Dinh Van

Dinh Van is a tribute to the French jewellery designer Jean Dinh Van who, in 1965, created a brand that defied all expectations, with innovative pieces designed to be worn by all.

An iconoclast by nature, French jeweller Jean Dinh Van worked metal by hand like a sculptor, guided by his instinctive creative impulse. With a modernist vision, he designed jewellery imbued with style that could be worn with anything, anywhere, anytime. He took jewellery "into the streets" with models like the handcuff bracelet that transgressed and revolutionised the traditional codes of Paris's famed high jewellery district, Place Vendôme.

Dinh Van, the "geometer of jewellery," placed shape and form at the centre of his innovative style. Photographs of his iconic works reveal his distinctive vocabulary, from his predilection for the void to his sublimation of ordinary objects—razor blades, military ID tags, thumb tacks—to his interpretation of the rounded square or the chain link. His artistic flair led to collaborations with many artists and couture designers, including Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, and Thierry Mugler.

Published to celebrate the brand's sixtieth anniversary, this monograph recounts the history of the groundbreaking jewellery designer, his emblematic creations, and how Maison Dinh Van continues to draw inspiration from his legacy, adapting his revolutionary codes to the modern day.