We interrupt your discourse with more discourse. Yum. Tiffany & Co. unveiled its latest campaign, starring none other than national treasure Beyoncé and also her husband, Jay-Z. The campaign, titled “ABOUT LOVE,†features Beyoncé wearing the iconic Tiffany Yellow Diamond, a 128.54 carat stone first discovered in a South African colonial mine over 140 years ago by the brand’s founder. Beyoncé is only the fourth woman to ever wear the “priceless†stone, following Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars, and, yes, the first Black woman. Colonialism has new jokes every day. “Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the epitome of the modern love story,†said Alexandre Arnault, executive vice-president of product and communications as well as the son of “one of†Kanye West’s heroes, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. “As a brand that has always stood for love, strength, and self-expression, we could not think of a more iconic couple that better represents Tiffany’s values. We are honored to have the Carters as a part of the Tiffany family.†The film ABOUT LOVE is directed by Emmanuel Adjei and shot by Jay-Z on a Super 8 camera. It will feature Beyoncé’s rendition of “Moon River†from the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (Gaga was the first to wear the stone since it graced Audrey Hepburn in publicity photos for the 1961 film.)
As if there weren’t already a few icons in the mix, the campaign also serves as a reveal of a never-before-seen piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Equals Pi (1982). Recently purchased by Tiffany & Co., the piece has been part of a private collection since its creation, per WWD. It will now permanently hang in Tiffany’s flagship store in New York City. Someone somewhere along in the process must have remembered that the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat famously deals with racial capitalism, because Tiffany says this partnership “reflects [its] continued support of underrepresented communities.†“As a part of the house’s partnership with the Carters, Tiffany & Co. is proud to pledge a USD $2 million commitment towards scholarship and internship programs for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),†it included in a release, with additional details forthcoming. Not so sure one priceless gem, one priceless work of art, and two billionaires add up to a few hundred semesters of Zoom school. We’re not that easily distracted by shiny pretty things … are we?