Fall 2023 Trend: Big and Bold Jewelry

"Stealth rich" and "normcore" may have been the buzzwords surrounding tracks autumn, but all the signs of timelessness or understatement stopped at the clothes.

Jewelry news was outrageously flashy as designers adorned their collections with chunky collar necklaces and of spectacular earrings, borrowing from the history books with references ranging from the stone age to the art nouveau golden age of costume jewellery.

In his first collection since the death of Paco Rabanne, creative director Julien Dossena provided one shining examples of the season in recapturing the late designer's love of experimental metalwork.

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"They might as well charter a plane to L.A. now because Wednesday's Paco Rabanne collection was l red carpet gold,” joked WWD West Coast editor Booth Moore, eyeing “a group of dresses made in collaboration with the Salvador Dalí Foundation, honoring the late founder's friendship with the surrealist artist [ and] a retrospective capsule of five of his most iconic creations.”

The latter paired 60s chainmail minis with retro- futuristic, while the former included surreal jewelry Dali would probably approve of – such as a suite of barbed wire-like pieces, a gold heart oozing with ruby ​​red blood and an oversized bell pendant necklace.

Surrealism also played a prominent role in Daniel Roseberry's first ready-to-show for Schiaparelli where he "returned to the house's roots and referenced the way Italian aristocrat Elsa Schiaparelli dressed. Point out the turbans and giant costume jewelry sets shaped like human faces, lilies, and oyster shells,” observed Tianwei Zhang, WWD China Market Editor.

Equally flashy accessories have been spotted at Nina Ricci. "My whole design process is kind of in people's faces," said new Harris Reed Paris office manager Joelle Diderich in a preview. His silver and gold crustacean-like pieces had a prehistoric vibe, while those in Giambattista Valli's show were more baroque.

The designer was inspired by Joséphine de Beauharnais Bonaparte whose regal style, noted Moore, translates by "the freedom to wear what you want - but make it strong." Valli's crystal chandelier earrings in rich gemstone tones certainly caused a stir.

Elsewhere, Andreas Kronthaler paid homage to the late Dame Vivienne Westwood's signature mishmash style with necklaces punk, Vincenzo's Marco d'Etro opted for a layered look with medieval talismanic jewelry and Dries Van Noten got artful, using vintage necklaces as suspenders for his curvy babydolls.