
With 220 high jewellery masterpieces spread across 13 different themes to its name, Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds is Louis Vuitton’s most ambitious collection to date. It tells a story of craftsmanship, artistry, and human creativity through precious gems and metals that have been expertly woven into an impressive tale.
The staggering breadth of its designs is complemented by savoir-faire that pays faithful tribute to the collection’s inspiration: 19th-century France, and, with it, the creative, artistic disciplines that flourished during that period. As Louis Vuitton devotees know, that particular century was also one that saw a 16-year-old Louis Vuitton arriving in Paris by foot in 1837 to gain the needed skills that he then put into his own luggage business 17 years later.
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As Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for watches and jewellery Francesca Amfitheatrof tells us, ”Awakened Hands celebrates a particular moment in French history when there was an explosion of incredible savoir-faire; the abolition of the guilds allowed artisans to flourish.” The collection, then, is a sincere homage to the Maison’s city of birth presented through an impressive array of designs that span the literal to the figurative.

The Victoire necklace, for example, presents an obvious topsy-turvy interpretation of the Eiffel Tower with its beams and arches rendered in platinum and gold. Hanging from its bottom-most point is a detachable 15.16-carat LV Monogram Flower-cut diamond that can also be worn as a ring. (The diamond is the largest that has ever been featured in the House’s high jewellery collections.)
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The Séduction necklace, on the other hand, looks to the period’s flourishing textile industry, which saw lush fabrics like brocade, jacquard and tassel work dressing the scene. A loose weave of knots and interlacement recalls the Maison’s beloved monogram motif, which sets the scene for the 12. 92-carat Zambian emerald nestled in its midst.
As Amfitheatrof tells us, it’s “among the collection’s most complex creations, which required the workmanship of 17 setters and 30 jewellers. ” More than 2,400 elements were individually mounted, for a total of 4,276 hours of work (more than 900 hours went into its development alone).

Amfitheatrof’s signature style is built on the foundations of architectural designs and geometric shapes, crafted through clean, minimalist lines. In this respect, Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds doesn’t disappoint: Its spectacular creations unabashedly own the space that they’re in—an effect that Amfitheatrof is undoubtedly going for. She tells us more.
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What was your creative process for this collection?
When we embark on this creative journey, I always conduct extensive research. Paris offers incredible resources, and my team and I visit museums and other places, which allows us to design with emotion. I want us to experience things firsthand. This approach provides us with a wealth of material and personal experiences. Then, we create chapters within the overall theme, select gemstones, and begin designing. This process takes at least two years.
Were there any memorable moments during this journey that you particularly appreciated?
We collaborated with the Galerie Kraemer in Paris for the launch event in St Tropez. They loaned us sensational antique pieces—some of royal provenance and all with incredible histories—which we carefully curated to match the decadence of the Awakened Hands themes.
For the Awakened Minds themes, we created an inventor’s workshop and library, filled with inventions, scientific books and maquettes of Eiffel structures. The presentation was completely authentic in every possible way, and it celebrated the birth of luxury of which Louis Vuitton was at the forefront.
Can you tell us more about the savoir-faire found in this collection?
In the Élégance theme, we used the very traditional jewellery technique of tremblant, which allows diamond pieces to move delicately and reflect the candlelight. We have created two pieces using this technique (which was born in the ateliers of 19th-century Paris): Our first tiara with a central Louis Vuitton Flower and Monogram-cut diamond, and a necklace. The Phénoménal necklace is inspired by woven materials.
It was a real challenge to convey the woven effect in such a volume while ensuring suppleness and a solid structure at the same time. Vision is a statement enveloping necklace inspired by the flourishing industrialisation and railway mechanisation. The necklace is a masterpiece: It’s a major challenge to reconcile exceptional flexibility with such a complex and distinctive motif.
What would you like people to appreciate most about the collection?
Its modernity, the fact that it is genderless, and its suppleness. These are pieces that you never want
to take off! I really want people to feel that Louis Vuitton’s jewellery are modern classics that can stay with you forever.