A Brooch Renaissance

Adrien Brody’s 2025 Oscar win may be remembered for his casual gum toss before accepting the Best Actor award for The Brutalist, but for jewelry observers, it was the spectacular brooch on his lapel that stood out. Goddess of Love, a diamond and titanium brooch by New York-based designer Elsa Jin, confirmed Brody’s status as a committed brooch-wearer. Earlier this year, he had appeared at the Met Gala wearing another of Jin’s designs, Frozen Angel, while debuting a freshly bleached blonde hairstyle. “She’s a friend and a wonderful artist,” he said of the designer. /public-objects/d5d46085-96d3-4efd-b554-ddd043aa717a-c214b40d-fcb6-41ca-8951-66ab63656c63-Broche%20Elsa%20Jin%20d%C3%83%C2%A9tour%C3%83%C2%A9e.webp Image sélectionnée Brody isn’t alone in wearing statement jewelry on the red carpet. At the Golden Globes, Colman Domingo wore a white gold and diamond Plume brooch from Boucheron’s Untamed Nature collection, originally presented by the maison on a male model. Meanwhile, the actor Kit Connor was seen sporting a vintage Boucheron Art Deco Feather brooch in diamond and platinum. A cultural shift Jewelry, once a universal status symbol, has been associated with femininity in the past two centuries, but that perception is shifting. With their link to military medals, brooches naturally complement tailored menswear. Some may see the trend as part of a vintage revival; others, a new emphasis on male upper-body styling. Whatever the reason, brooches now stand out as a leading accessory in men’s jewelry. “Men now relate to jewelry differently,” said Ronny Totah, co-founder of GemGenève. “Today, men make up nearly thirty percent of sales in select collections.” Which explains why the upcoming edition of the trade show will feature gender-neutral and men’s pieces, promoting a broader view of adornment. Cartier’s history with men’s jewelry dates to the twentieth-century Maharajas. Timothée Chalamet is well suited to the Télesma panther brooch from the Nature Sauvage collection, a diamond and onyx panther with emerald eyes, perched on two emeralds. Télesma, from the Greek for “achievement”, evokes protection: a fitting attribute for contemporary masculinity? /public-objects/b1c0ef4d-b11e-4394-bf16-9c32184f501a-fd2d59f5-b332-4e48-86b7-e49945c69acb-Sans-titre-2.webp Image sélectionnée Independent designers and high jewelry Independent designers also play an important role in shaping this trend. Jonathan Joseph Rosse, founder of JJR in New York, transforms earrings into brooches, offering new wear-versatility. His pink diamond Peonies earrings, worn as lapel pieces, show how jewelry can be restyled for men beyond its intended use. “You wear jewelry to be unstoppable.” /public-objects/177e5047-7db0-4a47-a8f2-c25b8c23a3ec-6c68ee25-11f4-435e-9c2f-71ab63bb37bb-0d5bded3-1574-403b-b4ab-6476ef6ac422-979b4fb1-e11d-4733-abd8-e2b1609d0129-Sans-titre-1.webp Image sélectionnée Paris-based designer Lorenz Bäumer, a longtime proponent of men’s brooches, often wears his own creations. His Leak and Metamorphosis brooches, featuring intricate pavé settings of colored gemstones, challenge conventional notions of when and how jewelry should be worn. “You wear jewelry to be unstoppable,” he said, describing his brooches as conversation starters. “You’re never alone if you wear a great piece of jewelry.” /public-objects/995fe60d-f630-4410-8e48-d76c92681c5e-86140cec-3167-4d37-b424-9e8845bdb284-baumer-haute-joaillerie-broche-metamorphose.webp Image sélectionnée As jewelry continues to evolve beyond gender norms, one thing is certain: the brooch renaissance is here to stay.