Revisiting 1999: Bulgari reshapes the B.Zero1 line with the help of Zaha Hadid

1999 was an extraordinary year in fashion. As the world braced itself for the new millennium, the pendulum swung from the world of excess portrayed in the 1980s to its antithesis, grunge. Perhaps a synthesis of both made way for an antiseptic minimalism that extolled the virtues of clean shapes. In the last quarter of that extraordinary year, the luxury jewelry brand Bulgari gave birth to B.Zero1, characterized by stacked circles that serve either as pendants or rings.
Late last year, the collection was revived again with the help of architect Zaha Hadid, who used the Colosseum of Rome as an inspiration to reshape the collection. This isn’t the first time that the collection was revisited: sculptor Anish Kapoor also retouched the collection in 2010.
As a collective, the collection has been done in a variety of materials, from yellow, rose, and white gold, and during a party on April 20 at the Makati Shangri-La hotel, guests saw variations, including watches and bracelets, executed in materials such as ceramic and marble.
Mario Katigbak, general manager of Bulgari in the Philippines, said: “You have to understand that the strength of Bulgari is in construction and craftsmanship.” This probably explains why for this collection, Bulgari tapped the talents of an architect and a sculptor, instead of a designer.
The stackable rings, of different sizes, also have the capability to move when worn properly. Actually, Mr. Katigbak tells clients that when taking the stacked ring off, one must start at the bottom so as not to make the rings collapse or come apart.
The series also differs from other Bulgari collections, such as the Serpenti collection, which are designed to make one pause. “This is practical. It’s something that you can wear all the time,” said Mr. Katigbak, instead of say, wearing a snake-shaped bracelet that almost seems to seek to intimidate.
As in most things, however, what seems to be the most simple holds the most complexity: “It’s not just a ring: it’s craftsmanship,” he said. — J.L. Garcia