Suzanne Kalan, the 33-year-old Los Angeles brand operated by the designer of the same name and her daughter Patile, is introducing its first-ever men’s line. The designer, sometimes called the Queen of Baguettes, is known for her unique style of irregularly placed baguette gemstones and pavé diamonds set in 18k gold.
As JCK has been reporting, the demand for men’s jewelry—and not just watches and wedding rings—has been increasing as of late, prompting more and more jewelry designers to launch menswear collections. Of course, popular culture has been, in part, fueling the surge: Harry Styles as been seen in pearls, Questlove in giant beaded necklaces, and David Beckham in bejeweled bracelets.
It’s a largely untapped market, too. A recent report by Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Co. said that though men’s fine jewelry sales account for only 5–10% of the global market—and wedding bands continue to make up the majority of sales—male consumers represent “an opportunity for brands to capture share in a relatively uncrowded market driven by increasingly genderless aesthetics and high-profile celebrity influencers.”
Kalan will rework her current Fireworks collection for men, with pieces ranging from black sapphire and white diamond dog tags to eye-catching pink sapphire eternity bands and chic emerald green bangles.
Male wearers can be as daring or discreet as they like, according to Kalan. “With the increased demand from my retailers and direct clients for larger sizes, I thought now was the time to go for it,” she said in statement. “Jewelry is most definitely now a fixture of any stylish man’s wardrobe. The styling ethos of this collection is maximalism, so there’s no need for men to take a back seat.”
The menswear collection will initially be sold at Mr. Porter, with more retailers added soon.
Top: Alaia rainbow sapphire ring, $4,400; Suzanne Kalan
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