Paloma Picasso

Paloma Picasso
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Name	Paloma Picasso
Birth name	Anne Paloma Ruiz-Picasso y Gilot
Birth date	19 April 1949
Birth place	Vallauris, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Occupation	Fashion designer, businesswoman
Spouse	* Rafael López-Cambil (m. 1978; div. 2005) * Eric Thévenet (m. 2010)
Parents	* Pablo Picasso (father) * Françoise Gilot (mother)
Relatives	* Claude Picasso (brother) * Maya Widmaier-Picasso (half-sister) * Paulo Ruiz-Picasso (half-brother)

Paloma Picasso. Anne Paloma Ruiz-Picasso y Gilot, known professionally as Paloma Picasso, is a French fashion designer and businesswoman renowned for her work in jewelry and fragrance. The daughter of artist Pablo Picasso and painter Françoise Gilot, she leveraged her distinctive personal style and famous lineage into a globally recognized luxury brand. Her career is most famously associated with her long-standing collaboration with Tiffany & Co., for whom she created iconic jewelry collections, and with the L'Oréal perfume house for her signature fragrances.

Early life and family

Paloma Picasso was born on April 19, 1949, in Vallauris, France, the younger child of Pablo Picasso and his partner, the artist and writer Françoise Gilot. Her name, meaning "dove" in Spanish, was inspired by the symbol her father frequently used, notably in his lithograph La Colombe. She spent her early years between the French Riviera and Paris, immersed in a milieu of avant-garde creativity among friends of her parents such as Jean Cocteau and Henri Matisse. Her half-siblings include Paulo Ruiz-Picasso, Maya Widmaier-Picasso, and her full brother, art administrator Claude Picasso. Following her parents' separation, her mother later married American virologist Jonas Salk. Paloma studied at the University of Paris and briefly pursued a career in stage design before shifting her focus to fashion and design.

Career

Picasso began her design career in the late 1960s, creating costume jewelry for friends and for productions at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. Her bold, sculptural aesthetic caught the attention of the fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, leading to a commission to design accessories for his 1969 collection. In 1980, she launched her signature jewelry line with Tiffany & Co., a partnership that would define her professional life. Her collections, such as the "X" and "Graffiti" lines, featured vibrant gemstones like rubies, sapphires, and tsavorite garnets set in gold, becoming synonymous with 1980s opulence. Concurrently, she entered the fragrance world with "Paloma Picasso" for L'Oréal in 1984, a bold, spicy scent housed in a bottle she designed, followed by later scents like "Minotaure." She has also designed home collections for companies such as Christofle and authored the book Paloma Picasso: The Art of Being Extraordinary.

Personal life

Paloma Picasso married Argentine playwright and director Rafael López-Cambil in 1978; the couple, who had no children, divorced in 2005. She subsequently married French doctor Eric Thévenet in 2010. She has maintained residences in Paris, Lausanne, and Marrakesh, often opening her homes for features in publications like Architectural Digest. An active figure in the art world, she serves as vice president of the Fondation Picasso and has been involved in authenticating her father's works. Her personal style, characterized by dramatic makeup and strong colors, has made her a perennial subject in fashion magazines such as Vogue.

Legacy and influence

Paloma Picasso is credited with democratizing high jewelry, bringing a modern, wearable boldness to the traditionally conservative field through her work with Tiffany & Co.. Her designs are held in the permanent collections of institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. As a steward of the Picasso legacy, she plays a crucial role in the management and exhibition of her father's artistic estate. Her life and career have been documented in numerous biographies and profiles, cementing her status as an icon who successfully translated an artistic inheritance into a distinct commercial and creative identity.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career, Paloma Picasso has received several honors for her contributions to design. She was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the French government. In 1988, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented her with a special award for her jewelry design. She has also been recognized by the Fragrance Foundation, receiving a FiFi Award for her perfume achievements. Her enduring influence was further acknowledged when Tiffany & Co. celebrated the 40th anniversary of their collaboration with a dedicated collection.

Category:French fashion designers Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:People from Alpes-Maritimes Category:Tiffany & Co. people