Romeo and Juliet: Jewellery inspired by the costume designs of Christian Lacroix

To mark the premiere of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” on 27 March 2011 at the Bavarian State Opera, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg is presenting a limited edition of seven pieces of jewellery. This edition was inspired by the costume designs of Christian Lacroix and is exclusively hand-crafted in the Nymphenburg master porcelain workshops.

2011 marks the first time the famous French couturier Christian Lacroix is working at the National Theatre in Munich. He has created 120 costumes for the production of “I Capuleti e i Montecchi”, which focuses on the rivalry of the Capulet and the Montague families known from “Romeo and Juliet”.

The porcelain creations of the Nymphenburg manufactory recall the unmistakable Lacroix style on the stage – voluminous dresses, evocations of Baroque costumes and bold colours for the ladies; top hats, muted colours such as black, dark grey and off-white for the men. “The result is a patchwork of different looks, which makes the classic elements feel timeless, even modern,” says Lacroix of his opera costumes.

The masters at the manufactory have realised Lacroix’s compositional sophistication and the richness of detail of his garments in exquisite porcelain miniatures which precisely recreate the theatrical exaggeration and proportions of the originals. The figurine of Juliet, which is only 5 cm tall, therefore wears a dress emulating the original sketches in its design and elaborately arranged layers of material. Its companion piece, the porcelain Romeo, reproduces the prim body lines of the men’s costumes worn on stage.

The edition comprises seven gold-decorated miniatures based on the costume designs of Christian Lacroix: Romeo, Juliet (2 models), a top hat characteristic of the production, and broken hearts as a symbol of the star-crossed lovers (3 designs, each consisting of 2 pieces). They are at once jewellery and objets d’art, and are produced specially upon pre-order as one-of-a-kind pieces.

This project with the Bavarian State Opera is a continuation of Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg’s work with designs by Christian Lacroix. In 2008 the couturier, who is amongst the most important protagonists in the fashion world, dressed the figurine of Juliet in the Commedia dell’ Arte Couture Edition. That figurine was sold out in a very brief time.