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"    Photo: Atelier Swarovski by Stefano Poletti, Polygonum Earrings   Swarovski has a knack for scouting new talent. Back in the early 1920s, the house teamed up with little-known designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Fast-forward almost a century, and the crystal giant has returned to its roots with Atelier Swarovski. Collaborations with creative masterminds like Christopher Kane, Matthew Williamson, Joseph Altuzarra, Mary Katrantzou, and even architect-extraordinaire Zaha Hadid have produced innovative confections that don&amp;#039;t have anything &amp;quot;crystal-encrusted&amp;quot; anywhere in sight.  For Spring 2013, Atelier Swarovski has brought on two veteran designers: Vanessa Seward\u2014who hails most recently from Azzaro but previously worked under Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford on the accessories at Chanel and YSL, respectively\u2014designed a bohemian collection, while Stefano Poletti\u2014who cut his teeth under   Christian Lacroix and Thierry Mugler back in the &amp;#039;90s and has since been turning out eye-catching joaillerie\u2014looked to nature&amp;#039;s bounty for inspiration.  ELLE.com had an exclusive chat with the newly-anointed Atelier Swarovski designers to find out how they approached the opportunity and to discover their favorite designing moments.  VANESSA SEWARD  Photo: Atelier Swarovski by Vanessa Seward, Bianca Necklace ELLE: How did you conceive the collection?  Vanessa Seward: The starting points were the Swarovski elements themselves. It was important for me to be able to play with them and see how they worked together. I selected quite a few from their vast catalogue, and they sent them all.  ELLE: What is your favorite material to work with?  VS: I love working with Swarovski crystals\u2014right now I&amp;#039;m obsessed with the Golden Shadow color. I also love pink gold\u2014it looks so beautiful against the skin.  ELLE: What was the most exciting aspect of designing this collection?  VS: The challenge for me was to do something that looked different.  ELLE: What&amp;#039;s your favorite designing moment? VS: As I worked from home on the collection over Christmas time, I used some of the elements as Christmas decorations on my tree. And they looked amazing!  STEFANO POLETTI  Photo: Atelier Swarovski by Stefano Poletti, Stephanotis Neckpiece ELLE: In your own words, tell us about your inspiration.  \u2028 Stefano Poletti: I&amp;#039;m often inspired by nature. The meeting with Swarovski crystals made me dream of tropical vegetation [made] of beautiful, shining, blooming vines twined around the neck, around the wrist, and the fingers, illuminating the face with wonderful garlands of flowers, which are perfect for summer evenings!  ELLE: What does Swarovski mean to you?  SP: The beauty of crystals combined with the sparkling of light, which interact with the incredible perfection of their cut. ELLE: What is your favorite piece from the collection?  SP: I think the Clerodendrum cuff is the piece that best shows the twining and blooming of the vine around the wrist. ELLE: What&amp;#039;s your favorite designing moment? SP: The challenge and the opportunity to be completely free to work with all the Swarovski components. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/accessories/news/a22527/swarovski-spring-2013-vanessa-seward-stefano-poletti-interview/?click=news>