Last month’s Bulgari Fiorever launch in Beijing was remarkably sensational. The event was held at the majestic Bulgari Hotel, where the luxury brand presented a special exhibition of the new Fiorever Jewellery Collection the name is inspired by the Italian word “fiore” or flower), paying homage to its heritage in celebrating the natural beauty of flowers and its long history dating back to the glorious days of the legendary City of Pompeii, in the Bay of Naples. 

The special launch showcases Bulgari’s modern designs, which immortalise the eight-petal flower, a universal symbol of natural beauties and, in Chinese culture,  a symbol of good fortune with the eight delicate petals. 

Undoubtedly, Beijing seemed to be the perfect place for this launch and I couldn’t have been more excited when I got my invitation to this event. Plus, I got to stay at the luxurious Bulgari hotel, which I had been dying to try! 

Although Beijing was incredibly cold, the skies were perfectly clear and sunny. The weather made my stay at the Bulgari Hotel even more enjoyable. While the structure and style resemble the Milan iconic Hotel, the Beijing branch has its unique charm and it’s quietly tucked off Xinyuan South Road overlooking the frozen Landmark River, in a corner of the Chinese capital that seems to escape pollution and chaos. 

On the night of my arrival, the façade of the Hotel had already been lit up with moving flowers projections on the majestic front entrance. The colourful moving flowers were of course part of the production celebrating the theme for the Fiorever Jewelry Collection. Sorry for the spoiler alert, but as we at #legend like to post things immediately, I immediately ventured outside in the freezing cold to capture the best shot of the beautiful installation. My fingers were pretty much paralysed – but it was definitely worth it! Moreover, it was the perfect excuse to try the hotel’s divine mulled wine – a true delicacy! 

Before the big event, on the following day, I managed to get a video interview with one of my favourites CEOs of all time, Bulgari’s Jean-Christophe Babin. Babin, who joined the brand nearly six years ago, he’s a visionary leader who transformed Bulgari, and the results are visible and tangible. Thanks to his expertise and touch, he literally “Made Bulgari Great Again!” I’ve always believed a good CEO is hard to find, finding a cool one is even harder and the combination of the two is what makes for a success story, especially in the watch & jewellery industry.

Way before the event, the beautiful hotel lobby had already been transformed into an event space, swamped with open showcases displaying the latest Fiorever Collection as well as some remarkable heritage pieces with different flowers pattern and embellished with diamonds. The three main necklaces with the giant eight-petal flower, comes in all diamonds ruby and green sapphire, are definitely my favourite pieces from the Fiorever High Jewellery Collection. The contemporary and yet modern design, it’s guaranteed to become the new signature of the luxury maison. 

In order to properly celebrate the extraordinary eight-petal design, Bulgari organised a LIGHTING ceremony at Beijing’s super mall SKP where local celebrities from China such as Kun and Ruby Lin braved the cold to activate the incredible Fiorever Luminous Tower outside the mall. Th elighting ceremony was so spectacular that it brought Babin to tears…Or was it the cold?

Back in the hotel more local and international stars joined the celebration, including actress Lily James, Kun, Ruby Lin, Ran Chen, Seven Tan, Bonnie Chen, Fen Qin, Duling Chen, Sienna Li, Mubo Han and Yihan Sun, just to name a few. The dinner was held at the ballroom, exquisitely decorated with all sort of flora motifs and a lavish table settings covered with all sorts of yellow flowers. Around 90 guests and press attended the exclusive gala organised by Bulgari China. Thanks to the Chinese and Hong Kong teams, I felt like I was part of the Bulgari family, especially when I was given a “Bulgari Staff” pass that allowed me to access all areas.

A special thank you Kolia, Edo, Joyce, Tamie and Joeanna! This one goes out to you all.