Transformation: It’s a concept that likely resonates more deeply than ever with most of us given the year-plus we’ve spent inside while enduring a process of evolution within ourselves — and the world at large. So, what better timing for the release of a collaboration between the Italian house Bulgari and Greek designer Mary Katrantzou that centres around the themes of change, strength and growth? That’s not to say the connections explored within the range of decadent pieces was roused by the pandemic itself, as Katrantzou was already thinking about how to interpret Bulgari’s Serpenti icon before the world was plunged into uncertainty. “A mutual appreciation and affection” between she and the luxury brand had blossomed, Katrantzou says, after she featured pieces from Bulgari’s high jewellery collection (current and archival) in her first couture presentation at the Temple of Poseidon in Athens in 2019. Given the link between Sotirios Voulgaris, the Greek silversmith who founded Bulgari in 1884, and Katrantzou’s own heritage, a deeper creative union manifested from there.