Whether your immediate association with Tiffany & Co. is that unmistakable shade of robin’s egg blue, Audrey Hepburn gazing through the iconic 5th Avenue windows, the prong set diamond sparkling from your left ring finger, or perhaps all of the above, it’s hard to deny the impact and ubiquity of the famed jewelry house on society and pop culture.
The impact is so immense in fact, that filmmaker Matthew Miele’s recently released documentary, appropriately titled, “Crazy About Tiffany’s” explores the various aspects that have become the heart of the brand, including its rich history, celebrity fans, fashion, film, sports and music-connections and of course, diamonds, jewelry, and more and more exquisite jewelry.
From whimsical illustrations depicting Charles Lewis Tiffany first opening Tiffany & Co. in 1837, to anecdotes from celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Katie Couric, stylists Elizabeth Saltzman, Petra Flannery, Kate Young, Lori Goldstein and Rachel Zoe, jewelry aficionados Monique Pean, Marion Fasel, Jennifer Tilly and Muffie Potter Aston and editors Ariel Foxman and Glenda Bailey, the house’s wide reach is relayed in a casual and sometimes even kooky way not unlike the feel of the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” or the Truman Capote book on which it was based.
Scenes are spliced in a way reminiscent of a music video and off camera asides and bloopers follow several interviews, making for a loose and often funny tone that runs throughout the entire film.
Perhaps Miele took the term “Crazy” in the film’s title (an obvious nod to one of Hepburn’s most memorable lines in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”) a tad too literal when retaining the gaffes in the final edit. But the light side is certainly anchored by a deeper examination of the jewelry house’s history. Some of the most interesting scenes include a look at the work of Tiffany’s famed window designer Gene Moore, the creation of the Blue Book and even an interview with Marvin Paige — the casting director behind “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” responsible for making Hepburn synonymous with Tiffany’s.
The movie is not a pristine walk through Tiffany’s history, but retains real and often raw aspects (including a Cornell BFA student who is doing her thesis on Tiffany and claims the advertising and messaging projected by the brand “Feels a bit tired and stretches true love so much into an unrealistic true love which is just, uck.”) which add a contemporary lightness and levity to such a storied luxury house.
It’s a modern day exploration of Tiffany’s and tries to keep the vast amount of information presented in a dynamic manner. If you’re a long time Tiffany & Co. fan or someone just becoming familiarized with that little blue box and the endless types of items that it could house, this documentary is both informative and entertaining.
