Editor’s Note
This issue draws inspiration from the enduring legacy of Giorgio Armani, whose philosophy of balance remains a guiding principle in luxury and life. This theme is reflected in model Giedre Dukauskaite’s poised presence and Cartier’s new High Jewelry collection, *En Équilibrie*, which masterfully explores harmony and equilibrium.
The legacy of Mr. Armani, which inspires this issue, is consistent. That tireless pursuit of balance, of the middle ground, seems to be one of the keys to the current luxury industry (and to life); a harmony that model Giedre Dukauskaite embodies like no other and which serves as the guiding thread for Cartier’s brilliant new High Jewelry collection, En Équilibrie.
We live immersed in constant dichotomy, especially in these times. You know: we have to be productive, but we must learn to disconnect; we must embrace the passage of time, but don’t even think about aging too much!; you must show confidence, but never too much; we must have a full social life, but we must know how to rest… One thing and the other, but all at once. And in the end, you realize (not without some anxiety) that finding the right proportion is the only antidote to surviving modern life.
The luxury industry seems to be in the same existential process. Brands are learning that, to move forward, they must look to their roots, their archives, their DNA; but they also have to be modern, groundbreaking, out of the mold, and stand out. It’s a complex juggling act with many factors involved (society, global politics… social media!), but many are managing to reconnect with new audiences by renewing their icons.
That ability to find balance is what guides the pages of this issue inspired by the trajectory of Giorgio Armani and how this creative of the current renaissance managed to keep his brand at the top of luxury for half a century. Coherence has always been one of its great pillars, and with it, he has managed to be revolutionary and restrained in equal parts.
That harmony, that balance has also been the driving force behind Cartier‘s designs throughout its history. Jewelry must measure its pulse very well to create perfect pieces: volume, color, weight. Opposing forces attract to find equilibrium, and it is there, in that chimerical limbo, that the French house’s new high jewelry collection, whose pieces star in this story, is born.
Named En Équilibre and presented in Stockholm last May, this new proposal brings together all the talent of its creatives and artisans to illustrate balance. The symmetrical and the asymmetrical, color and purity, fullness and emptiness…
It is that same harmonic beauty that has elevated and maintained model Giedre Dukauskaite (Lithuania, 1988), our cover girl, at the forefront of this industry in which she has been working for almost two decades. Her timeless elegance is reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s, but her natural and relaxed attitude balances her between the classic and the cool.
Born in a small town in Lithuania, far from the pomp of fashion, she was discovered on her way home from school and, within a week, her life took a 180-degree turn. Over the years, Giedre has touched the heights of the industry with her fingertips, but she has always preferred to keep a low profile. Again, a balance she also appeals to now, freshly graduated cum laude in Entrepreneurship and Innovation to be able to combine her life in front of the spotlight with her next dream: launching her own business, always safeguarding her privacy.
Harper’s Bazaar: You grew up in a small town in Lithuania where fashion seemed light-years away. How do you remember your childhood?
Harper’s Bazaar: Your life changed overnight when you were discovered as a model. What has your path in fashion been like?
