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THE POWER OF THREE: Piaget wants to usher in its new golden age with a trio of cool kids.
The Swiss watchmaker and jeweler on Thursday revealed British rock and fashion royalty scion Ella Richards as the face of the brand, which marks its 150th anniversary this year.
The 27-year-old model, who is the granddaughter of the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg, hails on her mother’s side from the stylish de la Falaise family. She is the great-niece of Yves Saint Laurent muse Loulou de la Falaise and a descendant of Maxime de la Falaise.
Piaget simultaneously tapped Thai actor Nattawin “Apo” Wattanagitiphat and South Korean singer and actor Lee Jun-ho as global ambassadors.
Nattawin, also a brand ambassador for Dior, rose to global prominence for his role in the hit romantic drama “KinnPorsche.” He was among the top five influencers of the spring 2024 season globally, according to tallies by marketing agency Lefty, bringing in $9.7 million of earned media value.
Meanwhile Lee, also known under the mononym Junho, is a member of the 2PM boy band and has appeared in a range of films and TV series, from his debut in 2013 thriller “Cold Eyes” to the 2023 romantic drama “King the Land.”
Richards, who previously appeared in Piaget’s high jewelry images for the “Metaphoria” collection in July 2023 photographed by Brigitte Niedermair, will appear in a new brand campaign marking the anniversary. Launching April 22, it will be used for print, digital and billboards.
For Piaget international director of communications and images Fatemeh Laleh, the triple announcement is the culmination of the “digging into the past to create the future” roadmap outlined by chief executive officer Benjamin Comar.
Among her first moves following her 2022 appointment, Laleh launched a global campaign looking to redefine Piaget’s community, a group meant to span “cultural leaders, pioneers and modern beauties” and dubbed “Piaget Society.”
“Installing this neo-‘Piaget Society’ was the last pillar which needed to be put in place after two years and a half of reconnecting the past and present times altogether,” she continued. “This is [its] spirit: authenticity, joy and charisma.”
In keeping with the social angle, Richards called her posse to her side, with younger brother Orson Richards, photographer Sascha von Bismarck and pal Kesewa Aboah, an artist and model, appearing in images once again shot by Niedermair.
Their appointments come after the three were spotted separately in the Swiss watchmaker and jeweler’s booth at Watches and Wonders, with Richards slipping in among the first-day visitors of the trade fair and Apo waxing lyrical about his visit to the workshops mid-week.
“Piaget isn’t just watches and jewelry, they’re an art and they create art pieces,” he told WWD, holding up the revamped Polo 79 that he was trying on. “This is one of the masterpieces of Piaget, it’s so timeless.”
Through a translator, Lee asked about the process of cutting hard stone dials as he took in colorful Altiplano watches released this year.
