Tiffany & Co.’s new About Love campaign is a celebration of modern love and an internet sensation thanks to the appearance of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. In the initial images released on Monday, Beyoncé is wearing a curve-clutching black dress which drapes the floor while highlighting her figure, as well as mesh evening gloves—a look reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s ensemble in the 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s—while Jay-Z exudes sartorial elegance in a black tux, silk bow tie, and diamond-encrusted brooch.
As hard as it is to divert your eye from the power couple in these gorgeous images, the background setting is also stunning and noteworthy. Take for example the incredibly rare painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat behind them. It is part of a private collection; this is its first time ever being unveiled to the public. The ornate artwork, titled Equals Pi, exhibits Basquiat’s signature algebraic symbols, geometric shapes, and crown iconography. The color of the painting is also ironically a precise match of the Pantone® 1837 Blue, also known as Tiffany Blue®. The context behind the painting is up for interpretation, but people have speculated that Basquiat’s text, “Knowledge of the Cone”—depicted at the top of the painting—is a reference to Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience model, which suggests that people learn better from actively doing and practicing rather than just reading, listening, and observing.
The location of the campaign is the acclaimed Orum Residence in Los Angeles, peaking over the vast scenic landscape of Bel Air. The residence was designed by architect Zoltan Pali, and the spacious home measures in at an expansive 18,800 square feet. Tiffany & Co. confirms to AD that the dwelling—which features three distinct wings and is built so that it appears to be floating above the earth—was personally chosen by the Carters as the exquisite spatial backdrop for the shoot.
On September 15, Tiffany & Co. will release a film component of the campaign by director Emmanuel Adjei featuring Beyoncé’s rendition of “Moon River.”
Photo: Mason Poole / Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.Then there’s the angular wood chair where Jay-Z is seen sitting in one of the images. It comes from the private collection of Brazilian design dealer Ulysses De Santi and his partner, former Hauser & Wirth director Graham Steele. In fact, the chair appeared on AD when we toured—and were truly enamored by—their West Hollywood home last year. The chair, called Cubo, was designed by Jorge Zalszupin and produced in the 1970s.
Beyoncé (right) dons a lavish 128.54-carat yellow diamond Tiffany necklace worth an estimated $30 million. Remarkably, Beyoncé is the only fourth woman adorned by this opulent ornament. This is also the necklace’s first time ever appearing in a commercial advertisement.
Photo: Mason Poole / Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.Come September 15, Tiffany & Co. will release a video to go along with the still images, where, according to De Santi, many more contemporary furnishings will be unveiled. “All the pieces are vintage modern Brazilian designs from the main creators of the period,” he says, noting that founder of Salon 94 Art Gallery, Jeanne Beth Greenberg Rohatyn, facilitated much of the furnishings for the shoot.
The video is directed by Emmanuel Adjei, who previously worked with Beyoncé on Black Is King, and will feature the 28-time Grammy winner singing a rendition of “Moon River.”