Bulgari’s partnership with guitar maker Fender, marking the 70th anniversary of the Stratocaster, sticks out for being a little outside the usual – Fender’s rock and roll glamour being in a very different key than the architectural allure of, say, Tadao Ando, whose limited-edition Serpenti Tubogas watch for Bulgari was revealed earlier in 2024. Look a little closer, though, and the partnership with Fender has more to it than sharing a little stardust.
The legendary status of the Stratocaster can be explained in listing its players, from Buddy Holly through Jimi Hendrix, Johhny Marr and on to the likes of H.E.R, but its durability lies in the constant evolution and endless variation in details of pickups and fingerboards that keep attracting new generations. Add the emergence of a collector culture around the guitar (see Fender’s Stratocaster with Saint Laurent) and booming customisation business (rocket-fuelled by Fender’s Japanese subsidiary) and the fit looks entirely natural.
