At the age of 74, Paloma Picasso, the daughter of the legendary Pablo Picasso, a designer, and a standout guest at glamorous events, continues to firmly hold her status as a fashion icon.
“Art was never something special to me; it was simply part of my everyday life,” explains Paloma, the daughter of Pablo Picasso and painter Françoise Gilot. Her sense of color was something she developed from childhood, which is reflected in her wardrobe and outlook.
In fact, Pablo Picasso loved pigeons so much that he had several domesticated ones in his home, and he named his daughter Paloma, which means “dove” in Spanish. Paloma grew into an ambitious, independent artist, determined not to live in her father’s shadow, always forging her own path.
Paloma first applied red lipstick at the age of six, and by the time she was 25, it had become her signature. She began her creative journey by designing costumes for Parisian theater and soon fell in love with jewelry design, deciding to pursue it professionally. It was during this period that Yves Saint Laurent took an interest in her work.
Their collaboration blossomed into a long-standing friendship, with Paloma creating numerous jewelry pieces for the Saint Laurent house, eventually becoming one of his main muses. Seven years after they met, Saint Laurent designed her wedding dress.
Paloma continued to conquer the fashion world, designing a limited collection for the renowned Greek jewelry house “Zolotas” in 1970, while her gold bracelets and necklaces featuring moon phases became a symbol of minimalism for the brand.
After her father’s death in 1973, Paloma took a creative hiatus but returned to the fashion world seven years later in 1980, when she began her collaboration with Tiffany & Co. “She never follows trends, she’s always one step ahead,” said John Loring, Tiffany’s design director. Her designs became part of the brand’s heritage and an absolute classic.
Her first collection was titled Paloma’s Graffiti, launched when street art was still considered vandalism. She later used bold graffiti-style inscriptions in her designs. Paloma introduced colorful gemstones to fashion and taught women how to incorporate jewelry into their everyday lives.
Ultimately, the refined artist offered the world her personal symbol – the olive tree, which she enjoys from her window in her Moroccan home. Her love for the olive tree was reflected in her collection for Tiffany & Co., where delicate gold and silver branches adorned earrings and pearl necklaces.
Paloma continues her active collaboration with the American brand to this day. “The best piece of jewelry is the one I haven’t created yet,” she remarks.
“I once overheard women talking, and one said to the other, ‘That won’t be Paloma because she’s always wearing red lipstick.’ That’s when I realized how much of an incognito I had become,” explains Paloma.
Since then, Paloma has preferred the shade of the olive tree in her Moroccan home’s garden to public life.
