Ode to the brooch

The notion of the brooch as a retro accessory or a “lady’s” piece is long outdated.

In recent years, and notably in the 2025 season, both summer and winter, it has reemerged as a defining detail capable of reinventing an outfit: a couture accent through which to express one’s personality.

On the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2025 runways, brands like Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Bottega Veneta – among others – have brought the brooch back into the spotlight, pinning it on plunging necklines, oversized coats, and sheer dresses alike. At the 2025 Met Gala, Zendaya wore a Bulgari snake-shaped brooch pinned to the back of her immaculate tailored jacket, while Lewis Hamilton showcased baobab-inspired brooches adorned with garnets and diamonds on his jacket and hat. At the recently concluded 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Isabelle Huppert donned an oversized emerald brooch on a Balenciaga denim jumpsuit, and A$AP Rocky completed his look with a ruby brooch.

There is no doubt: brooches have claimed a new role as versatile, meaningful jewels, symbols of personal expression, rebellious elegance, and jewellery to be worn with boldness and pride. Fueling this evolving vocabulary are designers who approach jewellery as an art form.

Alessio Boschi, for instance, uses micromosaic in The English Setter Brooch Pendant to evoke cinematic detail and storytelling.

Mousson Atelier plays with movement and lightness: the Golden Fish Brooch, crafted in 18-carat yellow gold and set with diamonds and multicolored sapphires, captivates with its mobile fins.

Lydia Courteille navigates diverse cultures and materials, blending white and black diamonds, tsavorite, green garnet, rubellite, and stalactite into a striking creation born from the meeting of Huichol art and haute jewellery.

Amtonella Reina, Editor VO+