PARIS — French jeweler Fred is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a new bracelet and a social media campaign around the theme of luck.
For the occasion, it has commissioned a video by Chinese artist Liu Bolin, best known for his “Hiding in the City” series in which he painted himself to disappear in his surroundings. Made in collaboration with French director Alexandre Courtès, the video was unveiled at a party at Cap Estel on the French Riviera last week.
It highlights the new 8°0 bracelet collection, which features a gold buckle inspired by a nautical knot reminiscent of the number eight and the sign for infinity. It is available in yellow gold, pink gold or white gold, with or without diamonds, on a leather or steel cable bracelet. Prices range from 2,450 euros to 7,390 euros, or $2,700 to $8,145 at current exchange rates.
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Rachel Marouani, chief executive officer of Fred, said the unisex bracelet — which has a similar look to its best-selling Force 10 — was conceived as a talisman. “In Asian culture, eight is a lucky number, so that was our starting point and we wanted to position this anniversary bracelet around the theme of luck,” she said.
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“At the same time, this bracelet is totally in line with our past creations and obviously capitalizes on the history of the house. [Founder] Fred Samuel loved the sea and he was always chasing the light. He was very attracted to the Riviera, so all these factors converge,” added Marouani.
The brand is inviting residents of France, Switzerland, Korea and Japan to choose their definition of luck and repost it on Instagram with the hashtag #DefineYourLuck for a chance to win a bracelet. “The idea is to turn this 80th anniversary into a moment of pleasure, celebration, sharing and luck,” said Marouani.
The brand, owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, last year inaugurated a new flagship on Rue de la Paix in Paris and is looking to expand in China. It opened a store in Hong Kong in December and Marouani said it was performing well, despite the global slowdown in luxury spending in the region.