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- Dishari Basu

Caroline Scheufele has always been a trendsetter. Her career has been one of many milestones long before she came to helm Chopard in 2001, as its copresident. In 1985, she kicked off the family-run company’s jewellery line. In 1998, she reimagined the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or award. And more recently, in 2018, she made Chopard the first-ever sustainable luxury jewellery brand by ensuring it only uses Fairmined-certified gold. The certification assures ethical metal extraction and fair payment for the miners.

But she’s far from done. Nearly three decades into steering the brand towards scaling newer heights, the Germanborn designer talks to ELLE about her secrets to success, her vision for the brand, and her continued commitment to sustainability.

ELLE: What is your design philosophy? And from where do you draw inspiration?

Caroline Scheufele: Don’t look at what others are doing; be a step ahead and set trends rather than follow them. My inspirations range from architecture, fashion and nature, to the different cultures I encounter on my travels.

ELLE: How important is sustainability at Chopard?