For the first time, high jewellery is associated to the Haute Couture Fashion week

High class jewellers get to strut their stuff for the first time at the Paris fashion Week, as their sparkling creations are admitted to the exclusive Haute Couture club on Thursday (January 28).

PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 28, 2010) REUTERS - This season, for the first time, high class jewellers are being invited to pin their broach on the fabric of the Haute Couture Fashion Week.
The sparkling opportunity gives them the chance to showcase their best pieces to both the media and prospective clients browsing the fringes of the Fashion Week.

"For the first time we are inviting editors from all over the world, and clients, to discover during the same week, the shows of the Haute Couture houses and the presentation of 'high jewellery' collections from the most respected jewellers from Paris," the vice-president of Van Ceef and Arples, Nicolas Bos, told Reuters.

For Bos it is important to emphasize that there are more links between Haute Couture and high class jewellery than just that the catwalk models have the occasional sparkling accessory. He says that high class jewellery is just like haute couture - real craftsmen competing with cheaper everyday fashion:

"There is this integration of 'savoir-faire' and 'métiers d'art' (craftsmanship). And this is what makes the difference as well between the traditional 'high jewellery' and the more general jewel industry, that we are keeping certain types of craftsmanship traditions alive and we are using these traditions to express new designs, new creative directions and to bring - we hope - some surprises and innovation this week."

While Van Ceef and Arples present sparkling light creations inspired by butterflies, Chanel went for more solid theme for their clunkers. Their collection was inspired by their own legendary Coco, and the first jewel collection that had been designed by Gabrielle Chanel in 1932.