Success with a touch of sparkle
Five-year-old Thalia and her sister Jasmine, who’s three, are no different.
Except that in their case, the heels are custom-made Nicholas Kirkwood numbers, the jewels bespoke pieces by Arik Levy, and the mummy, Nadja Swarovski, is a crystal heiress and public relations supremo for the family firm.
Swarovski, 41, lives with her husband, hedge-fund manager Rupert Adams, and their three young children (as well as the girls, there’s a six-year-old boy, Rigby) in a surprisingly modest apartment in Chelsea. She joined the family business in 1995 as vice president of communications. Since then she’s been credited with its transformation from a charming but old-fashioned business, known for its cute crystal animal figurines, into a globally recognised super-brand, synonymous with high fashion and high glamour. Its turnover last year was £1.8 billion (€2.097bn).
In spite of her obvious charm, talent and non-stop enthusiasm for the product, she had to push hard to be heard in a male-dominated workplace.
“When I first announced my plans for the business I was laughed at,” she says. “But then the whole thing mushroomed. Money talks, and I’m taken much more seriously now.”
Her strategy to align the company with cutting-edge young talent from the worlds of fashion and design continues to be wildly successful. It’s a tactic that was started by her grandfather, Manfred, who formed relationships with the likes of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior in the 1920s and 30s. Over time, the company nurtured important Hollywood connections too: Marilyn Monroe wore Swarovski when she serenaded President Kennedy on his birthday, as did Grace Kelly in High Society. Its crystals embellished Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz and, much more recently, adorned Natalie Portman’s Rodarte-designed tutus in Black Swan.
These days, virtually every catwalk show and Oscar appearance glitters with the family crystal.
Over 15 years, Swarovski has upped the ante considerably in this, the fashion arm of the business, in particular, through collaborations with a stellar roll of architects and designers, such as Ron Arad and Zaha Hadid for her design project Swarovski Crystal Palace, part of the London Design Festival. Now entering its 10th year, this is, essentially, an experimental platform for the design cognoscenti to conceptualise, develop and share their most radical works — a sort of think-tank for the convergence of art, design, science and technology, using the medium of crystal.
Swarovski has a knack for picking the right designer at the right time. This year it’s the turn of British minimalist John Pawson, who will create an installation in St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 300th anniversary of its completion. Called Perspectives, it will be located at the foot of the geometric staircase (an area usually reserved for members of the clergy only) and is described as “a spatial experience that depends on scientific subtlety, material simplicity and a complex combination of light, space and proportion to reflect an environment rich in history and beauty”.
“Go and see it in the flesh,” Swarovski urges. “A Swarovski optical lens — the largest we’ve ever manufactured — will form part of it. It’s a truly stunning juxtaposition of a modern piece within a traditional framework.”
From the comfort of her serene and comfortable sitting room, Swarovski describes the breathtaking whirlwind of meetings and presentations that is her job. There are celebrity parties, yes, but she attends those for work rather than pleasure. She globetrots almost constantly between Wattens in Austria (the company HQ), New York, London and wherever else in the world that opportunity calls. “I leave myself at the bottom of my priority list,” she says. “It would be nice to stay home to eat, sleep, see my kids more, but it’s not happening. I spend a lot of time on the Eurostar and in airport departure lounges.”
Plans to find a bigger house are eternally on hold. “We’re like sardines here. I’ve been looking for a house for five years, but there’s always too much going on,” she says. “It’s incredibly hard, but I guess I’m proving that you can be a mother and work full-time. And of course, I love what I do.”
In the meantime, while her art collection remains in storage, due to lack of space, she has drafted in a few key Swarovski pieces that she can’t live without. There are no knickknacks or kitsch crystal animals — one gets the idea they are her least favourite part of the business, however profitable they may be — but there is a glittering Tord Boontje Blossom chandelier in the hall and a sleek geometric Rock Fusion coffee table by Arik Levy in the dining room, both of which are Swarovski Crystal Palace collaborations from years past.
In the bedroom, pieces from the Atelier autumn/winter 2011 jewellery selection adorn the dressing table, and will no doubt be modelled by Thalia and Jasmine when they get home from school. “My son Rigby is starting to show a real interest too,” says Swarovski. “He understands where the crystal comes from and that his grandpa, who’s been in charge of production for 43 years, actually makes these things.”
If they choose, Rigby and his sisters will be part of the sixth generation of Swarovskis to embrace the crystal business. By the sound of things, they’re already chips off the old rock.
John Pawson for Swarovski Crystal Palace, part of the London Design Festival, runs from September 17-25 (swarovskicrystalpalace.com)
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