Artist, Visionary Jewelry Designer and Eternal Style Icon - Elsa Peretti

Elsa Peretti turns 80 today. A revolutionary force in fine jewelry design, EP intertwined minimalism and luxury in iconic contemporary design that is forever timeless.

Photograph by Bill King for Harper's Bazaar, October 1980; from Tiffany's 20th Century by John Loring (1997)

EP was born in Florence, educated in Rome and Switzerland, prior to moving to NYC where she launched her Jewelry career, EP had begun working with some of the world’s most creative artists of varying disciplines. Upon obtaining a degree in interior design in the 60s, she worked for architect Dado Torrigiani. EP is supposed to have worked closely with surrealist artist Salvador Dali, learning sculpture and modeling in Barcelona around this same time.

Helmut Newton's 'Elsa Peretti as a Bunny'

In the late 60s Peretti moved to the Big Apple - drawn to the grit, glamour and the intense bursts of creativity. She started as a fashion model in NYC and soon become one of American designer Halston’s favorite super models along with Karen Bjornson, Pat Cleavland and Anjelica Huston. According to Halston, “Elsa had style: she made the dress she was modeling her own.”

EP was famously known to have been a frequent regular at NYC's infamous Studio 54 along with her posse of NYC’s finest artists including Halston, Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli and her close friend Anjelica Huston.

She began designing and creating jewelry for Halston in the late 70s, much like his signature style, she too had an eye for modern, minimalist and sensual design. The Sterling Silver Flask Pendent was the first piece of jewelry Peretti designed. She continued to use material such as Silver, Leather and Silk not traditionally associated with luxury or fine jewelry. It was the stylish, organic and revolutionary design concepts of her jewelry that made them popular among celebrities such as Liza Minelli. Elsa Peretti forever changed the ‘conception’ of fine jewelry.

Peretti consigned her pieces with Bloomingdales, collaborated with designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, before joining Tiffany&Co. in 1974. Peretti went on to design collection after collection of iconic jewelry, homeware and everyday objects for Tiffany’s over the years. In 2012 Tiffany&Co. renewed rights to EP designs with a twenty year agreement.

Among her many, many celebrated masterpieces, my favorite remains her very first design - the sterling silver flask. Also a big fan of the Bone cuff, Snake necklace, Scorpion pendant, Diamonds by the Yards (DBY), the Bean and Open Heart.

All images belong to Tiffany&Co. retrieved from Tiffany.com

Today, Peretti masterpieces are permanently housed at numerous museums around the world including the British Museum in London, The MET in NYC, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

At present, Elsa Peretti spends most her time in Sant Martí Vell in Catalonia, Spain where she restored over 10 buildings through the years. She dedicates majority of her time on philanthropic endeavors related to the 'Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation' formed in 2000.

This beautiful video by Tiffany&Co. (13min runtime) provides a peek in to the life and style of the legendary Elsa Peretti.

References:

Elsa Peretti Jewelry for Tiffany&Co.(n.d.). [09 Photographs]. Retrieved from https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/shop/elsa-peretti/

Goodsell, P. (2020, April 18). Elsa Peretti - Tiffany’s Designer. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://www.the-chelsea-bijouterie.com/elsa-peretti-tiffanys-favourite-designer/

Loring, J. (1997).Tiffany’s 20th century. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.(Photograph by King, B for Harper's Bazaar 1980)

Peoplepill.com. (n.d.). ELSA PERETTI: JEWELRY DESIGNER, PHILANTHROPIST, FORMER FASHION MODEL. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://peoplepill.com/people/elsa-peretti/

Reginato, J. (2015, January 29). How Elsa Peretti Survived Studio 54–era New York. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2014/08/elsa-peretti-halston-studio-54

Tiffany&Co. (2017, June 2).YouTube[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUsX5zdBDAI&feature=youtu.be

Vanity Fair. (2014, July 16).Elsa Peretti as a Bunny[Photograph by Helmut Newton]. Retrieved from Reginato, J. (2015, January 29). How Elsa Peretti Survived Studio 54–era New York. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2014/08/elsa-peretti-halston-studio-54