Way back in September 2022, The Row presented its summer 2023 collection in Paris. Amongst the usual layers of shirting and suiting, everyone’s favourite quiet luxury brand debuted an unexpected accessory: a necklace made of a leather cord knotted around a silver-toned brass comb that became an object of desire, selling out at retailers almost as soon as it became available.
Luxury brands and jewellery designers have long had a knack for turning the everyday into the extraordinary. There’s jewellery designer Nadine Ghosn, whose specialty lies in reimagining quotidian objects (burgers, forks, stationery) as avant-garde jewellery in 18-carat gold. Paris-based jewellery designer Stéphanie D’heygere, whose credentials include a stint as head of jewellery at Maison Margiela, has built her eponymous brand centered entirely on subverting mundane objects and turning them into playful, luxe jewellery. Think a metal pendant that resembles a Metro card, bubblegum pink earrings that look like chewed gum, or a hair clip made of pantyhose wrapped into a bow. According to the brand’s manifesto, “Everything can become an accessory.” There’s also Lemaire’s Cabinet of Curiosities fine jewellery line, which uses miniature functional objects as pendants. So far, its necklaces have included a mini brush with real horsehair, a miniature harmonica that can play one octave, and a Swiss knife created in collaboration with Victorinox—blade, scissors, and nail file intact. Bags too are becoming more utilitarian with accoutrements attached to them. Edie Parker’s Burn bag comes with a retractable lighter holder, while Helmut Lang’s nylon travel bag has a neck pillow that can be unzipped to be used as a hood.
From earrings that look like keys, to a gold-plated sterling silver bracelet that resembles a bent drinking straw, below, nine weird and wonderful accessories you can shop for.
