it is a place of wonder and magic – it’s really the wonderlab!
Perfect: Swarovski has collaborated with different young artists, models and creatives like Adwoa Aboah and Amina Muaddi, what do these collaborations mean to you and your vision?
Giovanna Engelbert: Working with such strong women is always inspirational and adds a new layer to our products and campaigns. My vision is all about self-expression and confidence in an unpretentious way; these women embody this attitude perfectly.
Perfect: As part of the British Fashion Council Changemakers prize, you support a lot of young artists and their unique vision. What are the elements that stand out to you when searching for new wave creatives?
Giovanna Engelbert: I look for creativity and how creativity is applied to service and community. How, from a restriction, it comes out in to creative opportunity that helps both the planet and the spirit.
Perfect: New Collection pieces are about to be released in February 2022, what can you tell Perfect about it? What is your main focus?
Giovanna Engelbert: The new pieces present an evolution of the existing collections and expand the crystal lifestyle with the inclusion of new categories in compelling cuts, colours and forms added to the well-known families. My favourite pieces belong to the new UNA family. The swan is the symbol of the brand and studying it more deeply I discovered that it is an animal in nature faithful to its partner all its life. I found this story beautiful and interesting and I designed it as a new iconic symbol of forever. UNA simply stands for love: it’s timeless, universal and unifying.
Perfect: How do you see the Swarovski brand growing in 2022? Are you working on launching other categories of products?
Giovanna Engelbert: Yes, we are adding more and more categories to our existing product families and expanding the Swarovski crystal lifestyle. After introducing the new Eyewear pieces in 2021, next year, for the first time, watches will be included as part of the Lucent and Millenia product families. As well as the further products that we will be rolling out, we are already working the next steps for our new retail concept after just having opened the Flagship Stores in Zurich and Shanghai and the first Wonderlab store in Milan.
Perfect: What meaning has jewellery taken in your life?
Giovanna Engelbert: I’m a jewellery lover. I adore jewellery regardless of the material. I’ve collected special pieces for years and admire those ladies from NY in the 50s, 60s and 70s who used to play with the different types of jewellery just to have fun. No matter if it was a plastic bracelet or a ruby – it was all about self-expression and joy. I have the attitude that grandiose jewellery can be worn day or night, worn casually or glamorously, but always with a wink. I wanted to create pieces for the most extravagant parts of us, waiting to be expressed.
Perfect: What is something you look forward to personally in the next year?
Giovanna Engelbert: It was a tough year in many aspects and the whole team was working like crazy on the new vision – having more time for my family is something I’m really looking forward to indeed.
