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Where Fashion Jewelry Is Concerned, Goossens Gets It

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Jewelry house Goossens has collaborated with all the most important designers of the past sixty-odd years. Its most enduring association, though, is its relationship with Gabrielle Chanel. Now a part of the Chanel mother ship, the house continues to revisit the kind of jewelry Mademoiselle favored, both in terms of spirit and technique (though, to be clear, Goossens does not produce Chanel’s fashion jewelry).
This fall, the brand’s managing director, Patrick Goossens, returns to some of the styles Mademoiselle loved most. For instance, he paired the largest freshwater pearls he could find with rose quartz and pink rock crystal on a sautoir from the Essentiels line. His ongoing fascination with Indian themes is reflected in an imposing Taj Mahal bracelet and earrings in smoky or blue poured glass. These wares offer a convincing imitation of Indian-cut diamonds and cabochons. (Fortunately, however, these are far lighter on the lobes and the wallet than they appear.)

Still, any heritage house must modernize for a new generation—and that is where fall’s headline comes in. With its new range of accessibly priced “mixed” jewelry designed to appeal to both men and women, Goossens is reaching out to a younger, edgier customer. Take, for example, slim gold-plated bangles and rings that snap closed with a top hinge; crystal pendants that rotate (an idea carried over from last season’s Rune collection); and twin bracelets that can be left to jangle on the arm or, thanks to a clever clip, be worn as one piece. That last detail actually caters to the noise-sensitive guys out there. “All men hate jangling,” Goossens admits. “I’m always telling my wife to stop.”

It’s a big move, but Goossens feels the time is right. “We’ve really gotten to the roots of fashion jewelry as I see it,” Goossens concludes. “The trick is to express a maximum of things with a minimum of elements, without losing sight of who we are.”

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