Picasso, Paloma

(1949-)
Lopez–Cambil Ltd.

Overview

Paloma Picasso, the daughter of the legendary Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, has achieved her own renown as an internationally famous jewelry designer. She also achieved success on a global scale with a line of cosmetics and a multi–million–dollar accessories company. Befitting the progeny of a famous artist, Picasso possessed abundant visual flair, evident in the design of her jewelry, which is noted for its distinctive shapes and color combinations. Her social skills, artistic talents, and professional savvy helped establish a long–standing professional relationship with Tiffany & Company, which introduced her first exclusive collection of jewelry in 1980. Picasso's success in jewelry design resulted in her expansion into cosmetics, fashion accessories, and china. Her designs have been sold all over the world and include eyewear, cosmetics, and leather goods. Picasso's personal visual stamp can even be found in the packaging and advertising of her products.

Personal Life

Paloma Picasso was born in Paris, France, on April 19, 1949, to Pablo Picasso and Francoise Gilot. Her father was the world famous Spanish painter best known for developing the "cubist" style, and her mother was a French artist and writer. She is represented in many of her father's works, including Paloma with an Orange.

Pablo Picasso and Gilot were 61 and 21, respectively, when they first met. The couple lived together for ten years but never married, as Pablo Picasso was prohibited by Spanish law from divorcing his first wife. He and Gilot had two children together, Paloma and her older brother Claude. In 1961 Picasso legitimized his children's status by legally giving them his name.

Paloma, the Spanish word for "Dove," grew up in Paris and the south of France among artists and intellectuals. She never received any formal instruction in painting from her artistic parents, but was encouraged by them to draw. Rather than setting out on a career path similar to her parents, she first chose to express her own artistic instincts in the way she presented herself. When she was a teenager, she became known in Paris for the personal look she created by matching flea–market finds with designer clothes items. During this period, she became friends with influential people like designer Yves St. Laurent and John Loring, of Tiffany & Company.

Still, Paloma put aside any notions of an artistic career, fearful that her efforts would always be measured against the output of her famous father. However, after graduating from the Université de Paris in Nanterre, she became a theatrical costumer and stylist for a Parisian theater production company. Some of her creations, particularly rhinestone jewelry, caught the eye of appreciative critics. Encouraged by the attention, she began formal schooling in jewelry design and fabrication.

In 1969 she presented her first efforts to St. Laurent. Her work so impressed him that he commissioned her to design a collection of jewelry to go with his fashions. When Pablo Picasso died in 1973, Paloma temporarily lost all interest in designing. She put her career on hold to catalogue and authenticate her father's large estate. This proved an especially difficult task, as her father had left no will and lawsuits were filed for shares of the estate, which was valued at $250 million. Paloma's eventual share was estimated to be close to $90 million. At this time, she also helped the French government establish the Musée Picasso in Paris, which opened in 1983.

In the mid–1970s she met Rafael Lopez–Cambil, an Argentine playwright and director whose work she admired. She began to work with him, designing costumes and sets for two of his Parisian stage productions. The relationship went from professional to personal, and the two were married in 1978. Their wedding ceremony was described as an event, as Picasso wore a St. Laurent design that featured her trademark red, white, and black, and the reception was held in a disco. After the marriage, Lopez–Cambil left the theater and became Picasso's business partner.

Two decades later, in 1999, Picasso divorced Lopez–Cambil. At the time, annual sales of their fashion and perfume products were estimated at $825 million. Picasso told Women's Wear Daily that she had to turn over a $100 million because she had unwisely attributed much of her company's success to her husband. In May of that year she wed French gynecologist Eric Thevenet. In January 2001 the couple moved to Switzerland, settling in the Lake Geneva region. There she established the Paloma Picasso Foundation to promote the works of her parents, especially her mother's, of whose work very little was known in Europe.

In 1988 Picasso won the MODA Award for design excellence from The Hispanic Designers, Inc. She was also honored that year by The Fashion Group as one of the "Women Who Have Made an Extraordinary Impact on our Industry." Additionally, she was inducted into The Hall of Fame International Best Dressed List. Her works are featured in the permanent collections of two United States museums. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History displays a 396.3–carat kunzite necklace that she created. Adorned with diamond "lightning bolts", her 408.63–carat moonstone bracelet is housed at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Career Details

Like many people born to a world–famous parent, Paloma Picasso was always determined to make it on her own. She never wanted to use her father's name or her inheritance to further her career. As a result, she demanded much of herself. Ultimately, she would harness her own natural creativity toward success in a number of diverse professional and artistic activities.

Picasso's talents for jewelry design first became evident when she worked as a stage designer assistant for a Paris theater company. Her skills attracted notice when she was asked to find a necklace for a leading lady. Displaying an artistic resourcefulness, she turned some Folies Bergere rhinestones into a remarkable choker. Soon after, St. Laurent helped her launch her career when he commissioned her to design fashion jewelry for sale in his Rive Gauche boutique. Energized by the opportunity, she developed her skills further and, in 1971, designed gold jewelry for the House of Zolotas. Again, critics were impressed, and her reputation began to grow.

Her career took a brief sidetrack, however, in the early 1970s after her father died. In 1974, during the period when she had temporarily given up on designing, Picasso acted in Immoral Tales (Contes Immorreaux), directed by Walerian Borowczyk. The movie was lauded by critics and won the coveted Prix de l'Age d'Or. Picasso earned praise for her performance as an evil Hungarian countess with unusual desires. But it has been her only foray into the acting profession, even though she said she enjoyed the experience and would like to star in a film about legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel. After her marriage to Lopez–Cambil, Picasso resumed her designing career in earnest, paving the way for her most significant achievements.

In 1979 she began her long–standing association with Tiffany & Company when the firm's design director, John Loring, invited her to present a table setting for an exhibition. She was excited about the opportunity, as she had always wanted to design for an American store. Her jeweled creation, titled the End of Summer, featured a silver ribbon and a mushroom–shaped cake. The setting received good notices, and Tiffany asked Picasso to create jewelry for the company. The next year Tiffany unveiled Picasso's first exclusive collection of jewelry. Her works were applauded for their imagination, innovation, boldness, and use of brilliant color contrasts, and it is generally acknowledged that she redesigned the direction of modern fine jewelry design. Characteristic pieces included chunky necklaces of marble–sized gemstones, sculptured bracelets, and a fan ring that spread over three fingers. She also produced the oft–copied and extremely popular "hugs and kisses" jewelry that featured Xs and Os in gold and silver on pins, bracelets, and necklaces. Picasso's pieces ranged in price from $100 to $500 thousand.

Picasso ventured into the cosmetics field in 1984, when she and Lopez–Cambil produced a fragrance named Paloma Picasso. Picasso's decision to produce her own fragrance was somewhat appropriate, as her maternal grandfather, Emile Gilot, was a chemist and perfume manufacturer in Grasse, France. Picasso recalled how, as a child, she was fascinated by her grandfather's workshop as well as the art of perfumery itself. She described the fragrance as a "jewelry for the senses." The fragrance itself was a blend of florals and amber. The success of the perfume, which was produced by L'Oreal and was priced at over $150 an ounce, encouraged Picasso to expand her collection to include lipstick, called Mon Rouge. The cosmetic's distinctive red color became closely associated with Picasso's own visual style, and it came to be called "Paloma red." Picasso even designed the red–and–black packaging for the product.

Chronology: Paloma Picasso

1949: Born.

1969: Designed jewelry for Yves St. Laurent.

1971: Designed jewelry for the House of Zolotas.

1974: Starred in movie Immoral Tales (ContesImmorreaux).

1978: Married Rafael Lopez–Cambil.

1980: Began association with Tiffany and Co.

1984: Enters cosmetics field.

1987: Established Lopez–Cambil Ltd.

1989: Designed china for Villeroy and Boch.

1990: Produced anniversary collection for Tiffany.

Further energized by the success of their joint ventures, the husband–and–wife team expanded its efforts into fashion accessories. In 1987 they founded a New York City–based company, Lopez–Cambil Ltd., to produce and distribute imported designer handbags, belts, umbrellas, and small leather goods. The company had offices and a showroom in New York City, and the products were manufactured in Italy. The collection, called Couture accessories, became known for its high quality and artistic design. The pieces were described as simple and understated, with a playful splash of color. The leather handbags were sleek and angular with bracelet–style handles, and they were tastefully studded with gems. In 1990 this venture was followed up by a less expensive line of accessories called By Paloma Picasso, which made Picasso's work available to a much larger market.

In 1990, Picasso also introduced an anniversary collection to commemorate ten years of designing jewelry exclusively for Tiffany & Company. The extraordinary collection featured necklaces mounted with some of the world's rarest and most beautiful gemstones and, again, her work was praised for its innovation.

Picasso continued to expand into new collections. In 1989 she branched into the home furnishings market when she designed china for Villeroy & Boch, creating porcelain and ceramic place settings and tiles. Three years later she and Lopez–Cambil entered the world of men's cosmetics with the launch of the successful Minotaure fragrance line. For this product, Picasso put her design talents toward the bottle and packaging, while her husband developed the concept, the name, and mounted the advertising campaign.

Social and Economic Impact

Throughout her life, Paloma Picasso has been a trendsetter in the world of design. The rich variety of Picasso's output is available all over the world. There are Paloma Picasso boutiques in Japan and Hong Kong, and her accessories are available throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. In Europe, her creations include cosmetics and fragrances for L'Oreal in France, and sunglasses and optical frames in Germany. She also creates hosiery for Grupo Synkro in Mexico, and bed ensembles, towels, bathrobes, and dressing gowns for KBC in Germany.

Sources of Information

Contact at: Lopez–Cambil Ltd.
37 W. 57th St.
New York, New York 10019

Bibliography

"Celebrities in Switzerland: Paloma Picasso." Switzerland.isyours.com, 2000. Available at http://switzerland.isyours.com.

Johnes, Baird. "Celebrity Art." artnet.com, 5 May 1999. Available at http://www.artnet.com.

McGee, Kimberley. "Paloma: Picasso's Daughter Uses Jewels As Her Medium." Las Vegas Sun, 5 September 2001.

"Paloma Picasso." Ciao–magazine.com, 23 August 1999. Available at http://www.ciao-magazine.com.

"Paloma Picasso." GreatWomen.com, 2001. Available at http://www.bee-trader.com/ipp/women/picasso.html.

Przybys, John. "The 'Other' Picasso: Painter's Daughter Creates Her Own Artistry in Jewelry to be Displayed at Tiffany's." Las Vegas Review–Journal, 30 August 2001.

Paloma Picasso

As the daughter of one of the twentieth century's most influential artists, Paloma Picasso (born 1949) hesitated to enter the world of design. She did not want to be compared to her father, nor did she relish the unavoidable notoriety his name would provide. Once she began to show the jewelry she created for Zolotas of Greece in 1971, however, critics were genuinely impressed.

The success of the pieces Picasso produced for Tiffany & Company encouraged Picasso to design and market items ranging from fashion accessories to china. These items, including eyewear, cosmetics, and leather goods, may be identified by their bold shapes and brilliant colors, and are sold and appreciated throughout the world. Picasso's face is just as easily recognized. Posing in glossy magazine advertisements with her perfume, Paloma Picasso, the designer is, according to Hispanic, "her own best model." While Pablo Picasso transformed aesthetic standards in the fine arts, his trend-setting daughter has independently introduced fresh perspectives in fashion design.

Born April 19, 1949, Paloma Picasso has always been surrounded by art and artists. Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who was instrumental in the development of cubism, and Françoise Gilot, the French painter, named their daughter after the "paloma, " or dove, that Picasso had created for the posters announcing an International Peace Conference in Paris, France.

As a teenager developing her own tastes and styles, Paloma Picasso was reluctant to pursue artistic goals. "In the beginning, I tried not to think that I would have to do anything artistic, " she related in Hispanic. "From the time I was fourteen, I stopped drawing completely. … I thought, 'I don't want to become a painter like my father, ' but I didn't know what else I wanted to become." Picasso's urge to create soon surpassed her hesitation; she began to study jewelry design and fabrication while still in her teens.

Personal and Business Partnership with Lopez-Cambil

After the elder Picasso died, Paloma Picasso lost interest in designing. "I had given up designing when my father died in 1973, " she recounted to the New York Times. "I didn't feel like doing anything. I just looked at all the paintings, and there was the sense of being overwhelmed." Picasso's father had left no will, and his illegitimate children, Paloma, her brother Claude, and her half-sister Maya, brought suit for their share of the estate, which was valued at $250 million. When Paloma Picasso finally won her share of the inheritance, which was estimated to be close to $90 million, she chose some of her father's works. As the French government had also received a huge sum and a collection of works as taxes from the estate, Picasso consented to assist it in the creation of the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Although Picasso had temporarily given up designing, she began another artistic endeavor. She starred in a motion picture that won the Prix de l'Age d'Or, 1974's Immoral Tales (Contes Immorreaux). Directed by Walerian Borowczyk, the movie was praised by critics, and Picasso's performance as a Hungarian countess with eccentric sexual desires was met with enthusiasm. The New York Times reported, "Paloma Picasso, the late Pablo's daughter … has a magnificent figure and a face as beautiful as her father's drawings from his classical period." While Picasso has not since pursued acting, she has often expressed her hope to portray the designer Coco Chanel in a motion picture.

Picasso met the Argentine playwright and director Rafael Lopez-Cambil (known by his pen name, Rafael Lopez-Sanchez) after her father's death. When she began to work again, it was for Lopez-Cambil; Picasso designed the sets for some of his productions. The relationship between Picasso and Lopez-Cambil became personal, and the couple married in 1978.

The wedding was an event. Wearing a red, black, and white Yves St. Laurent original for the ceremony, and a heart-shaped, red, Karl Lagerfeld gown for the disco reception, Picasso once again excited the fashion world. The New York Times stated that during these years, Paloma Picasso had become "something of a muse to Paris couturiers, " and especially to the designers of her wedding gowns. The petite woman had once again impressed the design world.

Association with Tiffany & Company

In 1980, John Loring, senior vice-president of Tiffany & Company, asked Picasso to create jewelry for the company. "When Tiffany's asked me about doing jewelry, I was thrilled, " Picasso told the New York Times. She had always wanted to design for an American store. "I went into all the great jewelry shops of Paris. They are so grand, the salespeople seem to look down on you. As a customer you feel threatened. Tiffany is a great place because all kinds of people come in, just like Woolworth's." The company was equally enthusiastic about Picasso, whose pieces are priced from just over $100 to $500, 000. Loring spoke of her in Hispanic, "Paloma has taken the gaudiness out of jewelry but kept the glitter, " and Henry B. Platt, Tiffany's president, proudly exclaimed in Newsweek that "for the first time, people can hold a Picasso in their hands and try it on."

Brilliant gems framed in blocks of gold, large stones or metal pendants on simple cords, and gold or silver "hugs and kisses" ("X's" and "O's") are characteristic of Picasso's work. Unusual combinations of pearls, vibrant semi-precious stones, and metals are also prominent. Although her creations portend a new aesthetic for jewelry, Picasso, commented Newsweek, "rejects fine-art pretensions." The designer told the magazine, "This [jewelry] is something people can wear, rather than hanging it on the wall or putting it on the table. I like things to be used." In the New York Times, Picasso remarked that while "jewelry should be jewelry, something that you wear, " it "is more permanent, less superficial than fashion." Picasso continues to design fabulous jewelry for Tiffany & Company. Her tenth anniversary collection, which was presented in 1990, was described in Mirabella magazine as "having the raw power of just-cut stones and just-mined minerals. Her gems are deep pools of color hung on thick veins of gold."

Collaborated with Husband on Fragrance Development

In 1984 the plan to reinforce the Paloma Picasso image began with her fragrance, "Paloma Picasso." It seemed natural for her and her husband to come up with Paloma's own designer scent; Picasso's grandfather, Emile Gilot, was a chemist and perfume manufacturer.

With his experience in the theater, Lopez-Cambil carefully developed the fragrance project. He came up with a particular image for Picasso, which culminated in one of the most well known advertisements in the world, photographed by Richard Avedon, whereby Paloma Picasso the person was inextricably linked to Paloma Picasso the brand. As a couple and a team, this particular partnership had the advantage of a brilliant artistic director and a gifted designer.

Picasso, who habitually clothed herself in red, black, and gold, stated in Vogue that the perfume resembles herself: "What you see is what you get. I wanted my fragrance to be like that too." She made a similar remark in the New York Post when she announced that her perfume, which is priced at over $150.00 an ounce, is a "fragrance for a strong woman like myself." Picasso extended her fragrance collection and produced her signature lipstick, Mon Rouge, which escalated to her hallmark color, also know as Paloma Red.

Expanded Picasso Image

The continual success of Paloma and Rafael's ventures encouraged them to broaden their creative horizons even further. In 1987 Rafael expanded the Paloma Picasso image by creating a New York City-based company, Lopez-Cambil Ltd., to produce and distribute Paloma Picasso accessories—handbags, belts, umbrellas, and small leather goods—to be imported from Italy. This collection, labeled as Couture accessories, gained international notoriety for its flawless quality and impeccable design, which fueled the creation of their relatively less-expensive line, entitled "By Paloma Picasso." Both casual and elegant, this collection allows Picasso to reach a larger audience, with a comprehensive range of contemporary, affordable accessories, which constitutes a fast-growing part of the company.

In 1992 the men's fragrance Minotaure was launched with great success. Picasso designed the bottle and packaging, while Lopez-Cambil developed the concept, the name, and the cologne's first advertising campaign.

In addition to Paloma Picasso boutiques in Japan and Hong Kong, Picasso's accessories are available throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Paloma Picasso creations in Europe also include cosmetics and fragrances for L'Oreal in France, sunglasses and optical frames for a German company, hosiery for Grupo Synkro in Mexico, and bed ensembles, towels, bathrobes, and dressing gowns for KBC in Germany. As in the United States, home design has become a new era of creation for Paloma Picasso, with collections of bone china, crystal, silver, and tiles for Villeroy & Boch and fabrics and wall coverings for Motif.

Further Reading

Harper's Bazaar, December 1989, pp. 144-50; January 1991, pp. 123-26.

Hispanic, October 1988, p. 36; December 1988, pp. 28-33; May 1991, pp. 20-26.

House and Garden, November 1990, pp. 236-76.

House Beautiful, February 1989, pp. 103-104.

Mirabella, November 1990; December 1990.

Newsmakers, Volume 1, Detroit, Gale Research, 1991, pp. 89-92.

Newsweek, October 20, 1980, p. 69.

New York Post, March 26, 1984.

New York Times, March 11, 1976; June 9, 1980, p. B16; April 22, 1990, p. S38.

New York Times Magazine, April 22, 1990, p. 38.

Vogue, April 1981, pp. 229-31; December 1985, pp. 318-31; January 1990, pp. 190-97.

Working Woman, October 1990, pp. 140-45.

Additional information for this profile was provided by a Lopez-Cambil Ltd. biography of Paloma Picasso, 1995. □

PICASSO, Paloma

French designer

Born: Paris, France, 19 April 1949, daughter of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot. Education: Attended University of Paris, Sorbonne, and University of Nanterre; studied jewelry design and fabrication. Family: Married Rafael Lopez-Cambil (aka Lopez-Sanchez), 1978. Career: Fashion jewelry designer for Yves Saint Laurent, 1969; designed jewelry for Zolotas, 1971; designed costumes and sets for Lopez-Cambil's Parisian productions L'Interprétation, 1975 and Success, 1978; teamed with Lopez-Cambil to create Paloma Picasso brand, including jewelry for Tiffany & Company, from 1980; introduced fragrance and cosmetics line, 1984; designed men's and women's accessories for Lopez-Cambil, Ltd., 1987; began designing fabrics and wall coverings for Motif, 1993; celebrated 20 years with Tiffany, 2000; designed hosiery for Grupo Synkro; eyewear for Carrera; bone china, crystal, silverware, and tiles for Villeroy & Boch; household linens for KBC; Paloma Picasso boutiques throughout Europe, and in Japan and Hong Kong; fragrances include: Paloma, 1984; Minataure, 1992; Tentations, 1996. Award: MODA award for design excellence, 1988. Address: Lopez-Cambil Ltd., 37 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA.

Publications

By PICASSO:

Books

Paloma Picasso: Galleria d'Arte Cavour, with Roberto Sanesi, Milan, 1972.

Designwelt Paloma Picasso (The Design World of Paloma Picasso), with Wilhelm Siemen, Hoccheim, Germany, 1997.

On PICASSO:

Books

Mulvagh, Jane, Costume Jewelry in Vogue, London, 1988.

Stegemeyer, Anne, Who's Who in Fashion, Third Edition, New York, 1996.

Loring, John, Tiffany's 20th Century: A Portrait of American Style, New York, 1997.

Articles

Irvine, Susan, "Paloma's Pink Period," in the Sunday Express magazine (London), 7 August 1988.

Fusco, Ann Castronovo, "Paloma's Classic Touch," in House Beautiful (London), February 1989.

Samuel, Kathryn, "The Look That Says Picasso," in the Daily Telegraph (London), 7 September 1989.

Beckett-Young, Kathleen, "Design for Living," in Working Woman (New York), October 1990.

Gandee, Charles, "Paloma Picasso Has Mass Appeal," in House & Garden, November 1990.

Stern, Ellen, "The Prolific Paloma," in House Beautiful (London), March 1992.

Landis, Dylan, "Paloma Picasso's Signature Style," in Metropolitan Home (New York), September/October 1993.

Gendel, Debra, "With a Red Kiss, Picasso Tours," in the Los Angeles Times, 13 August 1993.

Jolis, Alan, "Matisse, Picasso, Disney, and Paloma: Paloma Picasso Talks About Life With—and Without—Her Father," in ARTnews, November 1996.

Nightengale, Cyndi Y., "Wall Falls," in the Los Angeles Times, 2 May 1998.

"Paloma Picasso," in the Los Angeles Times, November 1998.

Ceballos, Chris, "Focus: Orange County Community News," in the Los Angeles Times, 26 August 1999.

Musselman, Faye, "The Softer Side of Paloma Picasso," in HFN (Home Furnishings Network), 20 March 2000.

Hessen, Wendy, "Tiffany Celebrates 20 Paloma Years," in WWD, 2 October 2000.

"Charles Tiffany's 'Fancy Goods' Shop and How It Grew," from the Biography Resource Center, the Gale Group, 2001.

"Paloma Picasso," from the Biography Resource Center, the Gale Group, 2001.

With such a name, one could hardly fail to be noticed. And since her marriage, her name has an even more exotic ring—Paloma Picasso Lopez-Sanchez. The daughter of Pablo Picasso, however, is undoubtedly a personality and exciting talent in her own right. Visually arresting with striking features, she always wore bright red lipstick to emphasize her white skin and thick, black hair; when she reached her fifties, however, she no longer cared for such scrutiny and wore less noticable cosmetics. "For 20 years, I put it on every day," Picasso told Faye Musselman of the Home Furnishings Network's weekly newspaper, HFN, in March 2000. "When I was younger, I wanted to make an impression, to look older. But now that I've turned 50, I obviously don't want to look older anymore."

Picasso has, however, continued to be a newsworthy and photogenic participator in the world's fashion circuit—and not because she is the daughter of Pablo Picasso. Picasso fille has earned her reputation through a myriad of creations, from fragrances, bath and body products, and cosmetics to sought-after jewelry and home furnishings.

Picasso was born and educated in Paris. Formally trained as a jewelry designer, her interest was possibly kindled by childhood memories of the glass beads seen on the island of Murano in Venice and an early fascination with sparkling colors. Initially, she was involved in costume design for the theater, where her originality and exotic pieces attracted much attention. An invitation from Yves Saint Laurent to create a collection of jewelry for his couture house ensured that her work was widely seen, and in 1972 her gold designs for the Greek company Zolotas achieved further recognition and acclaim.

In 1980 Picasso began designing jewelry for Tiffany & Company of New York, the legendary jeweler. Her early creations mixed color and varying gemstones in bold designs, demonstrating a modernity and panache that singled them out as something special. Her name (meaning "dove") and the color red were long used as essential ingredients of her work. Picasso's also began experimenting with fragrance, creating the very successful and distinctive Paloma, with its dynamic red and black packaging and strikingly shaped bottle. Described by its creator as "jewelry for the senses," the floral, wood, and amber scent was formulated in 1984 along with a cosmetics and bath line including body lotion, powder, shower gel, and soap.

The year 2000 marked a time for commemoration and change for Picasso. She had stopped wearing her trademark red lipstick, and underwent an artistic transformation as well. Her home furnishings collections, consisting of wallpaper and fabrics, had always been awash in bold, vibrant colors. But the new patterns and colors available in 2000 were softened and subtle, especially in a shimmering silk collection awash in silvery-grays, blues and greens. Moreover, there was more emphasis on texture and less on pattern.

While Picasso's jewelry has been available in the U.S. since the 1980s, her home accessories collections (except for a stint in linens) were sold in Europe. In the new millenium, however, the designer considered broadening both her product line and market. Style for the home, she commented to HFN's Musselman, "has become the new fashion statement. People are spending [much] more time thinking about their surroundings." Like a true connoisseur, though, she eschewed trends. "I don't like fashion that changes every six months. It's like the icing on the cake—but you still have to have a very good cake." Picasso's designs, whether for the body or its environment, continue to evolve.

—Margo Seaman;

updated by Kimbally A. Medeiros