Boucheron and its four-legged lucky charm: Wladimir, the diamond-loving cat

Long before there was Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld’s white-haired Birman cat, there was the beloved Boucheron family feline, Wladimir.

Pictured here in 1981 wearing the Collier Fleurs necklace in yellow gold with 14ct diamonds and 17ct sapphires, Wladimir’s career as a muse of the French luxury jewellery maison began in the ’70s when he was adopted by Gérard Boucheron, son of founder Frédéric, and starred in a 1979 advertising campaign. Draped in diamonds and pearls, or pawing (pardon the pun) over Boucheron’s latest watch, he made several more appearances during the ’80s, cementing his status as more than just a family pet. But it wasn’t only the lens that loved him. He was known to be very affectionate to clients, who thought he brought a unique sense of domesticity to the private townhouse boutique at 26, Place Vendôme, where he resided.

Boucheron was, in fact, the first jeweller to take up residence at Place Vendôme, a move that would act as a catalyst in the area earning its reputation as Paris’ home of high jewellery. It was a bold decision given the jeweller’s relocation from its former Palais Royal home which, at this time in the 19th century, was the centre of luxury Parisian trade. But not for Monsieur Boucheron, whose sights were set on expansion and what we know today as being the jewel in the Paris luxury shopping crown. His part in setting this in motion would begin in 1893.

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Frédéric Boucheron was born in Paris on December 17, 1830, the son of haberdashers who worked for some of the city’s most prestigious couture houses. Accordingly, he learnt from an early age about the very finest of fabrics, the delicacy of materials such as lace, and how to translate this into jewellery design. This would distinguish him as a pioneer when he set up his own jewellery shop in the Galerie de Valois at Palais Royal in 1858. Success came quickly and he won his first gold medal in 1867 at Paris’ World’s Fair.

It would be the first of many accolades: in 1879, along with the head of his workshop, Paul Legrand, he innovated the revolutionary necklace without a clasp, which broke free from the constraints of complicated fashions and jewellery of the day, and, as a result in 1889, won the house the Grand Prix for Outstanding Jewellery Collection, once again at the World’s Fair. Boucheron would win yet another in 1900, and then again in 1931 at the Colonial Fair.

Word had got around, and Boucheron’s books were filled with the names of Hollywood stars and royalty, all placing orders for a piece of his invention and imagination. In 1928, impressed by Boucheron’s reputation, the Maharaja of Patiala arrived at Place Vendôme with six chests of precious stones, and an exceptional order for a reported 149 pieces of jewellery to be made up, consisting of thousands of diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

It became the largest commission recorded at Place Vendôme. And in 1948 Edith Piaf bought herself a Reflet watch for good luck after writing the song L’Hymne à L’Amour, which went on to be a huge success. It was Monsieur Boucheron’s ability to capture the zeitgeist, combined with his talent as a great sculptor of gold, that set him apart. He presented new and contemporary ways of wearing jewellery, bold and free, which were central to his aesthetic, as was his love for nature and animals which featured regularly in the house’s collections – something that is continued today under the watchful eye of the brand’s current creative director, Claire Choisne. A graduate in jewellery from Paris’ prestigious Haute Ecole de Joaillerie, and the former head of the creative studio Lorenz Bäumer, Choisne joined Boucheron in 2011.

This year marks the 160th anniversary of the luxury jewellery house, and what better way to mark this milestone than to pay homage to its beloved Place Vendôme. Staged at the Monnaie de Paris in January this year, the interactive retrospective ‘Vendôrama’ offered visitors the opportunity to delve deep into the brand’s history, learn about the craftsmanship of high jewellery, see its most famous creations from the archive as well as its latest collections – and come face to face with none other than Wladimir. Le petit chat once again played a starring role, this time onscreen via a dedicated app, as an augmented rendering and tour guide for the exhibition.

In real life, neither Wladimir nor any of his direct feline descendants are still with us, but his presence can still very much be felt: the homely décor of 26, Place Vendôme permeates through all Boucheron boutiques; and cats, though not necessarily domestic like Wlad, have been a recurring motif among its collections since the beginning. Both ‘Fuzzy’ – the Bengal leopard ring set with emeralds, champagne and white diamonds in pink gold – and ‘Shibli’, a lion cub ring rendered in pink gold set with cabochon pink quartz, pave brown and white diamonds and cabochon emeralds, would make for empowering additions to any jewellery collection.

Indeed, the maison’s relationship with nature has been a constant source of inspiration. Its Serpent Bohème collection, which coincidentally celebrates its own 50th anniversary this year, takes inspiration from the reptile symbolically rather than figuratively; the peacock feather began to appear as far back as 1866 before its incarnation as the Point d’Interrogation necklace; and, of course, there’s ‘A Collection of Animals’, a menagerie of haute bijoux wolves, hummingbirds, hedgehogs, parrots, eagles and doves, which all form Fuzzy and Shibli’s extended family. “Since 1858, the maison Boucheron has imagined a collection of fabulous animals that is enriched year after year for the pleasure of the initiated clientele,” Choisne said earlier this year of the renowned signature line. “At the heart of the Animaux de Collection lies the Boucheron archives, legends and cultural references from very diverse horizons.”

As the designer now leading that charge, Choisne continues to carry the legacy of the Boucheron name. And as 26, Place Vendôme readies itself for a grand reveal in September, having undergone renovation works in this very important year, you can expect a whole lot of magic this autumn. Which, we’re sure, is more likely to be along the lines of a metaphorical roar than a miaow.