Here’s an Illuminating Sneak Peek of the Dazzling SWAROVSKI Crystal 2017 Oscar Stage!

This is an extra special Oscar season for Swarovski, as they are celebrating their 10th year on setting the stage for the annual Academy Awards. The Oscars are all about sparkle, glamour and decadence, and when you want the best of the best, you turn to SWAROVSKI.

This year’s Oscar’s stage is adorned with more Swarovski Crystal’s than ever, over 300,000 sparkling crystals will be highlighted this year. More than one million crystals have decorated this prestigious award show in the last decade.

“Swarovski has a long history in cinema, going back to the early days of Hollywood,” “Derek’s showstopping decor and cascading crystal curtains never fail to amaze the audience and add impact to this special event.” says Nadja Swarovski.

I’m always excited to see the great gowns, handbags, jewelry, etc. that are encrusted with beautiful SWAROVSKI Crystals, but below is a walk down memory lane, exploring how they also work behind the scenes with the actual event to create amazing sparkle!

2017 Swarovski Crystal Oscar Stage Brilliant Highlights

— This year Swarovski celebrates a decade of creating crystal stage décor for the Oscars

— 2017 marks production designer Derek McLane’s 5th year designing the look of the show, which includes over 300,000 Swarovski crystals.

— McLane created a new focal piece for the 2017 Oscars stage, comprised of 11 individual decorative sections with a total of nearly 150,000 Swarovski crystals

— Additional crystal décor pieces include:

— Crystal Proscenium – 37,000 Swarovski crystals layered over a gold backdrop

— Crystal Curtain – 80’ x 40’ curtain including 320 individual Swarovski crystal strands with a total 80,000 Swarovski crystals

— Crystal Closedown Wall – 80’ x 40’ wall comprised of 149 individual panels with a total of 22,200 Swarovski crystals

— Crystal Opera Box Covers – 18 Dolby Theater opera boxes covered in a total of 23,500 Swarovski crystals

A Historical overview and look at Swarovski’s 10-year legacy on the Oscar stage

2017 – 89th Academy Awards®

Production Designer: Derek McLane

Host: Jimmy Kimmel

Celebrating his fifth year as production designer, Derek McLane will adorn the Oscars® stage with more than 300,000 Swarovski crystals incorporated into more than 30 set pieces. The 2017 set will include a brand new focal piece for the stage, comprised of 11 individual components that feature nearly 150,000 crystals.

2016 – 88th Academy Awards

Production Designer: Derek McLane

Host: Chris Rock

In his fourth year, McLane’s set included a new crystal proscenium containing more than 37,000 crystals and weighing over 20,000 lbs. Almost 10,700 crystals embellished torchieres for the Weeknd’s performance of the Oscar® nominated song “Earned It” from the film 50 Shades of Grey.

2015 – 87th Academy Awards

Production Designer: Derek McLane

Host: Neil Patrick Harris

Using nearly 100,000 crystals, Derek McLane created 22 different pieces for the 2015 set. McLane also created a “crystal forest” backdrop which was featured during Jennifer Hudson’s performance of “I Can’t Let Go” after the show’s In Memoriam montage, as well as during Rita Ora’s performance of the Oscar nominated song “Grateful” from the film Beyond the Lights.

2014 – 86th Academy Awards

Production Designer: Derek McLane

Host: Ellen Degeneres

Using more than 64,000 crystals, Derek McLane introduced 6 crystal “swag drapes” which appeared during Idina Menzel’s performance of the Oscar winning song “Let It Go” from the Oscar nominated film Frozen.

2013 – 85th Academy Awards

Production Designer: Derek McLane & Costume Designer: Julie Weiss

Host: Seth MacFarlane

In 2013, Derek McLane incorporated over 80,000 crystals into a curtain which was featured during the show and as the backdrop for Adele’s performance of the Oscar winning song “Skyfall” from the film Skyfall. McLane also used over 23,000 crystals to decorate the Dolby Theatre’s 18 opera boxes. Costume designer Julie Weiss incorporated more than 1,000,000 crystals into the performance looks for the James Bond 50th anniversary tribute.

2012 – 84th Academy Awards®

Production Designer: John Myhre

Host: Billy Crystal

In 2012, John Myhre created a 40-foot high by 70-foot wide crystal “star field” curtain, which twinkled with nearly 4,500 Swarovski crystals.

2011 – 83rd Academy Awards

Production Designer: Steve Bass

Hosts: James Franco & Anne Hathaway

Steve Bass’ 2011 stage designs featured a total of 55,000 Swarovski crystals, seen in embellished risers, steps, and a starburst-inspired crystal “winners circle.”

2010 – 82nd Academy Awards

Production Designer: David Rockwell

Hosts: Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin

In 2010, Rockwell introduced an updated version of his crystal proscenium from the previous year, which included crystal side curtains and a crystal swing containing an additional 3,000 crystals.

2009 – 81st Academy Awards

Production Designer: David Rockwell

Host: Hugh Jackman

Dolby Theatre architect David Rockwell created a 60-foot high by 100-foot wide crystal proscenium with over 100,000 Swarovski crystals. The proscenium weighed in at 3 tons and was comprised of over 6,000 one-meter hand crafted crystal strands.

2007 – 79th Academy Awards

Production Designer: J. Michael Riva

Host: Ellen Degeneres

In 2007, J. Michael Riva created a 1-ton, 34-foot high crystal curtain sparkling with over 50,000 Swarovski crystals for the medley of Oscar® nominated songs from the film Dreamgirls, performed by Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Keith Robinson.

SWAROVSKI

Swarovski’s History and Business Information

Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and markets high-quality crystals, genuine gemstones and created stones as well as finished products such as jewelry, accessories and lighting. Now run by the fifth generation of family members, Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach with approximately 2,680 stores in around 170 countries, more than 26,000 employees, and revenue of about 2.6 billion euros in 2015. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. In 2015, the Group generated revenue of about 3.37 billion euros and employed more than 30,000 people.

A responsible relationship with people and the planet is an integral part of Swarovski’s heritage. The global Swarovski Waterschool education program has reached 257,000 children on the world’s greatest rivers, and the Swarovski Foundation, set up in 2013, works to support culture and creativity, promote wellbeing, and conserve natural resources to achieve positive social impact.