The exhibition Cartier: Style and History, which will open at the Grand Palais in Paris next week is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is the most comprehensive show to this day, including pieces from the archive of the company. The show, which is the talk of the day in design circles, comes to present the social and the artistic aspects of the work done by the legendary Maison, with pieces on loan from such private collections as that of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Grace Kelly. The program that the company has undertaken since the early 70s, of creating its own archive by buying back pieces at auction fascinates me as a unique way of creating and preserving its legacy. |