How Swarovski is Toasting 120 Years

July 2, 2015

Author: Tara Green

You don’t need a crystal ball to see that the future of Swarovski looks brilliant. The company, founded by Daniel Swarovski in 1895, continues to dazzle in the worlds of jewelry, fashion, design, and collectibles. This summer, it celebrates its 120th anniversary, a milestone that marks a very rare achievement in business: success and longevity. It’s a track record that has made Swarovski an international treasure. The company’s headquarters, which still houses the original subterranean maze where Swarovski perfected the precise cutting technique that catapulted him to fame, has become a landmark in the Austrian Tyrol, a cross between a museum and theme park for thousands of tourists.

The brilliant glass crystals that once embellished the gowns of Queen Victoria have become more than twinkling eye candy for royal décolletages and tiaras. They encrusted Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz and clung provocatively to Marilyn Monroe’s famous form while she sang "Happy Birthday" to John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in 1962. The gemstones also illuminate the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center and glitter on the Vegas Strip, highlighting a 14-foot crystal starburst. And this year, Swarovski’s famous Aurora Borealis stone adorned the glass slipper in the latest film version of Cinderella.

picture: princess wedding dresses

Swarovski remains a family-owned business. In 2011, Nadja Swarovski, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder, became the first woman to sit on the executive board, and has since become the face of the company. Nicknamed "The Crystal Medici," she is a singular force, a 21st-century patron of design, intent on bringing everything crystal into the cultural mainstream. Giorgio Armani and Diane von Furstenberg laud her support of emerging artists as she backs them on their journey to the center stage that is the world’s major runways. "We have worked with our Council of Fashion Design Awards to bring talents like Christopher Kane, Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy, and Mary Katrantzou to the global [arena]," Swarovski says.

"Design has been a huge focus of what we’ve done at Swarovski over the past 120 years," she adds. "And I’m especially proud of the work we have done mixing different disciplines." The company collaborates with such design stars such as Zaha Hadid, Tord Boontje, Yves Behr, and John Pawson—the latter creating the Swarovski Optik lens installation that magnified the majestic beauty of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral’s geometric staircase during London Fashion Week in 2011. Swarovski also keeps her discerning eye focused on Hollywood. In 2007, the company partnered with the Academy Awards and created a 34-foot-long, one-ton curtain encrusted with crystals to illuminate the stage.

And how, exactly, is the legendary brand celebrating its 120th birthday?

"We’re publishing a stunning Rizzoli book that celebrates our creative collaborations. We’ve also established the Swarovski Foundation, launching a number of new philanthropic initiatives across the three pillars of education, health, and environmental protection," Swarovski says. In addition, 13 of the company’s milestone creations have been exhibited in New York, including an ensemble worn in a Victoria’s Secret runway show in 2014. This same look, called the "Fairy Tale," was one of the items on display at the Spring/Summer 2016 innovation launch event as part of a retrospective that kicked off a year of celebrating Swarovski’s 120th anniversary. As it heads into its 121st year, the brand continues to prove that not just diamonds, but also crystals, are a girl’s best friend.