Lydia Courteille is one of the most imaginative and refined creators. In her Parisian boutique the designer offers unique, elaborate jewels, often with a touch of irony. But Lydia Courteille is also an irrepressible traveller, curious about cultures, landscapes, stories, myths, fairy tales and folklore from all over the world. Indeed, it is precisely the long journeys across the borders of East and West that inspire her collections. The story and creations of Lydia Courteille are now the subject of a new biography written by expert gemologist Juliet Weir-de la Rochefoucauld, which also includes travel memories, with images taken by the designer.
It is no coincidence that the book is titled A Jeweller’s Odyssey (Acc Art Books, 224 pages, 56 euros), precisely to underline the adventurous path of discoverer of stories to tell, but also of characters, such as the French empress Marie Antoinette, to which the designer has dedicated a collection, or of passions, as in the jewels dedicated to the theme of seduction.
