Inside Rizzoli’s ‘Tiaras of Dreams, Dreaming of Tiaras’

By Annie Davidson Watson | March 15, 2022

More than a book, Tiaras of Dreams, Dreaming of Tiaras is an experience. It’s a mix of high and low as it showcases some of the French jeweler Chaumet’s most enchanting tiaras in a pop-up medium with a fairy-tale approach to storytelling. Author Michèle Gazier and illustrator Kristjana S. Williams collaborated to create the dreamlike adventure, weaving individual narratives around different Chaumet pieces.

Chaumet Tiaras of Dreams — *This page from Rizzoli’s* Tiaras of Dreams, Dreaming of Tiaras depicts an opera scene.

“The project was about 10 iconic tiaras. Each one of them set in a certain time and place, representing a certain crowd or woman,” Williams exclusively shares with JCK. “The first step was to re-create this environment, the landscape, or room. This was populated with objects or plants representing the tiara as well and created a whole scene with diverse secrets. For each scene, a main character was created wearing the tiara and representing the woman who inspired the creation of this piece. Some scenes were set in history, some in tales, and some were parties and photo shoots from our imagination.” Think: scenes of soirées in the Roaring ’20s; Napoleon and his wife, Empress Joséphine, strolling through the gardens at Malmaison; explorations beneath Japanese cherry blossoms; moonlit dancing on a rooftop in Shanghai.

Each page, then, is laser cut to painstakingly capture each and every intricacy in the imagery as well as the narrative. From there, the diorama comes alive—inviting readers to immerse themselves in these different worlds that all fall under the elegant universe of Chaumet. Ultimately, the tome takes a comprehensive look at the house’s 240-year history through a unique and digestible lens. And it successfully offers a wealth of information about the jeweler, history, storytelling, and design without the academic density—but with plenty of imagination.

Top: The cover of Tiaras of Dreams, Dreaming of Tiaras, which will be published by Rizzoli in April and will retail for $35 (photos courtesy of Rizzoli)