Swarovski and Tiffany Take Art to the Streets of New York and London

In a summer of shimmering heat, two high-end jewelry brands are offering royalty and art as artistic salve.

As you can see above, Tiffany & Co. is finally opening its Soho store in New York, and fêting the event with four artists’ renderings of true love — a recurring theme for the brand — “to trick out the hoarding around the façade” for two week stints each, each installation displayed on oversized wooden canvases in front of the Tiffany & Co. storefront as behind the scenes everything's getting ready for the opening.

Artist Danielle Dimstom kicked off the collaboration on July 16 with a stylized combination of text and drawings, followed by street artist Ellis Gallagher’s unique take on the colors of love on July 27. The current installation features a mural from Igor + Andre, which will be followed by the final artist in the series, Natasha Law. The installations can be viewed at 97 Greene Street.

Swarovski also brought in artists to make over its Regent Street storefront in London for the Olympics with the theme of Iconic London and a live illustration event inspired by Facebook fans (watch creative duo Goodwives & Warriors install the window, above).

Now the brand known for bringing crystal bling to other brands is bringing its own rock'n'roll-inspired Fall/Winter 2012/13 Collection, “Kingdom of Jewels,” to consumers for a month of royal treatment.

The microsite features an interactive city guide showcasing “Royal” experiences customized for Swarovski consumers by local trendsetters and lifestyle bloggers.

The edgy Kingdom of Jewels collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week and was showcased at the recent Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore. Now consumers in Paris, Hong Kong and New York will have access, from August 27 through September 30, to 100 “jewels” on a first come, first served basis in selected stores in each city.

Each crystal chaton “jewel” is engraved with the name of the city and a unique code that once registered, unlocks the month of experiences and access to local music, nightlife, culture and fashion.

The campaign reaches worldwide to London, Madrid, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Milan, Stockholm, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Istanbul, Montreal, Melbourne, Paris, New York and Hong Kong, and is also available via a global online competition at kingdomofjewels.com. The final winner, chosen at random, will be announced in October.

Swarovski has created three films to accompany the campaign, hosted on each city page and on social media. The first two short films feature Swarovski’s creative director Nathalie Colin and singer Brisa Roché, her muse for the collection.

”I wanted to conjure up a muse who portrays a 'rock chick.' Rebellious and confident, she creates her own style with total freedom. Her jewelry suits her perfectly: an array of medieval, eastern and even a touch of Shakespearean are influences which are revisited to create an avant-garde, rock artist look, or in other words someone who depicts Rock Royalty,” says Colin.

The third film is a "tutorial," also supported through digital advertising, retail point of sale QR codes and visuals, and a Facebook app.