The launch of Bulgari’s High Jewellery collection is one of the highlights of the luxury calendar – and this year, the narrative behind the 150 one-of-a kind pieces was amplified by some bespoke textiles made by Rubelli.

Colour is the theme of this year’s Polychroma high jewellery, with each masterpiece putting multicoloured, brightly hued gems at the heart of each design. To complement this already rich visual feast, Rubelli custom made 12 tapestries that reproduce the work of two contemporary artists, Alessandro Florio and Zach Lieberman; they featured at the collection launch in Taormina, Sicily, and are now touring the world alongside the jewellery.

The two artists responded to the colour theme in different ways: Florio’s contemporary take on a Sicilian aesthetic (he is a Taormina native) with its palm trees and big cats; and Lieberman’s abstract works, which all originate from digital code.

The project required three months of full-time work from a designer, a technician and the skilled artisans of the Rubelli weaving mill in Cucciago, Como. As figured fabrics, they employ a complex weaving technique using multiple sets of warp and weft threads to create pattern and raised texture: a full-width repeat loom allows the design repeat to be developed across the entire width of the fabric (the panels are up to 180 x 180 cm). The tapestries were also finished with a border to evoke centuries-old hand-made tapestries, the original inspiration for the project.

The project continues Rubelli’s relationship with the quintessential Italian jeweller; it has worked on several of Bulgari’s hotel projects, but this is the first time that the two brands have collaborated on a bespoke textile project co-designed with contemporary artists.

Ground Floor, Design Centre East

Installation images courtesy of Bulgari