A Speech by Ciara Marasigan for the Versace Bright Crystal Fragrance Launch
December 13, 2006
First of all, I would like to thank Hans Montenegro and the Versace family for welcoming me. For inviting me, or rather entrusting me, to speak about something that is – quite literally – close to my heart. When I was asked to speak about crystals in the fashion and beauty industry, I would naturally jump at the chance for free press and, well, wave my know-how on my line of work. But I thought it would be more interesting for everyone to listen to something way more personal, and more subjective. And so I’ll share my love affair with crystals.
Crystals are an astonishing act of dreaming in forms--magic shapes, and permutations. They bring me back to my happiest moment in childhood, and hint of place where perfection is real. Suggesting an immortal elegance, crystals remind me of the enchanting harmonies of Bach. But more importantly, crystals unravel my great romance, my fiancé who is here with me tonight, Kirk Serumgard.
As an artist, I have always played out my fascination with deliciously colored crystals in my pieces, coupling them with vibrant gems, corals, pearls, and wood. I don’t pretend to draw before handcrafting. And as how a yearning lover follows the sweet song of her beloved, I simply trust my hands to follow the poetic dictate of the dazzling crystals and fine wire. With Swarovski constantly innovating with crystals for jewelry, architecture, and interior design, crystals have been my all-time favorite inspiration.
My passion for Kirk and sparkling crystals moved me to launch the Love Affair Holiday Jewelry Collection in 2005. I named each creation after memorable moments in Hong Kong where Kirk and I had our secret rendezvous. Affair at 1625 is a brooch made of indicolite Swarovski Crystals and black corals embedded on stainless steel wire, and named after the number of our hotel room. The Universe in My Heart is a pendant made of Rose Swarovski Crystals, Magenta Jade, and faceted Amethyst embedded on stainless steel wire, and named after the piece of functional art which we were admiring at an oriental art museum. To Have and To Hold is an oversized neckpiece made of ruby Swarovski Crystals and gold sea rattan embedded on stainless steel wire, and named after the night Kirk proposed over dessert at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon.
Wanting to add that magical allure to fabric, leather, paper, accessories, and other lifestyle pieces, designers have incorporated crystals in their work. Even the beauty industry has churned out crystal glistening cosmetics. Ron Garrido, a US-trained MAC make-up artist of 8 years, and a beloved friend of mine, shares that “Crystallized is the look of the modern woman. Unassumingly sophisticated, languidly chic, and effortlessly fashionable. By definition, a crystal is a solid body having characteristic internal structure and enclosed by symmetrically arranged angles. A complicated definition for something so beautifully simple. A pulled together complexity of different facets, quite chaotic up close, but from a distance, it all looks seamlessly cohesive.
In the past, women have ornately decorated themselves with ostentatious accoutrements and embellished apparel. Women hid their natural beauty behind layers of thick make-up and elaborate hairdos. However, the modern woman wants to break free from the past. This is the time where carefree and comfortable beauty reigns. This is precisely why I would rather use crystals over diamonds.
Sparkling, glistening, and glowing. Three adjectives that every woman wants to be inside-out. From transparent skin, glossy lips, and bright jewel toned eyes, women adorn themselves with crystals that represent the way they want to feel. Much like crystals, we want to be simply beautiful, and not seriously avant garde all the time. Not pretentious, but welcoming.”
The crystal feminine charm that comes as a product of brilliance and cut is something that will find its place in anything and everything from liberated androgyny to the severity of baroque catholic iconography. From street chic to South American floral art and heavy geometry. From the kimono irony of seduction and restraint to the billowing skirts of a 1920’s screen diva. When I asked Painter, Sculptor, and Fashion Designer Patty Eustaquio why she loves to embellish garments with crystals, she explained that “Crystals add depth and dimension to it, and provide the perfect gloss and texture to an otherwise plain surface. You see, light is one of the most important external factors which affect the look of fashion, and crystals play it up to dazzle.”
And now we have celebrated Alberto Murillas sealing the precious crystal essence in Versace’s Bright Crystal Fragrance for the sophisticated, ultra-feminine woman. Characterized by a fresh, vibrant, floral scent, the Bright Crystal Fragrance has a cap that can also be used as a decorative ornament in the home.
Although soothsayers and diviners believe in the natural energy of crystals, I must admit that my prediliction for these wonderful things is simply for their beauty’s contagious allure and magic.
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Bryanboy loves Ciara Marasigan-Serumgard
http://www.bryanboy.com/bryanboy_le_superstar_fab/2007/04/laundry_list_th.html