HH Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed inaugurates L’Ecole School of Jewelry Arts in Dubai  

Van Cleef and Arpels back the institute’s first center in the Middle East, thus making it the 4^th  permanent international campus besides Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai

Dubai: After its announcement late last year, L’École Middle East has officially opened its doors in Dubai, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels. Dubai is now home to the fourth permanent international campus of the L’École, School of Jewelry Arts, alongside Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.  

The academy’s Middle Eastern edition has been designed by French designer and interior architect, Constance Guisset, and is located at Dubai Design District, a global creative ecosystem part of Tecom Group PJSC. “Dubai offers an environment that fosters business enterprise and creativity and provides opportunities to exchange expertise in various creative fields,” said HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. “The establishment of L’École’s first headquarters in the Middle East in Dubai underscores the city’s pivotal role in the creative industries and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation.”  

Since its establishment in 2012 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’École has aimed to promote the art and culture of jewellery to beginners, industry professionals, enthusiasts, and collectors alike. It offers courses in three major fields: the history of jewellery, the world of gemstones, and the savoir-faire of jewellery-making techniques, taught by experts like art historians, gemologists, jewellers and artisans. The meticulously curated programme includes in-person courses and talks for beginners and collectors, along with free temporary exhibitions, publications and research initiatives.  

At L’École Middle East, operations have launched with hands-on workshops, 13 public courses led by a rotating body of lecturers, including art historians, gemologists, jewellers and craftspeople, as well as monthly online talks open to the public for free. The inauguration of the campus was also marked by the opening of the academy’s first regional exhibition, Gold and Treasures: 3000 Years of Chinese Ornaments. Running from April 26 to August 10, the showcase features a curated selection of 100 masterpieces from the renowned Mengdiexuan Collection, one of Hong Kong’s premier private art collections, spanning over three millennia of goldsmithing work in China.  

Courtesy: Vogue Arabia