Pomellato’s ‘Nudo’ collection inspires AI-generated campaign imagery

May 17, 2023

Executed in collaboration with Milanese artist Alberto Maria Colombo, a range of colorful gemstones serve as sources of inspiration for a new video. Image credit: Pomellato

By Amirah Keaton

Milanese jeweler Pomellato is fusing artificial intelligence with artistic expression.

The Italian company’s latest delivery arrives in video form, achieving abstraction through the animation of more traditional mediums such as photography and painting. Pomellato’s latest project shows potential for shifting the status quo, flipping the script on the oftentimes strictly-functional ways in which the luxury sector toys with technologies of this tier.

"I admire the artistic concept behind Alberto Maria Colombo’s film ‘Nudo Crafted Emotions’ that incorporates generative AI to create a modernized impressionist moment for Pomellato, not to be mistaken for a microdosing moment wearing Pomellato," said Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock, New York.

"The film redirected my emotional response from an essence reminiscent of Monet and Seurat and infused the sentiment with the Pomellato brand," she said. "Monet and Pomellato would be a natural but impossible collaboration in the 21^st century, but Alberto is using generative art applications to push the boundaries for artists and luxury homage."

Ms. Golden is not affiliated with Pomellato, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

AI artistry
Executed in tandem with Milanese artist Alberto Maria Colombo, vivid colors emitted by gemstones such as amethyst, garnet and obsidian serve as the source of inspiration for “Nudo Crafted Emotions.”

At the core and put plainly, the new asset prioritizes the very consumer that Pomellato’s accompanying product line seeks to engage.

For the effort, Mr. Colombo attempted to translate his emotional response to each of the 10 gemstones used by Pomellato across its stackable Nudo Collection, employing a language equally as immersive as the fragments of light that are reflected from the surfaces of said pieces, in real life.

The brand’s offering mimics this natural occurrence, in fact. What has resulted from Mr. Colombo and Pomellato’s joint vision is a series of portraits, backed by dynamic illustrations observed throughout the video.

The brand's Nudo Collection serves as the source of inspiration for the new film

The blurred, ethereal effects of AI-generated graphics – Pomellato leans into the tool to create this imagery – are applied with ease as a model, who saunters through the famed Villa Necchi estate, an avant-garde architectural relic of the 1930s, appears to make her way through surroundings which themselves meet the viewer in motion.

In many ways, the selection puts art’s ability to captivate audiences on display, doing so sans dialogue, product close-ups or any other marketing "tricks" typical of jewelry spots today.

"Understanding the concept of artistic talent being manifested through machinery may pose a challenge for many, including myself where my eyes and soul see and value beauty, craft, and art differently," Ms. Golden said.

"The Nudo Collection’s renowned gemstones and unique settings were overshadowed by amplifying the background environment as the fantastical focal point, leaving the narrative less apparent but the audience’s imagination emotionally connected," she said.

Sentimental strategies
An online landing page from the brand carries the theme forward, identifying associated values for each of Nudo's gemstones at length.

“When I see the luminous purple of Amethyst, I think of ambition, that unstoppable desire to achieve and go higher and higher, spurred by clarity,” Mr. Colombo said, per one page of Pomellato’s site.

“The delicacy of Rose Quartz strengthens the ability to connect with one’s emotions. I envisioned the world turning into a beating heart, to be listened to and experienced with empathy and love," he said.

A campaign landing page explores many of the transitive properties most commonly associated with gemstones. Image credit: Pomellato

Pomellato’s campaign could fare particularly well in the age of crystals and deeper connections, as luxury consumers search for meaning in all areas of life, commercial acquisitions included.

The very nature of the activation is reminiscent of an event such as Roman jeweler Bulgari’s "Scentsorial" demonstration, an olfactory experience that created unique NFTs from brainwaves and heartbeat scans, collected as guests sniffed the brand’s perfume (see story).

In this instance, Web3 platforms were used to move visitors from product trial to purchase. Alternately, the brand has opted for more tried-and-true methods, relying on AI to recreate holiday window storefront setups for passersby and potential clients alike (see story).

Both examples provide a sense of this strategically sentimental approach to technology, one that could benefit luxury if adapted.

Bulgari unveiled its ‘Scentsorial' project, fusing product trial and Web3 technologies in an experiential activation that allowed guests to experience the maison’s Le Gemme perfume in new ways. Image credit: Bulgari

Cultural touch points such as these rise above relegation to the retail space, working to progress innovation and motivate further use cases, as humans are emotionally driven beings, after all.

"Using technology to capture the essence of artesian mastery of fine art and fine jewelry marries an emotional charge and contradiction of harnessing beauty," Luxlock's Ms. Golden said.

"Our future lies within our past, but only technology will allow us to harness the most sacred of our history to enhance what’s to come," she said.

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