The design – and particularly the soft curves of the blue stones – is inspired by the famous “Blue Danube” waltz, the traditional Opera Ball opening dance which was composed by Johann Strauss II and celebrated its 150th anniversary in February 2017. 

“It has been a privilege to partner with Swarovski to design such an iconic piece of jewellery,” said Pier Paolo Righi, CEO of KARL LAGERFELD. “This tiara symbolizes many elements at the core of our brand DNA: it fuses tradition and premium craftsmanship with an aesthetic that’s effortlessly elegant. We look forward to seeing the debutantes’ reaction to the tiara at the event in February.”  

The renowned Vienna Opera Ball, which is hosted annually by the Vienna State Opera and has a long-standing tradition as the cultural highlight of the Viennese ball season, took place on February 23, 2017. Each year, Swarovski partners with an international designer to create the iconic tiara, which is worn by debutantes at the ball.  Esteemed guests included Sophie de Langlade and Mirjam Schuele from KARL LAGERFELD, as well as Manish Arora, Lena Hoschek, Evelyn Haim-Swarovski and Klaus Haim, and Chanel’s Kim Young-Seong.

 “We are honored to collaborate with Karl Lagerfeld to create this year’s tiara for the Vienna Opera Ball. His beautiful and sophisticated design, inspired by the tradition of the ‘The Blue Danube’ waltz as the debutantes’ opening dance, is a wonderful celebration of this iconic Austrian event,” said Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board. “Swarovski’s history with the ball goes back to the 1950s, and with so many shared traditions and values it is fantastic to continue our support for this institution. The debutantes will be thrilled to be crowned with a tiara designed by Karl Lagerfeld.”