Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541487
Van Cleef & Arpels Zip Necklace In the 1930s, the zipper closure system was a modern marvel. Then only used for aviator jackets and sailors' uniforms, a forward-looking and mightily modern Duchess of Windsor and wife of the abdicated King Edward VIII had the novel idea to transform the zip into a piece of jewelry. As legend goes, in 1938 the Duchess suggested the concept to Renée Puissant, daughter of jewelry icons Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels and the artistic director of her family's namesake Van Cleef & Arpels maison, but it wasn't until 1951 that the piece was finally made. The result is a transformative, tasseled object that converts from avant-garde necklace to bracelet with a diamond-encrusted zip. Van Cleef & Arpels Zip antique Crescendo necklace in rose gold with pink sapphires, rubies, and diamonds, transformable into a bracelet. Loewe Spring/Summer 2026, on left. Dior Spring/Summer 2026, on right. Van Cleef & Arpels Zip antique Disco necklace in 18K rose gold, with onyx, coral, and diamonds, transformable into a bracelet. Laura Gonzalez for Schumacher Vagary Vines and Hallucination