[Photo courtesy of Holt Renfrew]
Last Thursday, I attended Holt Renfrew's presentation of Dior timepieces with special guest Bernadette Morra from FASHION Magazine. It was an eventful afternoon featuring a speech by Bernadette and a display of exclusive and limited edition Dior fine watches. The timepiece that stole the show was the Dior Christal Passage n° 2 with diamonds and mandarin garnets, a $260,000 couture watch that John Galliano had designed to match an haute couture runway look.
Bernadette Morra is not only a top fashion journalist and the acting editor-in-chief of FASHION Magazine, she is also a fine watch collector and the creator of Firstwaternews.com, an online magazine covering the finest in watches and jewellery. Her busy schedule may include globetrotting for the latest fashion inspiration and visits to Grasse where fresh rose petals are concocted into the famous Chanel No.5, but she always makes time for fine watches. Bernadette’s speech evinced the deep appreciation she has for John Galliano and Christian Dior, while her smile and the sparkle in her eye conveyed a passion for fine timepieces. From our conversation, it seemed that she was not particularly one to chase the dernier cri in watch design but one to truly appreciate the fine craftsmanship and timelessness of exclusive watches. It was a pleasure to speak with her and I hope you’ll enjoy the interview as much as I did.
The Interview...
with Bernadette Morra
Carolina: I understand that you are a watch collector. What is your favorite piece from your collection?
Bernadette: It would have to be my Cartier Panthere, in gold, with a diamond bezel. I’ve had it for 3 to 4 years, and still get a thrill when I see it on my wrist. I think “wow” every time I look at it.
Carolina: Vintage or New?
Bernadette: That’s tough, as I love both. However, you have to be very careful buying a vintage watch. You can’t tell the condition of the internal movements, or if there are any replaced parts. It’s hard to be 100% confident in buying a vintage watch unless you take it in to be checked. But with purchasing new from a reputable brand, such as Dior, you always know what you’re getting.
Carolina: What was your first Dior purchase?
Bernadette: I think it was a J’adore Dior t-shirt. They’re so much fun!
Carolina: On a similar note, what’s your favourite Dior piece?
Bernadette: My favourite piece is a beautifully shaped black jacket with a fox collar and hourglass cut. I purchased this from a resale shop in Monaco called Le Dressing, which must be one of my most loved designer resale shops in the world. Many French women only wear their clothes for one season, so this shop always has a new and amazing selection every time I visit.
xo,
