This week, UK-based fashion writer Lisa van der Steen is guest-posting on The Jewelry Loupe, bringing us her take on global jewelry trends spotted at Fashion Week in four international style capitals.
Now that Fashion Week is over and Anna Wintour, Victoria Beckham and the Kardashians have all flown back to their million-dollar villas, it is time for the rest of us to analyze trends that were set on the catwalks of London, New York, Milan and Paris – in this case, jewelry trends.
Reviewing the jewelry chosen to accessorize the Fall and Winter 2016-2017 collections, what struck us most was that statement jewelry seems to have officially replaced last year’s trends of subtle multi-layered necklaces and stacking rings.
From baroque revivals to the big, bold ’90s, it seems this fall’s motto is: the bigger, the better! Whereas designers in Paris and Milan went for the elegant, maximalist approach, experimenting with layering and unexpected color combinations, the stand-out collections in London and New York were given an edgy, neo-punk twist to make a bold statement.
Here are the three jewelry trends we’ve become most obsessed with after Fashion Week.
’90s Gothic Revival
The nineties already made a comeback in the Spring and Summer 2016 Collection, but it looks as if the trend is here to stay. Choker necklaces haven’t commonly been seen since Sabrina, the Teenage Witch disappeared from telly, but they were one of the key trends we spotted at the shows of Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Rihanna’s Fenty X Puma during New York Fashion Week.
While Ralph Lauren chose to dress his models in long, whimsical velvet dresses paired with big pendant chokers, Alexander Wang and Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma experimented with ’90s gothic and opted for (leather) dog-collar chokers with silver-dipped chains, crystal pendants and crosses, as well as body chains, reviving the neo-punk trend. Rodarte, on the other hand, combined black over-sized chokers with colorful flowers to reconcile 90s gothic with the fantastical.
Baroque jewelry
From extravagant beaded necklaces at Gucci to diamante ear cuffs at Balenciaga and pendant brooches at Christopher Kane, Fashion Week has proven that there is nothing wrong with wanting to dress like a queen!
Baroque jewelry has made another comeback. Marchesa’s collection, in particular, affirmed this. Designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig drew their inspiration from the Edwardian painter John Singer Sargent, who was famous for his portraits of rich, high-society women. Incorporating diamonds in dramatic, multi-layered necklaces, dangling earrings and sparkling tiaras, Marchesa’s collection was all about creating tension and showing exuberance and grandeur.
Likewise, crystal hair pieces and dramatic silver-metal ear cuffs were crucial elements at the show of Alexander McQueen
Asymmetry and single earrings
Maybe it’s because London is the birthplace of punk, but we saw many British designers experimenting with asymmetry at this year’s London Fashion Week. Blame it on the city’s love of eclecticism, but Topshop Unique and Simone Rocha have shown us that it’s totally okay to mix and match different types of earrings – hoops, pearls, studs, pendants – or alternate between different lengths.
It also looks like 2016 is going to be the year for earrings worn on their own. From a single pearl stud at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini in Milan to one bold, dramatic hoop at Loewe in Paris, diverting from symmetry and playing around with clashing styles and trends seems to be the way forward this fall.
What are your favorite jewelry trends spotted at Fall/Winter 2016-2017 Fashion Week? Are you a fan of maximalism or is it a trend you truly despise? Let us know in the comments below.
All photos courtesy Vogue
Lisa van der Steen is a Manchester-based freelance writer who previously worked with Diamonds of Choice. With a passion for style and jewelry, she has a keen eye for the latest trends and collections.