Carolina Bucci

Carolina Bucci (born October 1976) is an Italian jewellery designer. Born in Florence, Italy, she lives between London and New York City.

Carolina Bucci
Born
Carolina Bucci

October 1976 (age 43)
Florence, Italy
NationalityItalian
EducationFashion Institute of Technology
OccupationJewelry designer
Known forWoven gold jewelry
Label(s)
Carolina Bucci
Websitehttp://www.carolinabucci.com

Early life

Carolina Bucci was born in October 1976,[1] in Florence, Italy.

Career

Bucci is the 4th generation of jewellers. In 1885, her great-grandfather, Ferdinando Bucci, opened a workshop in Florence, Italy, specialising in the sale and repair of gentlemen's pocket watches. He eventually began to make bespoke gold chains to accessorize his clients' timepieces, and from there he moved into the production of fine jewellery. His son, Fosco, took over the business in 1920, by which point they had gained success across Italy, and moved the showroom to Piazza Santo Stefano, next to Florence's Ponte Vecchio, the hub of artisans and goldsmiths.[2]

After the Second World War, her father grew the business internationally, particularly in the US and Japan, whilst continuing to anchor the manufacture of the jewellery in the family's Florentine workshops.[2]

Bucci took over, and is now the creative director, having studied at FIT.[3]

When she returned to Florence upon her graduation, she worked alongside local goldsmiths encouraging them to push the boundaries of their traditional practices to create her first collections, ‘Lucky’ (a reinvention of the friendship bracelets she made as a child) and then ‘Woven’, which saw her reinvent centuries-old Florentine textile looms to weave gold and silk threads, becoming two of her trademark collections; the third being her ‘Florentine Finish’ as seen on Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold watches.[4]

A selection of her designs are in the permanent jewellery collection of the Palazzo Pitti museum in Florence.[5]

In 2007 she established her London flagship store, and since then has aligned with retailers such as Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, and Luisa Via Roma.[6]

In 2003 the cover of UK Vogue featured Salma Hayek wearing a Bucci necklace, which led to Bucci develop her first non-US retailer; London's multi-brand store Browns.[7] Carolina Bucci jewellery is available in Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, Hirsliefers, Luisa Via Roma and other stores, as well as Net A Porter and their on line store Carolinabucci.com.[8] Bucci opened her first flagship store in Belgravia, London, in 2007, and a second in Porto Montenegro in 2011.[9]

In 2005 Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Carolina Bucci Lucky bracelet throughout the final series of 'Sex and the City' and marked the finale by gifting a Lucky bracelet to each member of the cast and crew.[2]

In 2010 Bucci launched '1885' a heritage inspired collection to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Carolina's great grandfather founding the company. In 2013, a 10th Anniversary edition of the Lucy Bracelet was launched. In 2014 she launched the ‘Sprezzatura’ Lucky bracelet with the brand signature Florentine Finish Bee charm.

In 2016 she announced a collaboration with Audemars Piguet, to redesign their Royal Oak watch with her Florentine finish to celebrate the watch's 40th anniversary.[10][11]

In 2018 her London flagship store relocated to 22 Motcomb Street, London. 2018 also saw the launch of the FORTE beads collection.[12] A collection based around a rainbow of precious hard stone beads, 18k Florentine Finish beads and Letters, named after the Italian sea side town of Forte Dei Marmi. In 2018 Carolina Bucci was won the award for the Gold category of the Couture Show Design Awards for her rainbow gold and silk woven scarf.[13]

For her second collaboration with Audemars Piguet, Bucci once again applied her signature Florentine Finish to the Limited Edition Royal Oak, this time in 18k yellow gold, alongside a silver toned mirror dial, in place of the traditional Tapisserie.[14]

In 2019 Bucci released a series of hand blown glasses, made in collaboration with the Murano glass maker Laguna B, as well as hand carved Carrara marble spheres and the application of her Florentine Finish to homeware.[15]

Charitable collaborations

Bucci has produced an annual limited edition collection to benefit a selected charity. In 2008, the collaboration was with WaterAid, and in 2009, with Global Action for Children. 2010's collaboration was with (RED) with profits going to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

In 2016 she launched a collaboration with Great Ormond Street Hospital, redesigning one of her Lucky bracelets,[16] as well as creating a ‘twister’ bracelet to benefit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.[17]

Personal life

Bucci lives between London and New York City.

References
  1. "Carolina BUCCI - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  2. Vince, Jessica (1 October 2018). "What it's like to be CEO of my family business". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. List of alumni of the Fashion Institute of Technology
  4. "15454BA.GG.1259BA.02 - Royal Oak Collection - Audemars Piguet". Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  5. "Laprendo Presents the Carolina Bucci Collection". Luxury Insider. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  6. "The world of jewellery designer Carolina Bucci - Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  7. "Magazine Issues (Vogue.com UK)". Vogue.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  8. "Welcome to LaneCrawford". Lcinsider.com. 2010-03-19. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  9. "Jeweller Carolina Bucci – and her trademark bumblebees – descend on Belgravia (Vogue.com UK)". Vogue.co.uk. 2007-05-21. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  10. "Rebirth of an icon: the new Royal Oak ladies' watch from Audemars Piguet". ft.com. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  11. "New - Royal Oak Frosted Gold". Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  12. Royce-Greensill, Sarah (23 August 2018). "Carolina Bucci's new Forte Beads collection hits the personalisation sweet spot". Retrieved 10 May 2019 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  13. "And the Winners of the 2018 Couture Design Awards Are … - National Jeweler". www.nationaljeweler.com. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  14. Seth, Radhika. "Carolina Bucci Reinvents Audemars Piguet's Classic Royal Oak Watch". British Vogue. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  15. Edwards, Alice (10 February 2019). "The new launches to know: from Carolina Bucci homewares to the cult Danish jewellery designer Sophie Bille Brahe". Retrieved 10 May 2019 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-03-25. Retrieved 2017-03-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Carolina Bucci's vibrant green bracelet aids the NSPCC". ft.com. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
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