Penélope Cruz x Atelier Swarovski

Jewels inspired by old Hollywood glamour

Inspired by old Hollywood glamour, Penélope Cruz has designed a collection with Atelier Swarovski starring luxurious, created gemstones and diamonds. The collection embodies the fresh spirit of fashion today, with the Swarovski heritage, craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability at its heart. The pieces are the epitome of elegance and romance, featuring sparkling created rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.
The use of created diamonds and gemstones is a turning point in fine jewelry. These most covetable of gems are equivalent to mined diamonds in every way, only the origin of their beginning changes.

Shop the Collection

Given that what we wear and consume creates a huge impact on society and the planet, what is your position as a public figure to convey this message?
I really care about not having a negative impact on the planet, in what I do, what I wear and what my family and I consume. It’s important to consider the implications for our environment in everything we do, which is why I loved working with Atelier Swarovski. Luxury brands and their ambassadors have a duty to act in a responsible manner and be considerate to our planet. My work with Greenpeace and my collaboration with Atelier Swarovski both give me the opportunity to open up discussions, shine a light on Conscious Luxury and create products that have a positive impact.

What excites you most about promoting this project, not just as an ambassador, but as the designer of the collection?
The design process was so fun. I am a very visual person, I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration, so I shared hundreds of images with the team. I’d had a little experience in design, but I’m still very lucky that Nadja and the team gave me such creative freedom. We sat together and talked through design ideas together and concepts. I was very grateful that they trusted me.

Why did you want to come on board this project and design the conscious luxury collaboration with Atelier Swarovski?
I had already worn some beautiful Atelier Swarovski pieces at events, but it was when I met with Nadja Swarovski and she spoke in-depth about Swarovski’s work with sustainability and Atelier Swarovski’s Conscious Luxury initiatives, that I became inspired to work on a collection with her. I really care about having a positive impact on the planet, and Swarovski has a rich history of putting sustainability at the heart of what it does. It was a perfect match.

What message would you like to communicate to LVR customers who buy this collection and support the acquisition of jewelry with lab diamonds and fair-trade gold?
I hope this collection inspires your customers to make responsible choices and gives them more options to purchase products that are made with care and consideration for people and the planet.

Given that what we wear and consume creates a huge impact on society and the planet, what is your position as a public figure to convey this message?
Communication is essential. I think there is so much more communication about the impact of manufacturing on people and the planet than there has been in the past. In the case of Swarovski, we work with the UN closely, and are members of the UN global compact which you have to sign up for every year, and must be certified to participate in. You have to guarantee that you will adhere to their 10 principles which are all about anti-corruption, environmental practices, human rights practices and so on.

Which is amazing, it is more engaging but real…
Yes, for us, unfortunately, there are no governmental rules and regulations. So, really it is the choice of the company to adhere to certain practices. I think because we are a family business we adhere to those practices, we care about our environment, and we care about our people. For us it is really important to be sustainable and to be green, so we invested money in filtration systems and in water cleaning systems – 73% of our water is recycled – so it’s totally doable. So, you know the communication is there, and the consumer is starting to put pressure on companies and demand information about the manufacturing process – so that’s the right way forward.

I really wanted to ask this question, because I think that people really don’t know that you’ve been involved for a long time in sustainability. It’s a current topic and everyone wants to talk about it, so it would be amazing if you could share some information about the topic.
Yes, well you know everything goes so hand in hand, whether it’s the people one works with, the environment one is active in or how one protects the environment. But, you know, because we are a private company I think we truly value our employees and our environment. Obviously, we started with our Austrian manufacturing, but we’ve continued with this mentality in other countries where we manufacture, including Thailand, Vietnam, and India. The positive impact that we are seeing and the appreciation from the employees is incredible. For example, in Thailand, we have a breastfeeding facility and also give accounting services. We realize that people are not managing their money and not planning ahead, so we offer those services for them, as well as preparation for motherhood and birth that will allow people to come back to work and receive an income.

It is admirable that you care so much about not just about the environmental impact, but also about your employees. Company welfare initiatives also can help improve your business.
Yes, also Thailand is subject to flooding, so we also have a program that helps with water and flooding management. We also have Swarovski water schools in India, China, Africa, North America, and South America.

You’re an inspirational example, a woman in the business, developing your company growth and at the same time helping others. Let me say that even in the most developed countries, we don’t see these kinds of opportunities often, therefore it’s wonderful to have a reference.
Yes, it adds up, a little bit here, a little bit there – and before you know it you have this entire repertoire. I have to say, I appreciate my colleagues. I have a great CSR department who bring such great ideas. They have a grasp of what’s happening in the world, with the UN, the EU, and what is possible for us to implement. Another initiative we did was with the UN Women Empowerment program. We’re signatories of that and very proud. We also were able to start a diversity and inclusion program in Swarovski, and I think our employees really appreciate that.

I would love for that to happen in all companies. The economy would grow and be more inclusive.
Yes, exactly. It’s so important. We have rolled out gender bias training within the organization as well. We don’t even realize how gender bias we are, it starts from schools. I look at my children, the girls have to wear skirts, the boys have to wear pants and nobody questions it because it’s the traditional way.

Of course, even from a newborn, there are a lot of labels already.
This is about female empowerment – that does not mean we are anti-man – in fact, we are pro-man and pro-mankind. That is such a good attitude.

That is the point…
Our attitude also is that we are never anti-man. We are just pro-making the world a better place.

It’s been a vulnerable part of society….
Yes, another thing that’s so important is not to act like the victim. There are so many people who have been tremendous victims. But, you know what? They are empowered because they don’t act like the victim, they are just so grateful to be alive. So, you come from this place of strength vs. weakness, this is so psychological, and this is what we need to change our thinking. It’s a more positive approach to making a change, and that’s how change will happen. It will cause less resistance if you’re embracing in your approach.

How do you think that sustainability can be transmitted to the consumer to promote conscious consumption?
Well, I have to say, we have become so used to certain ways of doing business and manufacturing that are perhaps outdated. If you look at the fashion industry alone, (which is the second largest contributor to environmental damage after the oil industry), it has a purpose – but do we really need a collection every six months? Can everyone afford a collection every six months? How sustainable is it to have a new collection every season? Where do the old clothes go? So, I think that I am just reflecting the change that I’m seeing. I’m seeing that people are investing in better quality clothing and they are keeping them for longer.

In your opinion, why are laboratory created diamonds important?
It’s wonderful because we know that it has a minimal carbon footprint on the environment. People on the planet are not negatively affected. Having said that, there are a lot of mines now that are really trying to change their extraction policies to be more environmentally friendly. Certainly, they have a greater consideration for the miners as well. It’s become such a hot topic that mining companies had to pay attention. So, I’m very hopeful that in a few years the mining process will have improved. But, for now, I must say that our concept of created diamonds is so exciting for Swarovski! It really is the answer to our initiatives and sustainability, and I have always been very loud and clear that diamonds need to be more sustainable. And if Swarovski can have an influence on the world to produce more sustainably, then that’s a success!

Would you consider sustainability to be the new luxury in design and fashion?
Yes, I definitely think sustainability will not just be the new luxury, but just the new norm. I hope it’s going to happen sooner rather than later, as I think sustainability should be the foundation of any product. In terms of our collection, it was really exciting to work with Penélope Cruz. We have come together with our shared values for the environment and for people. This collection was made with created diamonds, and also synthetic rubies and sapphires along with fair trade gold from Peru. It’s so wonderful to have the opportunity and honor to work with such a kind person in the film industry, who is truly taking advantage of her fame and using it as a platform for communicating a better way of being. So, this is wonderful! Most of the people that we work with have very strong values, which are always are reflected through their designs, and such is the case with Penélope.