Among the first jewellers to use colour for drama rather than value, Bulgari’s glamour has attracted the rich and famous since 1884.

Sotirio Boulgaris struggled to get his company up and running, suffering a robbery, a ban from trading without a licence and, at one point, only 80 cents in his pocket. But come 1900 he had his first store in Rome, selling silver, antiques and jewels.

With a growing reputation, Boulgaris’ sons took the helm and they started to make a name for themselves, selling fine jewellery and antique silver. They developed a strong style, using coloured gemstones, smooth, simple shapes and bold designs, becoming a favourite among the rich and famous, and the ‘beautiful people’ of the day.

Icons and motifs

Bulgari’s Serpenti is probably the most recognisable motif, found in both watches and jewellery. The smooth, elegant coils can be wound or draped, dripping luxury through its precious stones and metals.

Big colourful stones, shining precious metals and thick chokers set with ancient coins all make Bulgari a popular choice, with statement pieces adorning the necks, ears and wrists of the strongest women.

Bulgari’s designers are inspired by what they see around them. Staying true to their roots, they find inspiration in the colour of Rome, the shadows, the light dancing, the buildings and the style.

Famous fans

Ricard Burton famously said that he had introduced Elizabeth Taylor to beer, and in turn, she had introduced him to Bulgari. Burton adorned his love in the most sparkling Bulgari jewels, which are nearly as famous as her, as she chose to wear them in a lot of her films. Today, Bulgari owns many of Elizabeth Taylor’s prized possessions, including the emerald necklace and earrings that were given to her by Richard Burton.

Other celebrity fans include Ingrid Bergman, Sofia Loren and Naomi Campbell. Jessica Chastain even wore Elizabeth Taylor’s famous sapphire sugarloaf necklace on the red carpet.

What’s with the V?

Rome is intrinsically part of Bulgari, and BVLGARI uses the classical Latin alphabet to spell its name, derived from the surname of their founder.

The company today

Now holding lines in jewellery, watches, leather goods and perfume, Bulgari also has its own line of hotels and resorts – the ultimate luxury spanning the globe from Milan to Dubai, Beijing to Bali – with three more planned by 2020.

The child of a secret affair, Christian Louboutin always felt different. His creativity conjured up a fictional family history of Egyptian pharaohs and exotic characters and led to his fascination with world cultures.

Distracted in school by drawing endless designs, he was expelled three times, and left at the age of 12, running away from home and then spending time in Egypt and India.

The first spark and next steps

His fascination with shoes began in 1976, when he visited a museum and saw a sign that asked women not to wear stilettos for fear of damaging a precious wooden floor. He immediately wanted to create something that broke the rules, something dangerous and something that made women feel confident and empowered.

Following in the footsteps of stiletto pioneer and mentor, Roger Vivier, Louboutin helped to bring stilettos back into fashion in the 1990s. Having designed for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, he turned away from fashion to become a landscape gardener in the late 80s, only to return to his primary passion as he missed working with shoes so much.

Designing dozens of styles with towering heels, Christian Louboutin has always explained his ambition to be to “make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can”.

In his first year, he sold 200 pairs of shoes. However, his success sky-rocketed when, in the presence of fashion journalists, Louboutin’s very first customer, Princess Caroline of Monaco, complimented the store. He now sells hundreds of thousands of pairs every year.

The red sole

His trademark red sole came in 1993, two years after the opening of his first shoe salon in Paris.

Louboutin was having trouble getting his creations to match his gorgeous sketches. They just weren’t translating from page to product. Having tried different solutions, Louboutin grabbed his assistant’s red nail polish and painted the sole of the shoe. It instantly made the design pop, bringing it to life. His red-bottoms are now iconic, with every shoe design bearing the rouge sole.

Famous fans

Who doesn’t love Louboutins?! From Sex and the City to Breaking Bad, Louboutin shoes are scattered across our TV screens. Famous fans include Madonna, Eva Longoria, Heid Klum, Tina Turner… just about anyone with feet that grace the red carpet! American novelist Danielle Steel reportedly owns over 6,000 pairs, and personally, I wouldn’t turn down a pair of the red-soled wonders… UK size 4, if anyone’s offering…

So Kate

Christian Louboutin’s famous ‘So Kate’ heels were created when he was fitting Kate Moss for a pair of shoes for a wedding. She owned numerous pairs of his iconic ‘Pigalle’ heels, so he was inspired to reshape the design, lengthening the point of the toe, closing in the heel a bit more and stretching out the heel pin so it was thinner and taller.

The new collection

The Fall Winter 2017 collection does not disappoint. Featuring green velour, bright pink patent and of course, his trademark spikes, Louboutin injects vitality into his designs. Adding a ruffle, pompom or dash of glitter to his iconic towering heels, there are touches of Mexico alongside glamour and flair.

A bridal touch

His creations were also seen at Bridal Fashion Week as custom sequinned shoes graced the runway with Naeem Khan’s 2018 bridal collection as well as Jenny Packham’s. As well as shoes, Christian Louboutin Nail Colour was also seen on Packham’s models.

What else?

Turning down licensing deals left, right and centre, Louboutin only wants his name associated with his own products. Now holding lines in men’s footwear, handbags, nail colour, lipstick and fragrance, Louboutin understands the value of the products he creates, whilst realising their whimsy.

“I think that I make very useless work,” he says, “and I’m very proud of it.” Adding, “It’s very important to design things that you don’t need.”

We totally agree, Mr Louboutin – you keep doing exactly what you’re doing.

Tulisa’s style has become increasingly demure and classic over the weeks on X Factor. For Sunday’s results show, Tulisa looked stunning in a classic black lace, waisted dress by Stephanie Allin.

Originally an award-winning fashion bridal designer, Stephanie Allin is renowned for her flawless fit and mix of demure detail and sensational style in her exclusively British made gowns.

Stephanie has a boutique in Marylebone, Central London and has recently launched an evening wear collection modelled by Strictly Come Dancing’s Natalie Lowe and Katya Virshilas at Harvey Nichols’ OXO Tower and One Marylebone.

• To view Stephanie Allin’s full evening and bridal collection, visit stephanieallin.net

So if you are a fashion forward bride and want to be the first to wear Caroline’s latest designs then this is a must in your diary. High demand is anticipated for this rare chance to glimpse Caroline Castigliano most cutting edge designs so pre booking your appointment will be essential.

To book your appointment, call theBerners streetboutique and quote “Exclusive preview” to secure your place call 0207 636 8212.