As a stylist, I have a particular affinity for well-designed things-that is, iconic items that stand the test of time. To me, Cartier is a paragon of this idea. On this episode, I walk you through some of the jewelry house’s most emblematic pieces.
I start with a Cartier watch I myself wear every single day: an all-black vintage Cartier Must from the 1970s. I then discuss the Tank, Cartier’s most renowned watch, which was influenced by World War I combat machinery as well as the De Stijl Dutch art movement founded in 1917. I also discuss the famous wearers of the Tank, who include Truman Capote, Duke Ellington, Andy Warhol, Rudolph Valentino, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Muhammad Ali, Patti Smith, Jon Hamm, and Kim Kardashian.
After briefly mentioning the Tank Française, which debuted in 1996, I finish by discussing Cartier’s Nouvelle Vague jewelry collection, which came out while I was an assistant for Tonne Goodman at Vogue. I have my own piece from the collection: a white gold beaded bracelet encrusted with small diamonds. I love how incredibly understated it is. To me, that idea really encapsulates Cartier: It’s a brand whose simple, elegant approach has made its pieces timeless.
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Produced by The Slowdown (www.slowdown.tv)
Theme music: Cate Le Bon (www.catelebon.com)
Credits:
Cartier: www.cartier.com
References (by order of appearance):
Cartier Tank Must
Cartier Tank: www.cartier.com/en-us/collect...
Louis Cartier, founder of Cartier
“Scarlet Street” (1945)
“Chinatown” (1974)
“De Stijl”: a journal for the Dutch art movement of the same name, founded in 1917, that advocated for pure abstraction and reduction to the essentials.
Theo van Doesburg and Cornelis van Eesteren, “Contra-Construction Project (Axonometric)” (1923)
Stoclet House, Brussels (1905)
Piet Mondrian, “Broadway Boogie-Woogie” (1943) and “Composition II with Red Blue and Yellow” (1930)
Jean Arthur, Actress
Fay Wray, Actress
Josephine Baker, Entertainer, French Resistance agent, civil rights activist
Louise Brooks, Actress
Andy Warhol, Artist
The Son of the Sheik (1926)
Rudolph Valentino, Actor
Princess Diana, Princess of Wales
Muhammad Ali, Boxer, activist, and entertainer
Patti Smith, Musician
Jon Hamm, Actor
Truman Capote, Writer
Duke Ellington, Musician and composer
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor
Kim Kardashian, Media personality and businesswoman
Cartier Panther bracelet (1952)
Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
Cartier Taylor-Burton diamond necklace (1969)
Elizabeth Taylor, Actress
Cartier Flamingo brooch (1940)
Cartier ruby-and-diamond necklace (1958)
Cartier Mansion, New York City: www.cartier.com/en-us/find-bo...
Cartier Tank Française: www.cartier.com/en-us/collect...
Tonne Goodman, Fashion Editor
“Un flic” (1972)
“Cléo from 5 to 7” (1962)
“Breathless” (1960)
Cartier’s Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection: www.cartier.com/en-us/collect...
Cartier Jeton ring (1999)
Cartier Perruque ring (1999)
Cartier Myst ring (1999)
Cartier Draperie de Décolleté necklace (1999)
Cartier Oval lighter (1973)
Seiko: www.seikowatches.com/us-en
Les Must de Cartier lighter (1973)