The collection, entitled ‘Wonderlab’, features bold colours and rounded shapes designed to evoke fruit and lollies.
It is the first to be designed by Swarovski’s global creative director Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, who explained, “I wanted to explore the pure beauty of crystal and how its magnificence roots in fundamental geometrical and logical structures. This jewellery is not a display of someone's wealth, but their ability to express themselves in a cool and playful way.
She added, “Jewellery doesn't have to be pretentious; it can be fun and playful and dictate and express the mood we're in. My intention is to create collections pieces that are bold but can be worn in an effortless way. It's jewellery for a playful extravagance that doesn't feel forced but is expressive and original.”
As part of the new Wonderlab campaign, 28 stores will be renovated into ‘Instant Wonder’ boutiques across international markets – including one in Australia – and two new Instant Wonder stores, in Paris and New York, are set to open.
“The Wonderlab is where science and magic meet, where extra and elegance collide, it is a feeling of wonder that everyone should experience as we invite them into our new world at Swarovski,” Engelbert said.
The first Instant Wonder store opened in Milan in February.
As part of her role as global creative director, Engelbert also redesigned the Swarovski swan logo; it now displays the bird with its wings outstretched, ready to take flight.
New strategy
Engelbert had been a creative consultant to Swarovski’s B2B division, Swarovski Professional, since 2016, before being appointed to oversee the consumer division by its new CEO Robert Buchbauer, shortly after he ascended to the during a management shake-up in April 2020.
Buchbauer – chairman of Swarovski and the head of its Consumer Goods division – stepped into the CEO role following reports of “tension” within the family-owned business.
“In addition to his previous duties as chairman of the executive board, Robert Buchbauer is taking over the role of CEO and will realign the company along a common vision, growth strategy and organisation,” a statement from Swarovski said at the time.
Following Buchbauer’s appointment, the company undertook a major cost-cutting regime, including the closure of 750 stores and elimination of 6,000 jobs – approximately 20 per cent of its international workforce.
Buchbauer has also expressed a desire to shift Swarovski further towards the exclusive luxury sphere.
Of the new Wonderlab collection, he said, “Swarovski is a company rooted in innovation and reinvention. For 126 years, we have stayed true to our DNA as a brand while rising to meet the changing needs of an evolving world. Indeed, we are aiming to reposition Swarovski in the field of attainable luxury. That's why the new designs have a higher perceived value in terms of volume, refinement and techniques versus previous collections.”
The new strategy is likely to include the closure of wholesale accounts, with Buchbauer confirming a plan to “realign our wholesale network and will focus on fewer segments across luxury, accessories and fashion”.
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