Milan, in the Brera district, on September 22, it is 3 p.m. and fashion is preparing to discover the highly anticipated first Gucci collection by Sabato De Sarno, successor to the extravagant Alessandro Michele.
“
The Gucci girl has calmed down.
A show to the bone which puts clothing in all its simplicity at the center
,” writes our colleague after the show.
Among these well-cut men's coats, mini-shorts, trapeze skirts and tank tops with loose necklines, jewelry lovers only remember one thing: a golden necklace with very large links, which is worn by fourteen models and which, , is far from wise.
“
From the first look, that’s all we saw
,” remembers Manon, 30, as passionate about fashion as she is about jewelry.
A maxi-chain that I had already noticed a few hours before on Instagram worn by model Daria Werbowy to launch the brand's new account.
I've been watching the e-shop ever since.
»
Next summer, the bigger the jewelry, the more fashionable it will be.
And the navy knit, the undisputed star, will be worn around the neck to accentuate the hypertrophied effect, desired by many jewelers, notably Gas Bijoux, which offers its version, already available in stores for the most impatient.
“
The XXL chain of our elaborate Cophea necklaces, bracelets and earrings, whose links are reminiscent of a coffee bean, responds to an obvious need to wear things in a big way.
Be careful, it's not about being flashy, but elegant!
It's all a question of harmony between the proportions and the style of the chain which has been part of our craftsmanship for fifty-five years
,” notes Marie Gas, artistic director of the Marseille-based family brand.
Read alsoJewelry: six designers who make something new with something old
Navy knit inspired by 1960s yachting is back at Gucci, in an XXL version for summer.
Gaspar J. Ruiz Lindberg
XXL but not bling.
Volumes, yes, but in the service of creativity, not vulgarity.
At Piaget, the surrealist links of the Essentia high jewelry gold and diamond choker recall the irregularity of driftwood.
For its Lutèce hammered necklace, Goossens - which, since 1950, has brought together a jewelry studio and decoration workshop under the same roof - draws its inspiration from the chains of its majestic ceiling lights.
“
In games of textures and materials that jewelry lovers know they will find with us
,” notes its general director, Stéphanie Croccel.
The HardWear collection is a hit at Tiffany & Co., both as a rose gold choker and a long pavé necklace.
On the Hermès side, the famous Chaîne d'ancre, one of the first jewels of the house imagined in 1938 by Robert Dumas after a stroll on the quays of a port in Normandy, never ceases to be transformed into delightful changes of scale and material, under the creative leadership of Pierre Hardy.
It doesn't matter if it is carried individually or accumulated, as long as the effect is significant.
Pomellato, who reigns in the industry as a chain maestro, also offers his aficionados new versions of necklaces, including a very feminine adjustable Iconica model.
“
Strong and sensual at the same time, they are the essence of Pomellato and its founding goldsmith Pino Rabolini, who, in 1967, at a time of great socio-cultural changes, understood that women were looking for ready-to-wear adapted to their new lifestyles
, says the artistic director of the jeweler for twenty years, Vincenzo Castaldo.
Since then, our links have freed themselves from any conservative style.
»
The HardWear collection by Tiffany & Co. T|Tiffany & Co. Studio
The Cophea necklace by Gas Bijoux Gas Bijoux
From preppy to rapper
“
The chain is the oldest ornament in the world, a symbol of life and strength in Greek mythology, of power since the dawn of time when they were found on the necks of queens in tombs several millennia before Christ.
It has always been a wonderful playground for the imagination
, explains an expert in the history of jewelry, archivist of a large house on Place Vendôme.
But it is really since the 1960s that it has become fashionable.
Today, it accompanies us on a daily basis and is aimed at all audiences.
It's the only piece of jewelry that brings together a cool girl and a preppy girl, a punk and a good girl, a rapper and his grandmother!
» This mix of influences is found in particular at the Parisian designer Lauren Rubinski, whose gold “oat grain” maxi chains (with a mysteriously light weight) appeal as much to rappers as to chic Milanese women: “
Our chain is Italian for its style, its brilliance which only belongs to the country's artisans, the best gold makers, to whom I have entrusted my collections for four years.
It is also American for the pop, bling but chic effect it gives to an everyday outfit when you add a pendant.
And French for its comfort and extreme lightness despite its volume.
»
Naturally, men are also starting to be interested in it.
Gucci predicted it when it brought its Marina chain back onto the catwalk – no longer in gold but in silver – a few months later during its men's show.
For the first time in its history, David Yurman dedicates a collection of high jewelry to them, composed of gourmet bracelets.
To wear as an adornment and without complexes.
Lauren Rubinski’s two-tone gold “oat grain” knits.
Lauren Rubinski
David Yurman's bracelets are designed for women as much as men.
David Yurman
The Essentia high jewelry necklace by Piaget whose convicts evoke driftwood.
© Clément Rousset - Studio Con
The Iconica adjustable link necklace from Pomellato Pomellato
At Goossens, the chains take their shapes directly from those which hang the chandeliers in the home decoration studio.
Goossens