Mariah Carey on Butterflies, Being Heedless of Time and Connecting With Chopard
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For Mariah Carey, it’s a “vocal rest” day, meaning no singing.
“You’re not supposed to talk either,” the singer/songwriter/composer tells WWD, though she is not about to miss an opportunity to discuss her collaboration with Chopard, the 162-year-old Swiss luxury jewelry and watchmaker, and how excited she has been working with Caroline Scheufele, the brand’s co-president and artistic director of Chopard. The two have created The High Jewelry Collection – Chopard x Mariah Carey, and The Happy Butterfly x Mariah Carey capsule collection.
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The high jewelry consists of a necklace, earrings and a ring — all in pavé diamonds of different sizes for texture, set in Fairmined-certified ethical 18-carat white gold. The Happy Butterfly collection, for day and eveningwear, includes earrings, rings, bracelets and pendant necklaces. Both collections are from suppliers approved by the Responsible Jewellery Council.
“For me, butterflies are representative of a specific time in my life when I had to break free from an intense, emotionally abusive relationship, and as a young woman, it was a moment I gained control of my life and I wrote this song, ‘Butterfly,’ which became my album which we are rereleasing this year, for the anniversary,” said Carey.
“Butterfly,” first released in 1997, proved a turning point in the career of Carey, who is known for her five-octave range and amazing “whistle” top notes.
“The metamorphosis and the whole symbolism of the butterfly became something that was really close to my heart,” Carey added. “As I was writing that specific song I was leaving a specific relationship and it just stuck with me. It’s not like, oh my gosh, she’s obsessed or fascinated with butterflies. No. This is just a very simplistic thing that became kind of synonymous for my fans with me. And now, doing this as a partnership with Chopard, one of the most amazing brands on earth, to have diamond butterflies is its own form of emancipation as well.”
The butterfly is also a style icon for Chopard, conveying renewed aspirations and a free-spirited approach to life.
“I feel like our goal was to create something aspirational but also attainable,” Carey said, explaining how the two collections offer looks for dressing up or down. “That represents the whole point, with me as a biracial person, all the dualities. It’s always, one thing that’s one way, and one thing that’s the other way.”
That’s why in one Chopard photograph Carey wears an elegant black dress with her large high jewelry Chopard butterfly diamond ring; in another photo, she’s wearing leggings and a white shirt with the more attainable Happy Butterfly jewelry. “My dog Mutley made his way into the video as well. Please do not leave Mutley out of this.”
Asked how the Chopard project came about, Carey said, “It was January when I discovered this gift next to my table, in my house, after Christmas. I do stay in that Christmas zone for quite some time and this gift was unopened. It had a handwritten note from Caroline with a beautiful silk scarf with a butterfly motif, and I just thought, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ [her iconic song released in 1994] was about to go diamond, which is a really big deal as a songwriter, singer, performer, whatever. Just a major moment for me. I wrote it when I was so young.
“So I had been thinking, oh my gosh, how incredible would it be to do a diamond collaboration, but I never dreamed this would happen. So I called Caroline, talked about all this stuff and while on the phone, Caroline actually sketched the most gorgeous butterfly necklace I’ve ever seen, and I still have the sketch,” said Carey. “It evolved into this Happy Butterfly concept. I don’t want to call it low-end, because there is clearly no low end with Chopard, but the beautiful bracelets and earrings, they’re more for everyday” wearing. “Chopard is so well known for their ethical diamonds, gemstones and gold. They made it an important part of the whole collaboration, and that was a major thing for me.”
“We had always talked about designing together,” said Scheufele, offering a slightly different version of the story. “So I reached out to see if Mariah wanted to collaborate on something special.”
Knowing Carey’s affection for butterflies, Scheufele focused on the fluttering butterflies as the main inspiration for Happy Butterfly. In addition, “Since Mariah has a personal passion for unique pieces, we knew we wanted to do a few one-of-a kind creations that would be truly exceptional,” Scheufele told WWD. “This led to an extraordinary diamond suite. The collaboration has been one of my most exciting projects.”
Though many of the design meetings had to take place virtually due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, the Carey-Chopard collaboration came together.
Carey and Scheufele crossed paths several times before, initially at the Cannes Film Festival and subsequently at other events, and became friends.
“I have always been a fan of Chopard, as any fan of fine jewelry would be,” said Carey. “My relationship with buying diamonds has evolved over the years. When I first started out, I didn’t wear any jewelry. I didn’t own any jewelry, and one day, my fabulous publicist from Europe, Connie Filippello, said, ‘Chopard has given you a beautiful gift.’ Ironically, it was a watch. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I don’t acknowledge time. It doesn’t exist. I don’t know what it is. I never heard of it. So Caroline gave me this incredible watch. It was my favorite piece for so long.”
Among fashion brands and designers, Carey favors Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, in no particular order. She seems as comfortable in jeans or in a provocative, low-cut evening gown, and can sometimes glam it up wearing a lot of jewelry and high heels.
“It really depends on the place where I am performing or what the ensemble would be,” said Carey. “I do love jewelry. Who doesn’t? Maybe some people don’t. I grew into my love of jewelry. I used to have just these little baby diamond earrings and that would be it. But then I decided to dive into it and now I am a collector and lover of all jewelry. But nothing will compare with Chopard. This is such a major moment for me, such a huge honor.”
She’s become almost as synonymous with Christmas as Santa Claus, largely due to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and her Christmas specials. Professionally, she always has exciting things planned for Christmas, like a TV special or concert, but nothing for next Christmas can be revealed at this moment. Speaking personally, “I love all things Christmas. Sometimes there is a private family moment and candlelight services, and yes, it’s usually me being over the top. Santa Claus will be visiting this year. We hang out with him.”
