Anja Rubik and Ludwig Wilsdorff in Boucheron 'Icons' Campaign as New Ambassadors

In 1893, Frédéric Boucheron was the first of the great contemporary jewelers to open a boutique on Place Vendôme. The Maison moved there from its original home at the Palais-Royal where it was founded in 1858.

Fast forward to 2015, when for the first time in history a major jeweler at Place Vendome is directed by two women: Boucheron’s Hélène Poulit-Duquesne as CEO alongside Claire Choisne, as the Maison’s Creative Director.

Innovation from the house continues today with supermodel Anja Rubik and Ludwig Wilsdorff as the co-stars of Boucheron’s new “Icons” campaign. Both Rubik and Wilsdorff have also become ambassadors for the house.

AOC readers are very familiar with Anja Rubik, less so Ludwig Wilsdorff, who appears in the new Tod’s Fall 2022 campaign

German-born Wilsdorff, who previously appeared in high jewelry collection images, is the first male model to star in a brand campaign for the Kering-owned jeweler. “He is spontaneous, radiant…the embodiment of the Boucheron man,” Poulit-Duquesne said.

The campaign, which centers around new oversize twists on Boucheron’s “Quatre” collection launched in 2004, was shot on Place Vendôme by photographer David Sims with styling by Emmanuelle Alt. The former EIC of then Vogue Paris, now Vogue France, and Rubik go way back.

The original ‘Quatre’ collection was inspired by the design of Paris’s cobblestone streets.

The expansion of the ‘Quatre’ collections, and select designs from other collections like the tear-drop motif of Serpent Bohème, involved magnifying their size to XXL versions.

Designs from the Jack de Boucheron, and the Vendôme Liseré round out jewelry featured in the campaign.

Poulit-Duquesne explains that her focus isn’t as much about making existing icons unisex but more to emphasize individuality.

AOC can’t speak to Wilsdorff’s strength of character but he does photograph with a strong masculinity, when desired.

Anja Rubik is positively fearless, not only in her support of environmental causes and sex education in Poland. In a move that has inspired more respect than probably any other model gesture AOC has observed in our 15-year history, the supermodel stood with ferocity in the pages of Vogue against the erosion of abortion rights in Poland.

Having both models strike similar poses in the Quattre XXL is brilliant and and reinforces precisely Poulit-Duquesne’s comments about the bold, complementary personalities they sought for the new Boucheron ambassadors.

Anja Rubik Covers Vogue Poland December 2020 With Call to Action on Abortion Rights AOC Fashion

In December 2020 issues of most global Vogues, Anja Rubik issued a call to action around the global erosion of abortion rights and an increase in anti-LGBTQIA+legislation.

In Anja’s fashion story, she did not add designer gowns to cover her December holidays body. The woman is full-frontal naked, and probably not wearing any fine jewelry.

As noted, it was the most fearless act I’ve seen in fashion memory.

To have the women leaders of Boucheron celebrate Anja’s bold character on progressive human rights as one that articulates their own brand platform for this iconic high jewelry brand means everything to those of us on the front line of these battles.

It’s good business because every day more women — including wealthy women — understand that we are in the fight of our lives.

Tonight one of the most progressive governments on the planet — Sweden — is about to very narrowly elect a right-wing government. The key issues are crime and immigration, and abortion rights appear to be secure for now.