From Barry Keoghan to Timothée Chalamet, celebrities emerge as new men's jewelery tastemakers – Irish Times

For men, the idea that jewelry begins and ends with a wristwatch belies the fact that historically it was men, not women, who were the ones to be ornately bejeweled. From Henry VIII's ruby-embellished robes and Charles I's signature pearl earrings to the Edwardian dandy's penchant for decorated pins, it was men who favored extravagant jewelry. .

Now, history is repeating itself, with male celebrities emerging as new jewelry tastemakers.

From Timothée Chalamet to Barry Keoghan, this year's awards season saw glittering celebrities shine in diamond-encrusted, bejeweled brooches, chokers and cocktail rings.

It may be a trend right now, but it's not, says Gavin Manley, a Manhattan-based copywriter from Dublin who regularly writes about men's fashion and accessories for New York's Ac Magazine. The jewelry phenomenon is an evolution of the aesthetics of men's clothing, which began at least in the United States. years ago.

“Elaborate brooches, chunky rings, and oversized pendant necklaces from Brooklyn-based brands like Barkindy and Ortu aren’t just worn by Saturday night club-goers. It’s also part of the street style you see every day on the New York subways,” he says.

Indeed, jewelry has always been a passion for some men. While singer-songwriter Harry Styles is largely credited with increasing the popularity of pearls after wearing a Vermeer-inspired single pearl earring at the 2019 Met Gala, music Last year, world mogul and fashion designer Pharrell Williams published a book called Carbon, Pressure & Time. : A book about jewelry that depicts his long-time obsession. This book features 100 of his most extravagant and unique works.

Irish designer Peter O'Brien is also an avid collector. He started collecting brooches 40 years ago, when he bought his first brooch (a small blue fake aquamarine heart) from John Farrington.

“I wore pins all the time,” he says. “There's something wonderful about old brooches. Because the stones are usually hand-cut, they're beautifully irregular and often have oxidized surroundings, which is what makes them really pop.”

The pin is the perfect accent to his daily uniform of “pea coat, navy merino knit, and chino pants.”

The concept of borrowing jewelry, like when celebrities appear on the red carpet, puzzled him. “Jewelry is very personal,” he reveals.

For Dundalk-born, London-based creative director Jake McCabe, 30, jewelery is also a deeply personal purchase, not a trend to be toyed with and thrown away.

McCabe has always been a magpie with a fascination for trinkets, but from a young age when she embraced chunky skateboard-style chains and rings, she has honed her jewelry aesthetic and now specializes in “personality pieces,” or pieces with a specific personality. I am only interested in the item. resonance.

These include a signet ring engraved with the family motto that was given to him by his girlfriend, a pocket watch that was given to his father by his mother on a special anniversary and which he still carries to this day, and an Omega Speedmaster 38mm that he bought for himself. This includes watches, etc.

“This watch was a huge turning point in my life and career. I chose Omega because it's a brand rooted in exceptional design and great storytelling. It resonated with me,” he says. Masu.

He's also a fan of Irish brand Edge Only, cherishing one of its chunky geometric rings that he's owned for several years, as well as jeweler Sinead Murphy's Cosmic Boulevard collection.

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On the streets of London, he said, his peers wear religious totems such as rings, watches, small crosses and St. Michael's coins, while young men wear pearl necklaces.

McCabe felt that a lot of award season jewelry was flashy. “Big jewelery brands are using this opportunity as an awareness driver,” he says. “But the men I know are investing in pieces that are meaningful to them. They want personal identification and future heirlooms.”

It seems that getting jewelry off the red carpet means more than just looking at it and dazzling in it, it's like living there. It has become an important part of personal storytelling.

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Fine jewelry designer Cine Vasquez agrees. Most of the pieces ordered from her by men are wedding rings, but she says she's noticed a dramatic increase in the number of people with very specific design ideas.

“Last year I created a piece for the groom that depicted the outline of the Dartry Mountains,” she says.

“It was a very special place for the couple because he lived nearby and he and his bride spent a lot of time hiking there. A year after the wedding, his wife said, I ordered the same design to wear on my right hand.

This is the great thing about jewelry. It has less to do with gender and everything to do with self-expression. Men can wear pearls and women can wear skulls.

With this in mind, Mayo-based master goldsmith Nigel O'Reilly has just created an elaborate rose gold diamond-set engraved brooch that will be auctioned at Sotheby's later this year. We specially designed it to be worn by both men and women. Simone Rocha's menswear and womenswear jewelry collections are identical.

Regarding the launch of Louis Vuitton's first men's fine jewelry line in January, Francesca Amfiteatroff, Artistic Director of Watches and Jewelry, said that although the collection is marketed to men, said it is in flux. She said, “I wanted to create something as universal and easy as blue jeans.”

In recent seasons, the boundaries between masculine and feminine have been blurring in the fashion world, and now it seems that diamonds are no longer just a girl's best friend.