From the Greek eikṓn — a likeness or symbolic image — the term “icon” has evolved into shorthand for objects that transcend design to embody ideology and identity. With the Bvlgari Icons Minaudière Collection, Bvlgari explores that definition through a dialogue between high jewellery and accessories, past and present.
Conceived by Mary Katrantzou, Creative Director of Leather Goods and Accessories, the limited-edition evening collection reinterprets five of the Roman high jeweller’s enduring symbols: Monete, Serpenti, Tubogas, Divas’ Dream, and Bvlgari Bvlgari. Each minaudière is crafted in precious metal, positioned deliberately between objet d’art and functional accessory. The proportions reference archival evening bags, while the execution draws squarely on the maison’s high-jewellery savoir-faire.
The Monete design centres on a reimagined ancient Roman coin framed by enamel. Tubogas coils in polished metal around a lizard “egg”. Divas’ Dream echoes the mosaics of the Baths of Caracalla through intricate gem inlay. Bvlgari Bvlgari becomes a cylindrical form enriched with mother-of-pearl intarsia, while Serpenti is distilled into a sculptural head, detached from its usual sinuous body.
Lost-wax casting, hand-enamelling, pavé settings, and inlays of amethyst, tiger’s eye, malachite, and mother-of-pearl elevate each piece. Suspended from delicate chains and finished with cabochon-set closures, the minaudières transform utility into adornment.
The accompanying campaign, photographed by Ethan James Green, creatively directed by Ferdinando Verderi, and styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, advances the concept of “Carrying Culture”. Five women embody the collection’s values: author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, model Linda Evangelista, actor Kim Ji-won, actor and model Isabella Rossellini, and architect Sumayya Vally. Each represents one icon and contributes a specially commissioned miniature book designed to fit inside her corresponding minaudière.
With titles ranging from Notes on Creating Culture to Notes on Finding Home, these micro-volumes position culture as lived knowledge. The deliberately compact scale of the minaudières — too small for a phone — underscores the provocation: what, truly, is worth carrying?
With this collection, Bvlgari extends its universe beyond ornament into narrative. Jewellery becomes an accessory; the accessory becomes an archive. In doing so, the house reframes luxury as a conduit for memory, craftsmanship, and the enduring wisdom of women.
