The Grammy Awards. The Super Bowl halftime show. Fashion runways. Brooches are showing up everywhere and on everything this year—and men are looking fabulous in them.
But what if you’re not an A-list celebrity with a stylist? How do you add a pin to your lapel, waistband, or cuff without worrying you’ve somehow done it wrong? That jewelry dilemma is what Joseph Shihadeh wanted to solve when he hosted a men’s brooch party at his store in Metro Detroit.
“The brooch party ended up being one of the most successful and well-received events we’ve ever done,” Shihadeh says. “Jewelers should be looked at as fashion leaders, and people should look to us as to how to dress and what to wear. We’re the experts and should capitalize on that.”
Shihadeh is the owner of Giorgio Conti, a fine jewelry store and wholesale business in Ferndale, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. Brooches are a wardrobe staple for Shihadeh and his business partner, especially over the past four years as they’ve been attending more galas, charity events, and fundraisers to represent their company.
“The feedback has been great. When people see us wearing brooches, they often realize it’s an accessory they hadn’t considered before,” Shihadeh says. “Many of our clients are already wearing expensive suits and watches, but brooches offer something unique that they can pull off once they see someone else doing it.”
A brooch party idea started brewing in November when Shihadeh was asked by a few other guests at a charity event about the pins he was wearing. They wished to see more pieces like that. Plus, they had not yet been to Giorgio Conti’s new storefront (opened in March 2024), and Shihadeh wanted to invite them to visit.
He asked them to help him curate a guest list for the mid-December brooch party, and sent invitations by email.
“We invited high-profile attorneys, real estate developers, finance professionals, and others, with a particular focus on men since they often have fewer accessory options,” says Shihadeh. “The response was overwhelmingly positive—no one had ever heard of a brooch party before, and everyone thought it was a fresh and exciting idea.”
The event was held during the holiday season but didn’t brush up too close to family gatherings. Its theme intrigued people, Shihadeh says, as it was like a holiday party but seemingly without the pressure to buy something.
Giorgio Conti brought in about 80 estate or antique brooches for people to examine, try on, and possibly purchase. The store included a high-end tailor, local social media influencers, and Saks stylists as guests.
“We had approximately 40 to 50 people, with about 25 to 30 new clients coming through the door,” Shihadeh says. “About 80% of the buyers were men from various age groups. We saw young men in their 20s and 30s as well as those in their 40s and 50s, which was great.”
The store sold the majority of its pins and brooches that night—clients liked the idea that they were ahead of the game style-wise and cooler than the crowd, says Shihadeh. After the event, sales continued to rise as clients returned, looking for brooches to give as gifts or add to their own accessory collections.
Now Shihadeh is planning to bring Saks and the tailor back for a brooch and made-to-measure suit party.
“While brooches are often seen on the red carpet, particularly on men, I rarely see them at events in everyday life. I think people are still hesitant to wear them, unsure if they can pull it off,” he says. “I believe this trend is on the brink of going mainstream, and the fantastic reactions we received at the event show that people feel they’re part of setting the trend.”
Top: A guest at the Metro Detroit jeweler’s recent brooch party (photos courtesy of Giorgio Conti)
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