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dd20century · 3 years

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The Diva of Design: Elsa Peretti

“Elsa brought out all these things—the bone bracelet I remember best. Everything was so sensual, so sexy. I just loved it. It was different from anything I’d ever seen, and I’d seen a lot.” – Liza Minelli

On March 18, 2021, the design world lost an artist who was as elegant and unique as her iconic jewelry designs, when Elsa Peretti “died at her home in Sant Martí Vell, Spain…. For 50 years, her designs inspired countless women and left an indelible mark on the jewelry world”(1). She made her mark in the 1970s as many young women were rejecting traditional homemaker roles and striving for successful careers of their own instead. Elsa Peretti designs resonated with this generation of women, spurning the fussy ornamentation of their mothers’ generation, but still yearning for beauty and elegant sophistication.

Elsa Peretti at work in New York City, 1970. Photo credit: PL Gould/Images Press/Getty Images Image source.

Peretti’s Early Days

Elsa Peretti was born on May 1, 1940 in Florence, Italy to a wealthy family. Her father “Ferdinando Peretti founded Anonima Petroli Italiana (API), a large Italian oil company”(2). Young Elsa received education in Rome and Switzerland. When she was twenty-one, the strong-willed Elsa broke with her family and “as a result, she was cut off from any financial support”(3). To make her own way, she worked first as a French teacher and later as a skiing instructor in the Swiss Alps. She returned to Rome to study interior design, and eventually worked for architect Dado Torrigiani (2).

Peretti Becomes a Successful Model

In the 1960s, Elsa Peretti was drawn to the intellectual life in Barcelona and began her modeling career there. In 1968 she went to New York City on the advice of her modelling agency (3); however, she arrived in the city “with a black eye from her [former] boyfriend who opposed of the move”(1). In New York she met designer Halston “whom she met while he was still a milliner at Bergdorf Goodman”(2) and became one of the regular group of models who he favored (3). The pair would become close friends and sometimes collaborators. Their relationship has been dramatized in the recent Netflix mini-series, “Halston.”

Peretti Finds Lasting Success as a Jewelry Designer

The following year, Peretti began designing jewelry, “She created pieces for herself at first, then expanded to” friends and fashion designers she had met through her work. Her first design was a “inspired by a small bud vase found in a flea market”(2). She began designing jewelry for Halston in 1971,(2) then her work really got noticed. That same year her work appeared in Vogue Magazine, and Ms. Peretti received “the 1971 Coty Award for jewelry design. In 1972, the New York City Department store Bloomingdales “opened a dedicated Peretti boutique”(1). During this time, Peretti and Halston “were the center of a fun, clubby clique that included [designer Giorgio] Sant´Angelo, the illustrator Joe Eula, Victor Hugo (Halston’s boyfriend), designer Stephen Burrows and Andy Warhol”(3).

Elsa Peretti, Bud Vase Pendants (1969). Photographer unknown, Image source.

1974 was a milestone year in Elsa Peretti’s career. “Halston introduced her to Walter Hoving, the then CEO of Tiffany”(3). Hoving hired Ms. Peretti to design jewelry in sterling silver – “the first time Tiffany had sold jewelry in that material in 25 years”(4). Ms. Peretti’s designs were organic, sensual, and embodied a sense of fun that appealed to younger women. Since the silver designs were more affordable, “in a break from tradition, women were shopping for themselves rather than being gifted jewelry by men” (5). “But, the affordable prices never detracted from their beauty or desirability”(1).

Elsa Peretti, Bone Cuff in 18K Gold (1975). Photo credit: Tiffany & Co. Image source.

Elsa Peretti’s Iconic Work

One of Elsa Peretti’s most famous designs is the Bone Cuff, which many have compared to the cuffs worn by the comic book female superhero Wonder Woman (1). Like the Bone Cuff much of Peretti’s “minimalist, biomorphic designs were inspired by simple, natural things” 1: The Bean Pendant, The Scorpion Necklace, Open Heart, High Tide, Starfish and Snake among others. For Tiffany & Co., Ms. Peretti also designed dinnerware, pens, key rings, and ashtrays (4,6). The Thumbprint dishes and bowls make up her most successful dinnerware collection (6).

Elsa Peretti, Thumbprint Bowl in Sterling Silver (1985). Photo credit: Tiffany & Co. Image source.

In 1977 Ms. Peretti’s distinctive designs garnered her the cover of Newsweek magazine. By the end of the 1970s Ms. Peretti was Tiffany’s star designer, and “designed over thirty collections for” (6) the company. Today “Peretti’s products account for roughly 10% of Tiffany’s sales. So important is her work to Tiffany’s bottom line that they paid her 47 million plus royalties to renew her contract in 2012 for the next 20 years” (3).

Elsa Peretti’s Life in the Fast Lane

Elsa Peretti’s “personal life always grabbed attention” (4). Although never married, Ms. Peretti was in a serious relationship with photographer Hemut Newton during the 1970s. One of Newton’s most famous images is that of Ms. Peretti posing on a Manhattan apartment terrace wearing a version of a Playboy Bunny costume (2). Of course, “The costume was her idea,”(1) for a Halloween party (2).

During the late 1970s, along with designer pal Halston, Peretti was a frequent patron of Studio 54, “the storied Manhattan disco that attracted celebrities like Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, [and] Cher”(4). Ms. Peretti’s exploits at the club were legendary, one night after a misunderstanding with Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell, Peretti smashed a bottle of vodka on the floor (4).

Elsa Peretti, Snake Necklace in 18K gold (1985). Photo credit: Freeman’s Image source.

Falling Out with Designer Halston

Peretti’s alcohol and drug use, particularly cocaine, increased as the 1970s wore on, however, her partying never affected her professional work (4). To complicate matters, the more success Peretti gained, the more her strained relationship with Halston became. “Things came to a head during a… dinner at Halston’s townhouse. The night ended with Peretti throwing her sable coat from Halston into the fire”(3). Soon after this episode Peretti left New York to live and work in her adopted home of Sant Martí Vell in Catalonia, Spain (3).

Elsa Peretti’s Philathropic Work

In 1977 Elsa Perretti founded the Nando Peretti Foundation, “with the inheritance from her father, with whom she reconciled just months before his death” (4). The foundation funds projects that support the environment, social inclusion, social welfare, human rights and the rule of law, education, scientific research, and arts and cultural history (7). The organization “was renamed the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation” in 2015 (2).

Elsa Peretti, Bud Vase (year unknown). Photo credit: Tiffany & Co. Image source.

Elsa Peretti’s Lasting Legacy

Over the years celebrities Liza Minelli, Sophia Loren, Diana Ross, Sarah Jessica Parker, and tennis champion Maria Sharapova have worn jewelry designed by Elsa Peretti (4). “Ms. Peretti’s designs are in several permanent collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston” (4).

During her career Ms. Peretti was awarded the President’s Fellow Award by Rhode Island School of Design in 1981 and 1996 Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of American Accessories. Honors awarded to the designer include the 2013 National Prize of Culture by the Catalan Government, the order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and the Order of Malta (1).

In 1990 an exhibition of Elsa Peretti’s work was held at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 2001 the same institution awarded the designer an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree (6), and Tiffany & Co. established the “Peretti Professorship in Jewelry Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the first endowed professorship in the history of FIT”(6).

Although many of Elsa Peretti’s designs were produced over 50 years ago, they still “maintain their style and beauty”(6) and are remain popular with women all over the world. However Elsa Peretti is remembered, whether as jewelry designer, fashion model, saavy business woman, outrageous celebrity, or philanthropist, this remarkable woman and her prolific work will be admired and acknowledged for many years to come.

References

Shirley, K., (22 March, 2021). Remembering Tiffany Jewelry Designer Elsa Peretti (1940-2021). https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenshirley/2021/03/22/remembering-tiffany–co-jewelry-designer-elsa-peretti-1940-2021/?sh=5a5a0d2867d3

Wikipedia, (16 April, 2012). Elsa Peretti. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_Peretti

Muller, J., (16 Ocotber, 2018). The Lasting Legacy of Elsa Peretti. http://www.primadarling.com/fashion/the-lasting-legacy-of-elsa-peretti/

Gates, A., (21 March 2021). Elsa Peretti, Star Designer of Elegant Jewelry, Dies at 80. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/21/fashion/elsa-peretti-dead.html

Borrell-Persson, L., (19 March, 2021). Jewelry Designer Elsa Peretti Has Died. /article/elsa-peretti-jewelry-designer-obituary

Tiffany & Co, (2021). About Elsa Peretti. https://www.international.tiffany.com/world-of-tiffany/about-elsa-peretti/

Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, (n.d.). About the Foundation. https://www.perettifoundations.org/en/page.php?project=0&page=5&cat=6&con=8

#elsa peretti #jewelry #fashion #product design

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njawaidofficial · 6 years

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35 Famous People You Won't Believe Are Actually Related To Each Other

https://styleveryday.com/35-famous-people-you-wont-believe-are-actually-related-to-each-other/

35 Famous People You Won't Believe Are Actually Related To Each Other

Holy crap…

Jesse Eisenberg and Hallie Eisenberg are siblings:

You know Jesse from The Social Network, and you defffffinitely remember Hallie as the Pepsi girl in the late ’90s.

—orangejoe

Columbia Pictures / Pepsi

Kerry Washington and Colin Powell are cousins:

Yup! Olivia Pope herself is related to America’s former Secretary of State.

—Anna Rossmoor, Facebook

ABC / youtube.com

Jonah Hill’s sister is Beanie Feldstein:

Jonah Hill has two Oscar nominations under his belt (for Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street), and I have a feeling his sister (Neighbors 2 and Lady Bird) will soon catch up to him.

—primavolta

NBC / A24

Hugh Grant and Thomas Brodie-Sangster are cousins:

Actually, I love these Love Actually stars.

—anastasiapopovic

Universal Pictures

instagram.com

Kyle Massey and Chris Massey are brothers:

AKA Cory from Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven and Michael from Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101.

—keeleym2

Disney Channel / Nickelodeon

Kelly Clarkson’s mother-in-law is Reba McEntire:

Reba is the stepmother to Kelly’s husband, and together they have six Grammy Awards, including 27 total nominations.

—victorias4cb217152

ABC / Southern Living youtube.com

Blake Lively is half-siblings with Robyn Lively and Jason Lively:

Blake is known for her role on Gossip Girl, but her half-siblings are ’80s icons, with Robyn Lively starring in Teen Witch and Jason Lively portraying Rusty in National Lampoon’s European Vacation.

—Nathanael Cabral, Facebook

Lionsgate / Trans World Entertainment / Warner Bros.

And Blake Lively’s brother-in-law is Bart Johnson:

AKA Troy Bolton’s dad in High School Musical!

—jordans43125d2f3

Lionsgate / Disney Channel

Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis:

Jamie Lee Curtis is, of course, known for her roles in the Halloween series and Freaky Friday. Her Oscar-nominated parents are Hollywood royalty, with Janet Leigh starring in Psycho and Tony Curtis starring in Some Like it Hot.

—annakopsky

Disney / Paramount / United Artists

Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick are cousins:

And they each have seven Grammy Awards to their names. Icons.

—lajaaaam

Warner Bros. / youtube.com

Sara Gilbert and Melissa Gilbert are sisters:

Even though they have the same last name, it’s kinda weird to think that Darlene from Roseanne and Laura from Little House on the Prairie are related.

—dougfancy101290

ABC / NBC

Rachel Brosnahan’s aunt is Kate Spade:

You know Rachel Brosnahan from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and you probably own something from Kate Spade (her fashion empire is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, FYI).

—Megan Gallegos, Facebook

Amazon / youtube.com

Ron Howard is Bryce Dallas Howard’s father:

The Oscar winner’s daughter stars in Jurassic World and the best episode of Black Mirror: “Nosedive.”

—k4c33bd126

ABC / Universal Pictures

Taissa Farmiga and Vera Farmiga are sisters:

The American Horror Story star is the younger sister to Oscar-nominee Vera Farmiga, who you probably recognize from Up in the Air and Bates Motel.

—jnuy

FX / Paramount Pictures

Bianca Lawson is Beyoncé’s stepsister:

Bianca Lawson has been playing a teenager on TV for decades, recently adding a new role to her resumé: stepsister to Queen Bey.

—tomasadik

MTV / youtube.com

Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty are siblings:

Both are Oscar winners, with 20 nominations between the two of them.

(Also, go watch Shirley in The Apartment right now if you’ve never seen it. You’re welcome.)

—jackj43a91e854

youtube.com / BBC

Dakota Johnson’s mom is Melanie Griffith, and her grandmother is Tippi Hedren:

You definitely know Dakota from the Fifty Shades series. Her mom, Melanie Griffith, is an Oscar nominee for Working Girl, the iconic ’80s flick. Tippi Hedren, Dakota’s grandmother, is still acting today, and you probably remember her from Hitchcock’s The Birds.

—laurenb4c686df00

Universal Pictures / 20th Century Fox / Universal Pictures

Ashlee Simpson’s mother-in-law is Diana Ross:

Ashlee is married to Evan Ross, whose mother is Diana Ross.

—aimeem4

youtube.com / Harpo Productions

And Tracee Ellis Ross is Diana Ross’s daughter:

You definitely know Tracee from Girlfriends and her Emmy-nominated work in Black-ish. Icons!

—margaretteps

instagram.com / instagram.com

Julia Roberts is Emma Roberts’s aunt:

Okay, okay, so you probably know this one already. But did you know that Julia’s brother/Emma’s dad is Oscar-nominee Eric Roberts?

—juliareznikov

Columbia Pictures / Fox

Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom is Blythe Danner:

Yup. Pepper Potts’s mom is actually Dina from Meet the Parents. Crazy! Between the two actresses, they have an Oscar, three Emmys, and a Golden Globe.

—lorim43d246285

BBC / youtube.com

Jason Sudeikis is George Wendt’s nephew:

The Saturday Night Live and Horrible Bosses star is related to Norm from Cheers.

—courtneyl42412d617

Warner Bros. Pictures / NBC

Billie Lourde’s mom is Carrie Fisher, and her grandmother is Debbie Reynolds:

You know Billie from Scream Queens, but her late mom will always be known as Princess Leia (and a fantastic writer), and her late grandmother will be remembered as Kathy from Singin’ in the Rain or Aggie Cromwell from Halloweentown.

—sorryimheather

instagram.com / instagram.com

Minnie Riperton is Maya Rudolph’s mom:

And Maya’s re-creation of her mom’s famous album cover for Perfect Angel is truly perfect.

—kendalyns

Scorbu Productions / NBC

Mariska Hargitay’s mom is Jayne Mansfield:

And both of them have a Golden Globe Award: Mariska for her work in Law & Order: SVU, and Jayne for her work in The Girl Can’t Help It.

—lorim43d246285

NBC / 20th Century Fox

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez are brothers:

Charlie Hopper from Two and a Half Men and Coach Gordon Bombay from Mighty Ducks are brothers, and their dad is Martin Sheen!

—j40a7cdd5d

Hemdale Film Corporation / Universal Pictures

Emily Deschanel and Zooey Deschanel are sisters:

Sure, the last name gives it away, but it’s still wild to think that Temperance Brennan from Bones and Jess Day from New Girl are siblings.

—hayden44e

Fox / Fox

Snoop Dogg is cousins with Brandy and Ray J:

Talent runs in this family, with 29 Grammy nominations between the three of them (i.e. just Snoop and Brandy).

—singhaditya101010

instagram.com / Disney / Fox

Angelina Jolie is Jon Voight’s daughter:

They have six Oscar nominations between the two of them, including two wins (Jolie for Girl, Interrupted and Voight for Coming Home), and Jolie has an additional Honorary Oscar.

—lizforest1394

Universal Pictures / Buena Vista Pictures

Phil Collins is Lily Collins’s dad:

You know Phil Collins as an eight-time Grammy Award winner (and the reason you always ball your eyes out during Tarzan), but his daughter is a Golden Globe-nominated actress who you probably know from The Blind Side, Mirror Mirror, or Stuck in Love.

—nance23

CBS / Millennium Entertainment

Rob Schneider’s daughter is Elle King:

The Saturday Night Live alum is a staple in Adam Sandler films, and his daughter is a famous singer who has three Grammy nominations under her belt.

—jasonfunderberker

Buena Vista Pictures / NBC / instagram.com

Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd are sisters:

Ashley is a two-time Golden Globe nominee, while her sister has four Grammy nominations.

—savannahroseh4d4392582

ABC / youtube.com

Anthony Perkins’s son is Oz Perkins:

You know Anthony Perkins from Psycho, and you’ll probably recognize his son as Dorky David from Legally Blonde.

—elizabethannb3

Paramount Pictures / MGM

And Halle Berry is somehow related to Sarah Palin:

And her reaction to the news is perfect: “I said, ‘Noooo!!!’ Some twisted way — somebody sent me this information that she was my distant [relative].”

—jennav4d4a1fd7f

CBS / NBC

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