Name at Birth: Anne Paloma Ruiz Picasso y Gilot
Born: April 19, 1949
Birthplace: Paris, France
Known for: Being the daughter of 20th-century artists Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot; her jewelry designs for Tiffany & Co, her accessories collections and signature perfumes.
Retail Categories: Fine Jewelry, Accessories, Fragrance
Exhibitions:
- A 396.30-carat kunzite necklace is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History.
- Her 408.63-carat moonstone bracelet accented with diamonds resides at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
YouTube:
Style.com, Designer Profiles Paloma Picasso
Fun Facts: She has a fascination with red and began wearing bright red lipstick at the age of six. Her mother sketched her as a child and she is represented in several of her father’s works, such as Paloma with an Orange, Paloma in Blue and Claude and Paloma Playing, shown below.
One can only assume that Paloma Picasso inherited her creativity from her famous parents, 20th-century artists Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot. Or maybe it was the fact that she was immersed in the frenetic Paris art world from infancy. From an early age she spent long hours happily sketching along side her father as he worked in his studio.
She didn’t want to be compared to her parents or expected to pursue a career as a painter. Paloma spent her young adult years perfecting the image of herself that she wanted the world to know. She became instantly recognizable by her bright red lipstick. So much so, that she has said: “Red lips have become my signature, so when I don’t want to be recognized, I don’t wear it.”
“Red lips have become my signature, so when I don’t want to be recognized, I don’t wear it.”
P.P.
But she did ultimately become a highly successful jewelry designer. As a child she would ask her mother if she could play with her jewelry and would try those pieces on and admire them in the mirror. Later she started collecting stones that she found at flea markets and fashioned them into one-of-a-kind necklaces. These pieces soon drew the attention of critics, which bolstered her confidence and launched her jewelry design career in 1968, while she was still working as a costume designer in Paris.
This early success prompted Paloma Picasso to pursue formal training in jewelry design. The following year, she showed her first pieces to her famous friend, couturier Yves Saint Laurent, who hired her to design the accessories for one of his collections. In 1971, she worked for the Greek jewelry company Zolotas. She struggled to be creative after her father died in 1973. So she took an hiatus and explored an acting career. She only acted in one film and later returned to the design world.
The collaboration between Ms. Picasso and Tiffany & Co. began in 1980. One of her first designs for Tiffany was the ‘Cage’ bracelet, which is one of her favorite creations. Still popular today are her ‘Squiggle’ as well as the ‘X’ and ‘O’ designs which represent her signature, a Kiss and Love respectively. In 1984 she began experimenting with fragrance, creating the ‘Paloma’ perfume for L’Oréal. Soon after, a cosmetics and bath line including body lotion, powder, shower gel, and soap would follow.
Attributions:
Header Photo: By Eduardo Correa – Own work, Public Domain.
Claude and Paloma Playing: Courtesy of Gail owner of GailsVintagePrints
Promotional Photo of Paloma in red lipstick: Courtesy of Teri Goodson owner of TLGVintageArt
Squiggle Earrings: Courtesy of Anna Ling owner of AnnasTreasureBox
Eau de Parfum: Courtesy of Uliana owner of BaloVito
Love and Kisses Scarf: Courtesy of Elina owner of ElidisToys
Paloma Picasso Makeup Box Set: Courtesy of Karen Sheridan owner of KMSheridan