MASTERS OF LIGHT: SWAROVSKI’S SHIMMERING CELEBRATION TAKES HOLLYWOOD
editor MARIA MOTA
Sunset Boulevard shimmered harder than usual as Swarovski marked its 130th anniversary inside the iconic Amoeba Music with Masters of Light Hollywood, an immersive exhibition celebrating the brand’s long love affair with fashion, cinema, and dreams.
Founded in 1895, Swarovski has spent more than a century turning light into an art form. Its crystals have illuminated the world’s stages and screens, from the Golden Age of Hollywood to today’s most photographed pop moments — making Hollywood, the city where light becomes fantasy, a natural landing point for this celebration.
image courtesy of SWAROVSKI
“In the city of dreams and lights, and, of course, of crystal,” Giovanna Engelbert shared before the grand opening, “imagination isn’t just an emotion, it’s an industry. That spirit is exactly what Masters of Light is about.”
The celebrity guests in attendance sparkled just as brightly as the displays, with Cher, Kylie Jenner, Venus Williams, Anok Yai, Dita Von Teese, Viola Davis, Amelia Gray, Lisa Rinna, Wisdom Kaye, Alex Consani, Adut Akech, and many more among the crowd.
images courtesy of SWAROVSKI
But beyond the red-carpet shimmer, the true stars of the night were the crystals themselves. The exhibition, presented under the creative direction of Giovanna Engelbert and curated by fashion journalist and critic Alexander Fury, unfolds like a cinematic journey through time, with nine immersive rooms tracing Swarovski’s past, present, and future. It begins in the Time Chamber, a portal to 1895, where Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939) sparkle a few steps from Cinderella’s all-crystal heel from 2016.
From there, the Silver Screen room captures the role Swarovski has played in Hollywood’s history and its deep ties to film. There’s the Moulin Rouge! gown designed by Catherine Martin, embroidered with Swarovski crystals and recently revived by Kendall Jenner at Vogue World: Hollywood. Costumes worn by Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Madonna, and Carey Mulligan sit alongside Marilyn Monroe’s legendary “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress, featuring 2,500 crystals catching the light just as they did in 1962.
images courtesy of SWAROVSKI
A little further in, we step into the Mathemagical chamber — part atelier, part laboratory. As you enter, you can’t help but be filled with awe and curiosity, captivated by the brilliance and color that surrounds you. Every facet of the space reflects Swarovski’s savoir-faire. Central to the space are pieces designed for the 2024 and 2025 Met Galas, created by Engelbert herself. “You might’ve seen them in pictures,” Fury shared, “but when you see them up close and understand the process behind them, it’s something else. They really push the limit of crystal in fashion.”
A few steps further and you enter the Pop Icons room. Think Katy Perry’s 2019 Met Gala chandelier dress by Moschino, Doja Cat’s SS23 Schiaparelli look, Tina Turner’s Versace moment from 1996, Cardi B’s Thierry Mugler at the Grammys, Beyoncé’s cowgirl outfit, and many more — all dripping in Swarovski. You start to imagine the lives these pieces have lived, the nights they’ve seen, the people they’ve transformed.
image courtesy of SWAROVSKI
The pure personification of Swarovski bringing dreams to life appears when, during opening night, you see Cher standing before the crystal-encrusted gown she wore in 1975 alongside Bette Midler, Elton John, and Flip Wilson. Dreams that once belonged to the screen shimmer are suddenly within reach, realized in this exhibition.
In the end, Masters of Light is a celebration of collaboration. Every glimmering gown, every refracted beam of color is the result of countless hands, hearts, and imaginations working together. As Swarovski CEO Alexis Nasard reflects, “We have the duty and the ability to give a small moment of joy to every person who uses our product. In the end, what is happiness, if it’s not an aggregation of moments of joy? A joy that is shared is a joy that is multiplied, and in a lot of our work, we rely on collaboration. That is what is creating the world of Swarovski.” It’s this shared joy that illuminates not just the exhibition, but the very world of Swarovski itself.
image courtesy of SWAROVSKI
The exhibition runs until November 3, with all ticket sales benefiting Baby2Baby.
