Why ‘Tiffany Blue’ Was All Over Instagram This Month

One of the best things about spring in the city is the rainbow of florals everywhere you look: beds of tulips on Park Avenue, cherry blossoms in full bloom, and plenty of fresh bouquets at the farmers’ market. So it’s fitting that Tiffany & Co. chose the first day of May to launch its new Paper Flowers collection, the brand’s first jewelry line designed by Chief Artistic Officer Reed Krakoff. From May 1 to 4, the iconic jeweler staged a city-wide celebration for it that included bodega-front installations, Instagrammable subway art (“painted” stairs, Tiffany-branded MetroCards), and Tiffany-blue coffee carts. See the map above — which shows all of the locations from the takeover — and the photo recap below to see how Tiffany & Co. kicked off spring weather.

The Atlas clock outside the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship transformed into a digital screen that played footage from a new campaign film. The spot features Elle Fanning and music by A$AP Ferg, both of whom appeared at the store on May 3 for a surprise live performance. A fleet of Tiffany-blue taxis turned heads, too.

Literal paper flowers burst outside of four existing bodegas, with everything from sidewalk seating to traffic cones covered in a coat of unmistakable robin’s egg blue. Outside, performances by skaters and BMX riders injected some unexpected action into the pop-ups.

Besides giving your favorite fruit-and-flower stand a makeover, the brand extended its dreamlike world with coffee carts that offered up complimentary pick-me-ups in Tiffany-blue cups, along with croissants inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Nowhere was safe from the Tiffany & Co. paintbrush, which worked its magic at the Prince Street and Broadway subway station (as well as at 57th Street and 7th Avenue). Inside, stairway wraps mimicked dripping paint – in the jeweler’s signature color, of course.

Commuters got to pocket a piece of the magic, too. As a functional souvenir, Tiffany-branded MetroCards brightened up rides for 10,000 lucky passengers.

Imagine flower petals cut from paper and then pinned together: that’s what inspired the new Paper Flowers collection, which includes both fine and high jewelry designs. The designs are both graphic and organic-feeling — a fresh take on florals in platinum, diamonds, and tanzanite. Although the earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings are priced from $2,500 and up, Krakoff designed them to be worn every day, in both casual and dressier situations. Paper Flowers is the first major fine jewelry debut from Tiffany & Co. since 2009, and you can explore it at Tiffany.com. (It’s also available in some stores.)