More Swarovski Musings, cool products, and etc.

I'm going to take you for a little wander through some of my Swarovski trip photos. Wrap yourself around a mug of coffee and let's go!

We all arrive at the Swarovski headquarters in Rhode Island. Even though this is primarily an admin building, they have still taken pains to ensure that it reflects (no pun intended - but fully appreciated) the essence of the business. The entrance has a crystal-like shape.





Near the entrance - there are tributes to the founder ...


and samples of the raw material.


Pictures of celebs adorned with Crystallized by Swarovski fashions and fashion accessories are on the walls everywhere.



Everywhere inside, you know you are somewhere special. On the way to the washroom - there is a niche with this crystal pyramid in it.


There is art hanging on the walls everywhere. Like these hot-fix on fabric pieces, which are framed under glass and hanging on the wall.


This blue one - the background is velvet - is my personal favorite. I'm really tickled by something that evokes traditional heraldic themes, much like a embroidery sampler, but in modern materials. Very cool. Here's a few more below.


This one above, with the red matt, is also cool for it's naive or folk art style. Another cool blending of disparate style and material.

And this one too is reminiscent of traditional folk embroidery. I don't know anything about the history of these pieces - whether they are in-house samplers, or winners in a competition. But they are way cool.

Also, everywhere you go, there are crystal chandeliers. This one graces the presentation room, where they do workshops, display mock-ups, etc. Those are the large, industrial ceiling tiles around it - to give you a sense of scale.



Interestingly, while we were looking at this particular lighting fixture in person - none of us could figure out what the light source was, how many bulbs, (how you would change them!). But in this next photo, the answer to that is obvious. The camera is less dazzled than the eye.

Aha - this gives you a better sense of the scale. Now, don't you think you could make a chandelier too? Just string some crystals - loop them around a light? How hard can it be? ;-)



Speaking of hot-fix rhinestones. Here are some of the samplers - colour squares.

And this shows a product that comes on a roll like a decal, but in a tape - for making long designs, like trim.

More colour squares, showing shades and finishes.


Some of the more high-end decals. These are not applied stone by stone, but come as a preassembled decal, that you apply in one go. You could use as it, but I'm thinking that using one of these as a starting place, and then expanding from there. Say, the tiger on the back of a denim jacket, and then doing flowers and leaves and vines free-hand around him.

These are some of the smaller decals, that you can use as accents, or combine into various patterns by using more than one. Or by cutting apart to change them up a bit, if you feel adventurous.



Well - that's probably all you can take of that for one day. I have to admit - I'm getting pretty intrigued by the hot-fix possibilities.