axence Van Der Bauwede, jeweller, designer, and gemologist, is the heir to a dynasty of jewellers established in 1890. Born in Lille in 1959, he moved to Geneva in 1983 to found his high jewellery workshop.
Before capitalizing on the family name and internationalizing the Van Der Bauwede Geneve brand, he worked primarily as a designer for prestigious houses on Place Vendôme, Rue du Rhône, New Bond Street, and Rodeo Drive, perfecting his craft alongside the greatest names in the industry.
Today, Van Der Bauwede Geneve is an independent and exclusive brand, controlling the entire value chain, from design to distribution. Its workshops in Geneva and Valenza, Italy, are the birthplace of unique and personalized creations.
It was by reconnecting with his Bruges roots that Maxence Van Der Bauwede came up with the idea of transposing the delicacy of lace-making, imported by the Medici family in the 16th century, to fine jewellery.
By revisiting this ancestral technique but enhancing it with gold and diamonds, he brings to life a lace jewellery of unparalleled finesse.
Thanks to innovative and patented processes, he transcends the boundaries between traditional craftsmanship and fine jewellery, combining timeless elegance with a heritage of more than 400 years.
During Fashion Week 2024, Maxence is captivated by Victor Weinsanto’s show at the Centre Pompidou. This young fashion prodigy, known for his boldness and controlled exuberance in haute couture, embodies an artistic vision that blends fashion, drag culture, and unbridled creativity.
Fascinated by this energy, Maxence contacted Victor, and an immediate bond was formed. Together, they broke with convention, uniting the worlds of fine jewellery and haute couture. This encounter marked the beginning of an ambitious project: the Lace & Diamond collection, an ode to disruptive elegance where the delicacy of precious lace meets haute couture and fashion.
The result of more than 18 months of research and development, the Lace & Diamond collection is a technical feat. The Van Der Bauwede Geneva brand has developed an exclusive, patented process that adapts lace weaving to the world of fine jewellery.
Each piece is meticulously created on an Avalon base, a technical material that disintegrates on contact with water, releasing a lace of gold and diamonds, woven stitch by stitch with millimeter precision under a microscope. This unique process guarantees jewellery that is lightweight, flexible, and exceptionally durable, designed to blend harmoniously with haute couture creations.
Each work in the collection comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity, personally signed by Maxence Van Der Bauwede and Victor Weinsanto, attesting to its uniqueness and iconic status.
The Lace & Diamond collection embodies a bold fusion of heritage and modernity, combining the timeless elegance of jewellery with the visionary extravagance of fashion. By bringing their worlds together, Maxence Van Der Bauwede and Victor Weinsanto are redefining the codes of luxury, offering a new path where exceptional craftsmanship meets creative avant-gardism.
Unveiled during Fashion Week, this collaboration celebrates the alliance of two visionaries determined to push the boundaries of their disciplines. Lace & Diamond is not just a collection; it is an artistic statement, a dialogue between tradition and audacity, ready to captivate the world.
