2023: The Year of Genderless Jewellery
In this age of individualism, jewellery is but an extension of our personality, and brands are moving towards products that allow for this intent to thrive. Genderless Jewellery is not new, but 2023 will see it move from a trend to a permanent form of expression.
Today’s fashion industry is taking progressive steps towards authentic inclusivity that appreciates and respects differences. In this age of self-expression, jewellery is an extension of our personality, and brands are moving towards products that allow this intent to thrive. From layered necklaces to stacked rings, people across the gender spectrum embrace this age of maximalism with gusto.
Internationally, brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co offer gender-neutral pieces that adapt to new-age design sensibilities to keep up with the changing times. While this trend has been brewing strong in the global fashion world, in India, too, many homegrown labels are inching away from the binary, creating accessories accessible to everyone. One such brand is NO.NA.MÉ, which makes bold statement jewellery inspired by geometry and gender-neutral design. Founded by Smruti Mathisekaran, the jewellery brand aims to take accessories beyond limiting stereotypes.
NO.NA.MÉ’s modular, multi-wear jewellery is designed for all genders
“The reason why many brands are moving towards genderless jewellery is that it removes the characteristics and roles that are associated with a certain gender. People want to express themselves without any boundaries, especially GenZ. We do not wish to reinforce a fixed identity but let people pick their own,” says Mathisekaran. The brand’s modular, multi-wear jewellery is designed for all genders and features detachable elements that can be assembled in different ways. The idea, she says, is to eliminate gender limitations at the design level. “We want the jewellery we create to appeal to all genders. Hence we do not design with a particular gender in mind; rather, we let our minimalistic shape and modularity flow seamlessly into a person’s individuality,” she adds.
Another reason for this burgeoning business is the influence of celebrities. “It is impacted by celebrities who are open to experimenting with their looks. In this generation, the likes of Harry Styles and Lewis Hamilton have influenced the masses, and it trickled down from there,” opines Arushi Parakh, founder of Melt, a contemporary jewellery brand. The same ethos has pushed many brands to move towards men’s jewellery, propelled by a growing interest beyond the statement ring or watch. In fact, Ranveer Singh had spilled the beans on how he borrows his mother’s diamonds.
However, androgynous designs rule the roost and allow the current generation to break away from hyper-masculine designs through genderless jewellery. “Men today, especially youngsters, are more open to styles that aren’t conventionally masculine. They are keen to express their individuality, and jewellery is a great way to do so,” she adds.
Melt’s designs are unisex and contemporary
The influence is best attributed to the queer community, which has always stood for exploring the world away from the prism of gender. And now, more people are willing to explore the fluidity between masculinity and femininity. However, even as the genderless jewellery space grows, the critique that many brands face is the extensive presence of only female models in campaigns and the division of men’s and women’s collections.
Deep Pathare, a fashion content creator, shares his understanding of this phenomenon. “Generationally, in our patriarchal society, women have always been catered to jewellery from a selling point; they have always been the target audience. Gender and sexual orientations are only now getting the correct representation,” he says.
Deep believes there is still a considerable population that is not open to the idea of non-binary genders in jewellery
Despite the growing market for genderless jewellery, economic decisions decide the narrative for most brands. “There’s still a huge percentage of people with the buying capacity for commercial jewellery that are not very open to the idea of non-binary genders. So using another gender could lead to a drop in sales, which is what I’ve also been told when it comes to makeup and beauty. ‘We can’t use you as a model because it will affect sales’ just because I’m a queer man who does makeup; it’s the same equation in all segments,” Pathare adds.
GenZ and millennials, poised to be the big spenders in luxury space, have grown up with gender fluidity being the norm. As these lines get blurred in fashion and beyond, genderless jewellery will be the mainstay. Much of the change, Pathare believes, is being propelled on ground level through smaller thrift stores. “The shift is happening now because these stores don’t label jewellery as per gender. Anyone who wants to buy a piece is free to buy it regardless of gender.”
