Men in Jewellery: What Women Want?

«IF MEN ARE FROM MARS and women are from Venus, you speak Venusian; the world can be yours!». This was what Dr. J. M. Perkins, alias Bette Midler, said to Mel Gibson in the film What Women Want, an American comedy made in 2000, famous for having given an account of what might happen if a man could read women’s minds and finally understand what they want. For many, this prediction is still pure utopia, but jewelry and fashion history are full of creative artists who seem to be able to read female thoughts, generating collections able to satisfy and amaze all of them. There is also a generation of young designers who are increasingly managing to incarnate this talent, thanks to a modern aesthetic language that goes straight to the heart of new millennium women. But what is the secret to understanding what women want? And how much has jewelry style changed in its aim to enhance modern and evolved femininity? The words of some designers provide a glimpse of a new trend devoted to creating not only beautiful and valuable jewelry, but also items able to enhance the wearer’s personality while still guaranteeing functionality and comfort through a design that favours bodily movements. «I want my jewelry to give women power and allow them to fully express themselves and their style,» says Dominic Jones, who recently became the new Art Director for the Astley Clarke brand. Much-loved by Alexa Chung, Lou Doillon, Florence Welch and acclaimed by Anna Wintour, the British designer is considered an authentic star of the fashion system. Since his debut in 2009, his collections have stood out for their unique, dark and visionary imagination in which traditional techniques merge with innovative design giving life to sculpture items. The ambassador of an intense and occasionally animal-like femininity, Dominic has a totally personal vision. «My approach to the world of jewelry comes from a fashion perspective. By observing what women love to wear, I can create desirable collections.»

Jones is not the only designer to have a strong bond with fashion. French designer Elie Top, who baptized his first collection two years ago, boasts a fifteen-year experience as the artistic director of accessories at Lanvin. His proposals are authentic masterpieces of engineering and preserve neo-classical French charm in futuristic shapes. Constantly surrounded by independent and extremely beautiful women, like Camille Bidault Waddington, Catherine Baba, Natacha Ramsay, Marisa Berenson, Inès de la Fressange and Joana Preiss, the designer admits to having a privileged relationship with the female world. «Women are constantly in my thoughts, I draw them continually. Each one has her own femininity. My collections are dedicated to the most independent and free spirits. I try to create something that emphasizes their personality, making them feel beautiful and special, but I never ignore the more playful and functional side.» Innovative, elaborate and the result of a vast gemmological knowledge, jewelry by the Greek designer, Nikos Koulis, on the other hand, expresses a femininity that safeguards classical aesthetic standards re-processed with a certain boldness and determination in which the designer’s and desire to experiment new techniques combined with traditional ones, prevail. «You need to open your heart and mind in order to satisfy women’s desires, » he says. «When I create, I think about self-confident women, those who want to express themselves though the jewelry they wear. Having two boutiques, one in Athens and one in Mykonos, I have direct relations with my customers about what they want and prefer. I can only imagine the ‘torture’ of wearing earrings that are too heavy and brace- lets that are too sti. This is why I check every stage of pro- duction and I stay in the workshop every day to test the practicality of every piece.»

Acclaimed Tomasz Donocik also dedicates meticulous care to his jewels: «When I design, I am focused on both details and the shape of the jewel. If the details are not perfect, the rest of the design can also be compromised.» The Polish designer, who lives and works in London, was – together with Fernando Jorge – among the most rewarded jewelers, thanks to his refined and innovative aesthetics, dedicated to confident and independent women: «My muse is strong and aware. She has already won many battles in life, and this is why she knows what she wants and what she likes. She is always searching for something new.» And if his collections stand out for their bold energy, the Brazilian designer Fernando Jorge brings the sensuality of his country to the jewelry world, with jewels characterised by curves that echo those of the body: «It is all about form, functionality and the beauty of the stones. The goal is to create unique pieces that are in complete harmony with the body of a woman, almost becoming one with her.»