In Geneva, Van Cleef & Arpels is exhibiting 19 creations and eight documents on the theme of couture, from 14 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
A buckle, a link, a bracelet: the Ludo offers a concrete way into “A Couture Repertoire by Van Cleef & Arpels”. Presented in Geneva from 14 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, the exhibition brings together 19 heritage creations and eight archive documents at the boutique at 23 rue du Rhône.
The belt becomes a bracelet
Appearing in 1934, the Ludo takes up the look of a belt: articulated yellow-gold links in a brick pattern join a rectangular buckle. The house notably presents a drawing from around 1935 and bracelets from 1935 and 1937. On the latter, an oval cabochon sapphire is framed by scrolls set with diamonds.
The connection with clothing thus plays out in the construction as much as in the motif. A belt closes and adjusts; transposed to the wrist, its buckle becomes the centre of the composition. The suppleness of the mesh allows the metal to follow the body. It is this translation of a function into a form that makes the comparison instructive.
Looking at the document alongside the object
An archive drawing and a piece of jewellery do not give the same information. The first allows one to read an arrangement of lines; the second adds material, volume and articulation. Bringing them together invites one to look for the decisions that separate a graphic intention from a worn object.
This reading offers an alternative to a history of jewellery reduced to the evolution of ornament. It asks us to look at how a reference to clothing imposes manufacturing constraints and how these become a language. The couture repertoire announced in Geneva then takes on a precise meaning: a set of forms that jewellery moves, builds and renders mobile.
Sources — editorial verification
A Couture Repertoire by Van Cleef & Arpels — monitoring link — 14 October 2026. Checked on 1 November 2026.
A Couture Repertoire by Van Cleef & Arpels — official version consulted — 14 October 2026. Checked on 1 November 2026.
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