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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHANEL about," Comar says, adding that the goal of this design was to create someABOVE: The Byzantine architecture of thing that felt "very luxurious, very Venice inspired the designs in the new collection. RIGHT: The Lion Astral innovative, and yet very familiar." bracelet. FAR RIGHT: The Collier Lion Two standout looks, however, fall into Talisman necklace. a pair of key designs: The first is the platinum- and white-gold Lion Royal diamond necklace and earrings set, with the former offering the convertibility from a long, seductive sautoir to a shorter piece, again a nod to Chanel's love of adapting her jewels to her mood and the moment. The other masterpiece, says Comar, is Lion Mosaique, a collarlike necklace crafted to evoke the mosaics synonymous with Venice. And while you examine the intricacies of the seemingly abstract piece, you suddenly realize that the lion's head has emerged in relief from its center. Cirkva shares Comar's admiration for this look, calling it "a technical wonder. It's quite a bold statement, and yet so feminine and fragile. Coco Chanel said she loved to use diamonds because they represented the highest value in the smallest space; the artisans truly captured that idea with this piece." Comar, meanwhile, is always enthusiastic about these highjewelry debuts, but there's something different this time around: a tinge in his voice that conveys a bit more elation, a bit more intensity. He cannot conceal a grin when this is pointed out to him. "You know, they all touch me," he says. "But this one is a brand-new icon for us, something we've never really developed before. It's not a simple thing to take a lion and turn it into an icon of jewelry; it's not typically thought of as a jewelry element. But all that we have done in the past 20 years with our jewelry is seen in this new collection. Our entire learning curve is realized here. So yes, I'm very passionate about it." It's not often you get to witness an icon being born; generations that followed long after Chanel's passing in 1971 could not be present, of course, for the birth of the little black dress, the bouclé jacket, the camellia as an essential brooch, or the 2.55 bag. Each item is a romantic tale spun decades ago; today, we can only enjoy the fruits of these fashion triumphs. But might the lion be next in line for icon status? Such a question can only be answered with the benefit of time, but again Comar smiles when it's mentioned that, no matter whether you view it as a symbol of astrological birth or a symbol of rebirth, Leo certainly serves its purpose: to nurture the legacy of the woman who loved it. "If you see that," says Comar, "then I am very happy." BC —BENJAMIN COMAR "Coco Chanel loved to use diamonds because they represented the highest value in the smallest space." BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 140-145_BC_F_Fashion_Holiday_13.indd 145 145 11/1/13 4:46 PM