A Cut Above the Rest

Caroline Scheufele’s latest capsule collection for Caroline’s Couture isn’t just a celebration of the intricate Insofu emerald—she's also paving the way for a more ethical, sustainable and comfort-led couture

- By Madeleine Mak

Haute couture is designed to go with haute joaillerie. This concept, while seemingly obvious, was left uncharted until Chopard co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele unveiled Caroline's Couture at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. And this sudden leap into the upper echelons of fashion was not the only trick up her sleeve.

In March, Chopard unveiled the first pieces from its Insofu collection, a chapter of high jewellery centred around a 1.22kg, 6,225-carat emerald that was originally extracted in Zambia. At the heart of the collection is an elephant-shaped pendant set with 50 carats of the Insofu emerald and two carats of diamonds.

Scheufele also announced an accompanying capsule collection by Caroline's Couture in which she paid tribute to the precious stone’s original rough state. Consisting of five gowns, the capsule collection goes beyond celebrating the emerald’s deep green hues. To emulate the uncut gem’s depths and inclusions, Scheufele ruched and draped fluid materials such as silk gauze, silk cady and taffeta; the silhouette of a column dress meanwhile, marked by an iridescent green silk neckline and a high leg slit, also resembles the Insofu emerald’s original slanted geometry.