This fashion month, the Bulgari B.zero1 Aurora Awards will be held in Europe for the first time, with plans underway for a glittering ceremony in Milan on 27 February, held by the prestigious jewellery brand in partnership with Vogue Italia.
The awards – which will be hosted by Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor in chief and Vogue’s European editorial director – take classical culture as inspiration, starting with the title, which evokes the Roman goddess of dawn, symbolising the arrival of light, intelligence and creativity. It also references the geographical and cultural origins of the Bulgari brand.
Central to the ceremony is a celebration of female talent and empowerment. In a still male-dominated sphere, women make up 62 per cent of the management team at the Roman house. “And one of our icons of all time is [Italian actor] Anna Magnani, who used to gift herself Bulgari jewels, without waiting to receive them from suitors,” explains Lucia Silvestri, jewellery creative director and gems buying executive director at the house. Silvestri herself is a force to be reckoned with, having started her stellar career at Bulgari aged just 18, as a gemologist – and a rare woman in the field. “In dealing with the economic value of stones, I’ve often found myself having to cope with men who were shocked by my role,” she says. “Yet I’ve always gone my way regardless.”
The empowering message behind the awards is why Bulgari wanted Vogue, and in particular Enninful, who is renowned for making social issues a cornerstone of his work, on board. “I always try to tell stories of emancipated women pushing change,” says Enninful, who will be joined on the night by an extraordinary list of “Recommenders”, that includes the actor Sharon Stone (who was famously draped in Bulgari jewels as Ginger McKenna in Casino), the Italian Paralympic athlete Veronica Yoko Plebani, and pop legend Kylie Minogue – all innovators in their own way. “Thanks to a donation from Bulgari, each Recommender will have the opportunity to help a charity of their choice,” he says. “Talent can only be strengthened by the endorsement of a community that supports it, and I am honoured to give a meaning to the words ‘give back’ in this way.”
The ceremony comes at an exciting moment for Bulgari, which has unveiled a new iteration of a house classic. The B.zero1 collection was created in 1999 as a celebration of the future (the “B” stands for Bulgari, “zero” for the new millennium, and the number “1” for new beginnings). The form of the jewels, repeating Bulgari’s classic “tubogas”, is inspired by the circularity of the Colosseum. This synergy between history, myth and design guides the launch of the latest version of the piece, named New Classic, available in the three-band version in yellow, pink or white gold.
The standout feature? The wave of diamonds that embraces the central spiral at both ends. “This new interpretation seems to me particularly light, graceful and feminine,” notes Silvestri. “B.zero1 is a contemporary classic that we like to review from time to time, changing the materials and uniting precious metals with marble or ceramic... From the start, the design was a revolution for the brand, but also very traditional with reference to our aesthetic codes. Optimism is inscribed in my work and in my responsibility for conveying the brand’s clear identity while always renewing the collections,” she goes on. “The past is a great source of inspiration. We can never forget where we came from.”
