Vivienne Westwood has always used jewellery as a powerful statement, and the latest array of designer earrings is no exception. Fashioned in small, subversive doses, each pair feels like a manifesto you fasten with a butterfly back. Studs, hoops and chandeliers arrive polished to a ceremonial gleam, yet beneath the sheen beats the non-conformist heart of a label that once taught London how to sneer in silk. Slip them on and you are instantly louder, even if you never raise your voice: the metals catch the light, the crystals ricochet it, and strangers recalibrate their first impressions before you have uttered a syllable.
The Orb: Micro-Cosmos, Major Statement
The house’s planetary emblem dominates much of the collection, scaled down to thumbnail size without losing an ounce of theatrical bravado. Perched on posts or dangling from fine chains, the miniature coronet meets Saturn motif turns an earlobe into a solar system. In some versions the rings glitter with pavé crystals, catching pub fairy lights as effectively as ballroom chandeliers. Others keep the metal plain and mirror bright, letting contour and contour alone do the talking. Whichever incarnation you choose, the result is a compact lesson in controlled anarchy: state regalia redrawn with a cosmic grin, hanging just above your pulse point.
Pearls That Refuse to Behave
Pearls appear throughout the line-up, but not the shy variety once associated with deb balls and discreet nods. Westwood’s pearls swing, sway and sometimes clash, becoming kinetic declarations rather than prim punctuation. Some designs suspend a single baroque orb beneath a crystal laden crown, like a drop of moonlight interrupted by fireworks. Others string petite spheres around hoops, so every head turn sends a soft rattle of rebellion across the room. The secret pleasure here lies in contrast: cool nacre beside hot tempered metal, old world gloss sharpened by avant garde geometry. On the ear they read as heirlooms that slipped into the wrong century and decided to stay.
Punk Echoes in Fine Company
Trace the silhouette of several pieces and you will spot whispers of safety pins, cuff links and even hardware store washers relics of Westwood’s punk adolescence, reincarnated in precious alloy. A dainty hoop suddenly bristles with tooth like studs; a neat stud conceals a coiled spring of tension behind its polite façade. Nothing is literal, everything is subtext, and that is precisely the mischief. These references are clues for the observant, a wink to those who remember that anarchy once wore bin bags to the nightclub. Yet the workmanship is couture level: smooth hinges, invisible clasps, a pearl that pivots perfectly in its cradle. The message? Rebellion ages gracefully when you treat it with technical respect.
Asymmetry: The Charming Wrongness
Symmetry has its virtues, but too much can feel like obeying a dress code. Westwood counters with deliberate mismatching. One lobe may sport a jaunty heart pierced by orbiting rings, while the other carries only the rings themselves, as if the heart flew off mid adventure. A single drop earring is sold alongside a companion stud, creating a dialogue rather than a mirror image. The imbalance is strategic: it draws the eye, then keeps it wandering, tracing the unseen line between left and right. Wearers report the fun of choosing which side gets the longer story each morning. Call it sartorial semaphore for those who speak fluent contradiction.
Colour, Light and the Art of Distraction
Although silver and gold dominate, flashes of colour dart through the range like sparks. Rosy crystals warm the pallor of winter skin; inky stones smoulder against a summer tan. The brand’s fondness for rainbow plating also makes an appearance, coating metal in iridescence so it behaves like oil on water. This chromatic playfulness serves a higher purpose: it distracts from small rebellions elsewhere in the outfit. A strict blazer feels less corporate when lilac gems flicker at the collar; a black leather jacket grows even more alluring when studded with points of starlight. Think of the earrings as theatrical lighting for your personal stage production.
Styling: Conducting Controlled Chaos
Because each design carries heavy personality, styling them is an exercise in editorial restraint. Tack a pair of crystal ringed studs onto a crisp white shirt and the office instantly suspects you have an interesting midnight hobby. Thread pearl drops beneath a velvet headscarf and you could pass for a runaway duchess squared up to the paparazzi. Those with multiple piercings can build a constellation: tiny orbs marching up the helix, a rogue hoop gripping the tragus, one statement piece pulling rank in the lobe. The trick is balance let one element shout while the others mutter approvingly.
