Miniature Marvels
Naila de Monbrison’s bijou boutique is the insider address for distinctive works of wearable art by the world’s greatest jewelry designers. Each unique design offers a lifetime of stand-out style.
Once upon a time, a women’s jewels were considered bedazzling accoutrements to a near-perfect ensemble - the cherry on top of the icing on the cake. But over the last two decades, the tides have shifted; fashion has become an unassuming canvas upon which to display artistic jewels from some of the most pioneering talents of our time. The wind beneath the wings of this stylistic shift is the Egyptian-born, Paris-based gallery owner Naila de Monbrison. In 1987, she opened one of the world’s first jewellery galleries with a new vision of adornment, where, as with art, “the material is considered less important than the creation itself.” Unlike fine jewellery, whose goal is pure luxury, art jewellery is not defined by the value of its parts, but by the strength, character and originality of its design. It’s no surprise then that the inspiration behind de Monbrison’s bijou boutique lay in the great halls of art.
In 1984, a show called ‘Primitivism in 20th Century Art’ at the MoMA in New York, revealed the extraordinary affinities between primitive and contemporary art. “I discovered then how well the two go together,” remembers de Monbrison, “and said to myself, ‘Why not do the same thing with jewellery?’”
Already an avid collector of ethnic jewels and contemporary art jewellery, she put the two under the same roof. Fueled by the same objectives as a contemporary art gallery - to discover, promote and follow the work of artists over time by showing their personal work in solo and group exhibitions - her discreet gallery has been the elite meeting spot for Paris’s cultural cognoscenti. It is there that this passionate leader and defender of the avant-garde has brought names like Tina Chow, Line Vautrin, Marcial Berro and Taher Chemirik to the fore.
Naila De Monbrison: 6, Rue de Bourgogne, Paris 7, T. + 33 (0) 1 47 05 11 15
My Paris City Guide
What galleries and museums do you love most in Paris?
For contemporary and modern art: the Daniel Templon gallery, the Nathalie Obadia gallery, the Catherine Putman gallery and, of course, the Centre Georges Pompidou. When it comes to primitive art, I never tire of the extraordinary pieces exhibited at the Louvre.
Paris has many hidden treasures. Which destinations do you recommend?
The Musée de la Vie Romantique. Its gardens are just ravishing, especially during the spring. I also love the tucked-away Place Furstemberg near Saint-Germain and the Place Sainte-Catherine in the Marais.
What are your favourite shops for fashion?
For fashion I love Irié, Martin Margiela and the Bon Marché. For shoes, Robert Clergerie.
Paris is abloom with wonderful florists, which do you love most and why?
Moulié, for his incredible variety of flowers, especially the trees and potted plants that he displays in front of his shop on Place du Palais Bourbon.
What are some of the best shops for original home furnishings and design?
Sentou, the Kreo gallery and the WU gallery.
Your favourite cafés for people-watching?
Le Flore at lunch on Saturday; Le Café de la Mairie, Place Saint-Sulpice; Pause Café on rue de Charonne and the Louvre’s Café Marly.
What inspires you most about Paris?
The beauty of the architecture and the exceptional variety and quantity of exhibitions in the city’s many museums and galleries.
What do you think lends the Plaza Athénée its unique charm?
Its superb façade along the Avenue Montaigne and the Relais Plaza, an international meeting spot for the greatest stars. see adresses p.73
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