Swarovski (English pronunciation: /swɒrˈɒfski/ sworr-OFF-skee^[2]) is the brand name for a range of cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria. The company is split into two major industry areas, the Swarovski Kristall business unit that primarily works with luxury items and design crystals and the Tyrolit Schleifmittel business unit that manufactures related tooling and machinery.

History[link]

Daniel Swarovski (1862–1956), the founder of the company

Daniel Swarovski (October 24, 1862 – January 23, 1956), formerly Daniel Swartz, was born in northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic).^[3] His father was a glass cutter who owned a small glass factory. It was there that a young Swarovski served an apprenticeship, becoming skilled in the art of glass-cutting. In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of crystal glass.^[4][5]

In 1895, Swarovski financier Armand Kosman and Franz Weis founded the Swarovski company, originally known as A. Kosmann, Daniel Swartz & Co., which was later shortened to K.S. & Co.^[3] The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol (Austria), to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes Daniel Swarovski patented.^[4][6]

Products[link]

The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal glass sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor, and chandeliers.

All sculptures are marked with a logo. The original Swarovski logo was an edelweiss flower, which was replaced by an S.A.L. logo, which was finally replaced with the current swan logo in 1988.^[7]

To create crystal glass that lets light refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its products with special metallic chemical coatings. Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow appearance.^[8] Other coatings are named by the company, Crystal Transmission, Volcano, Aurum, and Dorado. Coatings may be applied to only part of an object; others are coated twice, and thus are designated AB 2X, Dorado 2X etc.

In 2004 Swarovski released Xilion, a copyrighted cut designed to optimise the brilliance of Roses (components with flat backs) and Chatons (diamond cut).

The Swarovski Group also includes Tyrolit (makers of abrasive and cutting tools); Swareflex (reflective and luminous road markings); Signity (synthetic and natural gemstones); and Swarovski Optik (optical instruments such as binoculars and rifle scopes).

The company runs a crystal-themed indoor theme park, Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds) at its original Wattens site (near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria). The Crystal Worlds centre is fronted by a glass-covered head, the mouth of which is a fountain. The glass-covered Crystal Worlds houses exhibitions related to, or inspired by, the crystals – but do not include explanations of how the famous designs are made, produced or finished.

Subsidiary companies[link]

The centerpiece of the theme park

Swarovski

Fashion accessories and crystal-based ornaments.

Daniel Swarovski

Jewelry, handbags, accessories and interior design objects.

Swarovski Optik

Optics.

Atelier Swarovski

Fashion and jewellery designers.

Swarovski Crystal Palace

Avant-garde lighting and design (chandeliers etc.).

Swarovski Elements

Crystal designs.

Swarovski Gemstone Business

Gemstone designs.

Swarovski Lighting

Swarovski finished lighting products and solutions with crystal for architecture.

Tyrolit

A bonded grinding and dressing tools company.

Swareflex

A road safety products specialist.

Schonbek

A crystal chandelier manufacturer.

Touchstone Crystal

Swarovski's direct sales company for ready-made jewelry

Active-Crystals[link]

In 2007 Swarovski formed a partnership with electronics giant Philips to produce the "Active-Crystals" consumer electronics range.^[9] This includes six USB Memory keys and four in-ear headphones, and in 2008 they included Bluetooth wireless earpieces for the brand, all with some form of Swarovski crystal on them as decoration.

Figurines and collectibles[link]

Swarovski's figurines are collectible, with a stylized mouse being the very first figurine created. A smaller version of this mouse, now labeled the "replica mouse", is still available. The company produces many types of figurines from ladybugs to limited edition Disney collectibles.

Crystallized – Swarovski Elements crystals were included in some collectible silver coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2009.^[10]

Sponsorship and placement[link]

In 2004, Swarovski created the 9-foot-diameter (2.7 m), 550-pound (250 kg) star that tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City for the first of five consecutive years.

Swarovski was a sponsor for the 2004 film The Phantom of the Opera, in which the "standing model" of the chandelier was composed of Swarovski crystals. A Swarovski shop window is visible later in the film. However instead of using the edelweiss flower, which would have been the case in the era the film was set, the current swan logo was used.

The 2009 documentary film This Is It showed Michael Jackson rehearsing for a concert tour, featuring costumes covered in Swarovski crystals.

Swarovski is product-placed in the 2011 J-Lo promo video for the single "On The Floor", alongside Crown Royal Whisky and BMW.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Swarovski store in Frankfurt

• 

  Swarovski store in Munich

• 

  Swarovski Wattens

• 

  Swarovskistraße Wattens September 2007

References[link]

External links[link]

• Media related to Swarovski at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Official website for Swarovski Elements

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia. (March 2012) Don't speak French? Click here to read a machine-translated version of the French article. Click [show] on the right to review important translation instructions before translating. Google's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. After translating, {{Translated|fr|Bruno Aveillan}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

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Bruno Aveillan (born in Toulouse, France) is a film maker, a photographer and a multimedia artist.

Communication[link]

Bruno Aveillan is one of the most distinguished and internationally sought after directors across the globe in the ad industry. After graduating from Ecole Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Toulouse, he joined Quad Productions in Paris in 1995. Since then, he has directed award-winning short experimental movies and international commercials for clients such as Orange, Lanvin, Perrier, Louis Vuitton, Audi, Nike, Paco Rabanne, Quézac, Lexus, Guerlain, Rochas, Jaguar, Samsung, Nissan, SFR, Chanel, Time Warner, Volvo, MaxMara, Miller, Nintendo, Coca Cola, Toyota, Peugeot etc.

One of his very early spots in his directing career, Perrier "La Foule", received an avalanche of international awards. In 1999, succeeding the directors Lars von Trier and Roland Joffé, Bruno Aveillan directed the new episode in the advertising sage for CNP. Additionally, he directed the launch commercial for Lanvin perfume "Oxygène". It is during this spot that Gisele Bundchen makes her debut on screen. During his career Bruno Aveillan has also filmed world renowned stars such as Monica Bellucci, Claudia Schiffer, Shalom Harlow, Amy Smart, Tina Balthazar, Sharon Stone, Catherine Hurley, Rachel Weisz, Milla Jovovich, Freida Pinto, Leila Bekhti, Jessica Stam, Inna Zobova, Louise Pedersen, Julia Stegner, Estelle Lefébure, Elsa Benitez, Mylène Farmer, Morgane Dubled, Vlada Roslyakova, Sunniva Stordahl, Virginie Ledoyen, etc.

Aveillan has also directed a series of commercials for Thermasilk in which he has created and captured a unique dream and poetic world. His spot for Nissan-Infinity "Athem" was presented during the premiere of the 2002 Oscar ceremony. Alongside Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone, Aveillan has directed four commercials for the launch of the brand Orange. He has worked in collaboration with the Land Artist Nils Udo to create unique visual worlds for the perfume Mahora from Guerlain. In 2006, he also worked with fashion designer Olivier Theyskens for the launch of the new Rochas Fragrance (Starring Model Jessica Stam).

His famous commercial for Magnum, "5 senses", was directed in an experimental manner and has received international acclaim (including European Effie Award).

In 2008, Aveillan directed the first ever brand campaign for Louis Vuitton: "Where will life take you" (90" format, translated into 14 languages). This spot evokes "the soul of travel". It has received international awards including 2008 Gold Clio Award, Gold Award at the 2008 London International Awards, Epica, Cristal. The music was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla.

In 2009, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre had a retrospective of his work within their major exhibition devoted to cinema in advertising.

In 2010, he shot the campaign for Shangri-La that metaphorically presents a philosophy imbued by generosity and humanism. This spot and tells the story of a man who has been adopted and saved by wolves. In 2011, Swarovski enlisted directly Aveillan to create a cinema short movie that would conjure Swarovski’s more than one-hundred-year heritage on the big screen.

In beginning of 2012, the House of Cartier announced the international release of its new "L'Odyssee de Cartier,” a three-and-one-half minute film directed by Bruno Aveillan. The short film, which chronicles Cartier's 165 year history, was first screened at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on 29 February 2012.

Bruno Aveillan is now developing a feature film project with Universal, a modern fairy tale based on the Cinderella story, with Ann Peacock as a writer.^[1]

Aveillan also supports the action of NGO such as Reporters without Borders and the Food bank for whom he has shot several commercials.

Awards[link]

Bruno Aveillan has won a multitude of awards and many of his commercials have become a reference for cinematographic brilliance.

• From 1995 to 2011, the awards include: Golden Globe New York, Prix Stratégie, Art Director Club (France, UK, Italy, Allemagne), London International Awards, AdFest, TV Gold ADDY's, New York Festival, Toucan d'Or, Art & Technology award, EuroEffies, Ad Masters, Festival de Cannes, AEAF, Lions Awards, Clio Awards, European Film Cristal, Ars Electronica, Epica, Mobius award, Gold Werbefilmpreis, Golden award of Montreux, Siggraph, Spike Awards, etc.
• Bruno Aveillan is the only director who has twice won the Grand Prix Imagina award in 1998 (Perrier La Foule) and in 2003 (GDF Dolce Vita).
• 2000, "Best Director of the year" in France CB News magazine
• 2003, "Director on TOP" Boards magazine.
• 2004, he was classified among the five best French advertising film directors, alongside the likes of Remy Belvaux and Frederic Planchon (Lürzer'z Archive)
• 2005, The experimental film "MINOTAUR-EX" by Bruno Aveillan, with the Dance Company 'Cave Canem' received the prize of exceptional work and the Grand Prix of the public in the "Clays" Festival 2005. He was also jury finalist at the "Dance One Camera Festival 2007 of New York" and selected at the "Silverlake Festival of Los Angeles".
• 2009, he was classified among the three best French advertising film directors of the decade (Lürzer'z Archive)

Contemporary art[link]

As a visual artist, Aveillan has developed his art in a singular, dense and syncretical manner, which encompasses experimental films and personal photographs. The central reoccurring themes of effacement, memory and the human body play a major role in his work. His art work has been frequently exhibited and has won many festival awards. Aveillan regularly collaborated with the choreographer Philippe Combes (Company Cave Canem) and directed several experimental short films on the subject of dance, gesture and the body. His film “Minotaur-Ex” with original music composed by Laurent Garnier, the project “Morpholab” with the composer Raphael Ibanez de Garayo. In 2008 and 20098, Aveillan had two large personal photographic exhibitions entitled “DIOTOPES #1 and DIOTOPES #2 at the Galerie Léo Scheer in Paris which included a 10 minute shortfilm (music by Raphael Ibanez de Garayo). A book dedicated to this work was published by Editions Léo Scheer in the collection “Janvier” that also represents the work of contemporary artists Claude Lévêque, Thomas Lélu and Edouard Levé. On their website, the publisher Léo Scheer commented, “ Bruno Aveillan is part of the generation of multimedia artists whose approach unveils a permanent quest for a diversifications of supports. We think of Doug Aikten or Chris Cunningham who, whilst they regularly direct video clips and advertising commercials , they also conceive installations in contemporary galleries ».

Exhibitions[link]

As a multimédia artist, Aveillan's body of work ranges from photography, experimental movies, video works, and installations. Aveillan's work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions.

Group

• 2002, Parcours 21. Galerie Pin-up Paris.
• 2004, Autoportraits. Galerie Pin-up Paris.
• 2006, Silver Lake Film Festival. Los Angeles.
• 2007, DFA's 35th. Dance Film Association Inc. New York.
• 2007, Independent Film Show 2007. EM Arts Naples. [1]
• 2007, Dance for the Camera. Film Society of Lincoln Center New York.
• 2007, Hustler of culture. Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Chicago
• 2007, DIAF 2007. International Arts Festival Dehli.
• 2007, ROMP !. Suddenly Dance Theatre Victoria BC.
• 2007, DKF Muranow. Wprost i Kultura Varsovie.
• 2009, 1968–2008, 40 ans de films publicitaires à la télévision. Musée des Arts Décoratifs Paris-Louvre.[2]
• 2010, Parcours céramique - La scène française contemporaine. Musée des Arts Décoratifs Paris-Louvre.
• 2011, CUTLOG, International Contemporary Art Fair, Paris.
• 2011, THE OTHERS, International Contemporary Art Fair, Turin.
• 2012, OFF BRUSSELS, International Contemporary Art Fair, Brussels.

Solo

• 2008, DIOTOPES. Galerie Léo Scheer Paris [3].
• 2008, DIOTOPES II. Galerie Léo Scheer, Paris.
• 2010, MNEMO#LUX. Camera Work Gallery, Berlin.
• 2011, FASCINATIO - FULGURATIO. Galerie spree, Paris.

Bibliography[link]

• (French) FASCINATIO, Editions Higgins
• (French) FULGURATIO, Editions Higgins
• (English) MNEMO#LUX, Kerber Ed., Collection PhotoArt. ISBN 978-3-86678-463-5
• (English) Diotopes, Léo Sheer Ed. . ISBN 978-2-7561-0131-6
• (French) Parcours 21, Studio Pin Up Ed.
• (English) Autoportraits, Studio Pin Up Ed.

References[link]

• (French) Gérard Lefort, « Apocalypse bulles », in Libération [4], January 4, 1998
• (French) Laurence Armengau, "B. Aveillan : l'idée c'est ce qui vieillit le moins vite", in CB News, June 22, 1998
• (French) C.L., "XS by Bruno Aveillan", in Elle, December 9, 1998
• (French) Gérard Leford, "Le rêve et la Ricoré", in Libération [5], May 8, 1999
• (English) Patricia Winters Lauro, "Thermasilk enters the realm of fairy tales, dragons and special effects", in The New York Times [6], May 8, 2000
• (English) Kathy Desalvo " Director Bruno Aveillan crafts Fantastic - and heated - story", in Shoot [7], May 18, 2001
• (English) Therese Balduzzi « Directors on Top : Bruno Aveillan », in Boards magazine [8], May 1, 2002
• (English) Anne Rose Schlutbohm "A whiff of perfume", in Archive, January 2004
• (French) M.P.« GDF : un savoir-faire révélé en beauté », in Le Figaro, May 3, 2004
• (English) Markus Albert "Sin and sensuality", in Archive, February 2005
• (English) Liza Klaussmann "Creatives on verge : Bruno Aveillan", in Variety, June 2006
• (English) Stephane Zissu "Zom Art : Bruno Aveillan", in Kromag 04 [9], May 2007
• (English) Shots "AVEILLAN'S EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE", in Shots 6 February 2008 [10], 6 February 2008
• (French) Clément Ghis Louis Vuitton fait son cinéma, in Libération Next, 22 February 2008 [11]
• (French) Jérome Beglé Culture Evènement : M. Farmer comme vous ne l'avez jamais vue, in Paris Match, 3 July 2008
• (English) Michael Kimmelman, Arts : In France Ads Aim at Heart..., in The New York Times, 18 February 2009 [12]
• (English) Stephen Whelan, Fleetings Moments, in Shots # 113, February 2009 [13]
• (English) Justin Kroll "U taps scribe for Cinderella rethink", in Variety, Sep 2011
• (Italian) Maddalena Fossati "Minuti preziosi", in Vanity Fair, March 2012
• (English) Gabriel Beltrone"Jewelry house storms three major networks in prime time with Bruno Aveillan's fantastical history lesson", in ADWEEK, March 2012 [14]
• (English) "Bruno Aveillan's "L'Odysée" for Cartier Dazzles the Ad Industry", in SourceEcreative, March 2012 [15]
• (French) Raphaelle Elkrief Le luxe se met en scène, in Le Monde.fr, 23 Mars 2012 [16]
• (French) Television : Interview of Bruno Aveillan in La vie des médias on TF1. December 21, 2003 (Archives INA)
• (English) Radio : Interview of Bruno Aveillan by Philip Dodd in Night Waves on BBC. April 09, 2012

External links[link]

• Bruno Aveillan at the Internet Movie Database
• http://newindustryarts.com/video/brunoaveillan/#/1/brunoaveillan/shangrila
• http://www.quad.fr/directors/bruno-aveillan/
• http://www.kromotion.com/blognews/index.php?Kroma
• http://privatecurators.com/photographic-exhibition-bruno-aveillans-mnemolux-wonders-of-light-and-memory-at-epicentro-art/
• http://www.art-report.com/de/events/mnemolux