The fashion resurgence of the scripted necklaces made me reminisces the time I was as heartbroken as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City when she loses her beloved nameplate necklace. Like a thread line through the series, the Carrie necklace was something Sarah Jessica Parker wore forging the benchmark for our future bling goals.
Patricia Fields, the legendary costume designer of the show, took the jewellery trend off the streets of New York to put it on Sarah Jessica Parker’s character. Fields explain the reason behind the necklaces colossal appeal, ‘I think there’s a trend toward smaller pieces, and the name necklace fits within that genre. Names are timeless. Every woman has one: young, old, short, or tall.’ True that Ms Fields!!
As much as I adore autumn, it can be a tricky season to get right sartorially speaking. The uncertainty of weather can play havoc with wardrobe- planning; throwing any styling efforts into disarray.
Enter: the custom nameplate jewellery trend!! The goal post for me oscillates between slinging my Christian name about my clavicle to oversized alphabets in my earrings depending on the frame of mind I inhabit at any given time.
The Custom whip chain necklace and Custom Hoop Earrings by Glam & Glo are the ideal companion to spruce up the most practical of trans seasonal dressing. It adds a throwaway panache to an otherwise mundane outfit; providing a visual lacing throughout the design composition.
Fashion pundits may argue that customised accessories never indeed went away, but it feels like its second act is reaching fever pitch.
Why is the customisation trend in jewellery so appealing you might think?
A piece of jewellery can often be somewhat generic. Still, when you have the opportunity to customise or design something on your own, you can take your style or flair and translate into something that represents you or a significant life event. Personalisation creates an emotional connection with a product contributing to the overall value of the piece.
In the words of Frédéric Godart, a sociologist and associate professor at the INSEAD business school in France, says this about customisation and its visceral connection, “the latest manifestation of a deeper social transformation that puts the individual and their idiosyncratic tastes centre stage.”
It is hardly surprising then; to read that the idea of making personalised fashion and accessories is not new. It was quite popular amongst the French aristocrats to get customised jewellery or wigs commissioned for themselves and their loved ones.
Taking the customisation style, a step further and modernising it to suit the normcore Gen has been Phoebe Philo; who introduced the Celine initial necklace during her reign as the creative director of Celine. Upon her departure from the brand; it started as something of a badge of honour among ‘Philophiles’ (Phoebe Philo’s army of devout fans) and influencers making it the standout jewellery trend of the decade.
Glam & Glo’s Sideways Initial Necklace is an ode to this movement; harping on our love for personalised frosting and fonts in gold, silver. The alphabets are dressed rather than drenched with 18k gold plated letters of high quality. The perfect anecdotal gift of love to you and for those who are close to your heart.
I am a minimalist at heart; the clean structural aesthetic of Glam & Glo sings jewellery lullaby to me. As a woman of primary hues; black, white and grey rule my wardrobe making gold and silver accessories the perfect foil to my simplistic contemporary dressing.
It wouldn’t come as a big revelation then to know about my passionate crush on the Custom Stud Earrings. The alphabets play a jolly foxtrot in completely unexpected context and in doing so, changing the way we see them. These earrings feature surprising juxtapositions; adding symmetry and balance to ensure a sense of fashion calm.
I am curiously drawn to Glam & Glo’s latest offering; My Year Custom Necklace. How very liberating and freeing to be wearing your age on your decolletage. It is simply ravishing, and of course, I am sold. This necklace makes me feel cool and evocative, as the screen goddess who doesn’t have to try too hard.
The intention is to be quietly feminine in a strong, powerful way. Glam & Glo’s latest customised collection sums up where we stand at this moment culturally; enunciating to the woman who is confident in her sexuality and her skin.
Dina Udupa is the designer of her London based eponymous women’s wear brand. With a career in fashion spanning the globe, she recently launched her luxury brand: a concept that combines a love of the opulent, mystical designs of my native India, infused with a passion for travel and cultural exploration. Dina Udupa is a celebration of luxurious fabrics in simple, elegant design forms.