Chez La Modiste

The Rise of the Brooch: Men Embrace Bold Jewelry on Red Carpets

At the 98th Academy Awards, Leonardo DiCaprio sported a vintage bee brooch from 1964 by Boucheron, while Lionel Richie donned an intricate diamond double-clip from Tiffany & Co.

RC
Rafael Castillo

June 21, 2026 · 6 min read

A distinguished man on a red carpet wearing an elaborate, vintage-inspired brooch, showcasing the resurgence of this bold accessory in men's fashion.

At the 98th Academy Awards, Leonardo DiCaprio sported a vintage bee brooch by Boucheron, while Lionel Richie donned an intricate diamond double-clip from Tiffany & Co. signaling a surprising resurgence for the once-niche accessory, according to South China Morning Post. A prominent display of haute joaillerie by leading male figures underscores a significant evolution in red carpet adornment. Pedro Pascal further exemplified this shift at the same ceremony, wearing a silk and feather Chanel brooch, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Brooches were long considered a niche or feminine accessory, but they are now a prominent and daring statement piece for leading male figures on the red carpet. These choices move beyond minimalist adornment into bold, almost playful, statements.

The sustained visibility and diverse adoption of brooches by influential male celebrities are likely to accelerate their mainstream acceptance, fundamentally redefining men's formalwear and accessory expectations. The trend compels high-end jewelers to reposition these pieces as essential, masculine statements rather than mere embellishments.

A New Era for Men's Adornment

Ansel Elgort showcased a platinum butterfly brooch adorned with diamonds and sapphires from Tiffany & Co.’s Enchant collection, as noted by South Coast Plaza. Ansel Elgort's particular selection, alongside similar choices by peers, illustrates a conscious move away from conventional masculine adornment, signaling a profound shift in accepted formalwear conventions. Billy Porter further embraced this expressive approach, wearing a platinum and diamond dragonfly brooch, also from Tiffany & Co.’s Enchant collection, according to South Coast Plaza. These pieces, crafted with meticulous detail, exemplify the maker's hand in creating objects of significant artistic merit.

Jason Momoa's choice of a Cartier 18-karat white gold Art Deco-style brooch, featuring diamonds and onyx, further solidified this departure from traditional norms, as reported by South Coast Plaza. These intricate and often whimsical pieces challenge long-held perceptions of men's jewelry, extending beyond the utilitarian functions of a watch or ring. The consistent appearance of such high-end brooches from brands like Tiffany & Co. Cartier, and Chopard on male celebrities indicates a significant, untapped luxury market for men's formal accessories, challenging the long-held belief that men's jewelry is limited to watches and rings. The consistent appearance of such high-end brooches from brands like Tiffany & Co. Cartier, and Chopard on male celebrities demonstrates a conscious move away from traditional masculine adornment towards more expressive and personalized style, suggesting a deliberate reframing of the accessory as a powerful, gender-agnostic statement, moving beyond historically feminine associations into a realm of individual sartorial declaration.

From Haute Couture to Accessible Style

The market for brooches, while driven by luxury red carpet appearances, also presents more accessible options. The Rainbow Crystal Cascade Statement Brooch, inspired by Cate Blanchett's style, costs $128, according to Jujuloves. Similarly, the Gold Filigree Lion Brooch, reminiscent of Chloë Sevigny's aesthetic, is priced at $128, as detailed by Jujuloves.

The Gold Crystal Crocodile Alligator Brooch Pendant is available for $158, according to Jujuloves. These examples, though inspired by female celebrities and offered at a more modest price point, highlight a broader commercial interest in brooches. The presence of both luxury and more affordable options suggests a burgeoning market eager to capitalize on this red carpet-driven trend. However, a disconnect is revealed: while male celebrities are driving the luxury red carpet trend, the immediate trickle-down to accessible retail often features designs inspired by female figures, indicating the male-driven luxury trend has not fully permeated broader consumer fashion yet.

The Cultural Drivers Behind the Brooch Revival

Rami Malek's choice of a Cartier Juste un Clou 18-karat white gold pin, featuring 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, illustrates a subtle linguistic shift in marketing, according to South Coast Plaza. The use of "pin" instead of "brooch" by some luxury brands suggests a conscious effort to soften the accessory's historically feminine connotations and broaden its appeal to a male demographic, implicitly acknowledging and navigating traditional gendered perceptions. Nick Jonas further pushed boundaries with a floral-themed brooch from Chopard, featuring a 19.95-carat black opal set in 18k yellow gold and colored titanium, as reported by South Coast Plaza. Nick Jonas's floral-themed brooch from Chopard, with its organic motif and complex material composition, highlights the artisanal craftsmanship involved in contemporary haute joaillerie.

The availability of a Pearl Snowflake Brooch with Crystal Accents for $88, as noted by Jujuloves, further underscores the diverse market strategy, revealing a dual approach to market penetration. The brooch trend reflects a broader cultural movement towards personalized expression and breaking traditional gender norms in fashion, making diverse styles and price points relevant across the consumer spectrum. The strategic leveraging of male celebrity influence by high-end jewelers serves to re-legitimize a historically niche accessory, positioning it as a powerful, gender-agnostic statement that resonates with a more fluid understanding of masculinity in contemporary culture.

By embracing intricate and historically feminine-coded accessories like brooches, male celebrities such as Pedro Pascal, with his silk and feather Chanel piece, and Billy Porter, donning a Tiffany & Co. dragonfly, are actively dismantling rigid definitions of masculinity in fashion. The choices by male celebrities, far from being mere decorative flourishes, serve as deliberate statements, paving the way for a more expressive and fluid approach to men's formalwear that champions individual sartorial autonomy. The consistent appearance of high-end brooches from brands like Tiffany & Co. Cartier, and Chopard on male celebrities such as Ansel Elgort, Jason Momoa, and Nick Jonas indicates a significant, untapped luxury market for men's formal accessories. The consistent appearance of high-end brooches from brands like Tiffany & Co. Cartier, and Chopard on male celebrities such as Ansel Elgort, Jason Momoa, and Nick Jonas challenges the long-held belief that men's jewelry is limited to watches and rings, suggesting a wider acceptance of varied adornment and a burgeoning desire for unique, statement-making pieces. Male celebrities are not merely wearing brooches; they are deliberately selecting designs that subtly reframe the accessory as a powerful, gender-agnostic statement, moving beyond traditional feminine associations and into a new territory of sophisticated male self-expression on the global stage. The acts of adornment by male celebrities, often featuring pieces with a rich historical provenance or exceptional artisanal execution, underscore a connoisseur's appreciation for fine craftsmanship.

The red carpet brooch resurgence is not a grassroots fashion movement but a top-down luxury play, with high-end jewelers strategically leveraging male celebrity influence to re-legitimize a historically niche accessory.

  • Leonardo DiCaprio wore a vintage bee brooch from 1964 by Boucheron at the Oscars, according to South China Morning Post.
  • Lionel Richie donned an intricate diamond double-clip from Tiffany & Co. at the 98th Academy Awards, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
  • Rami Malek wore a Cartier Juste un Clou 18-karat white gold pin featuring 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, as noted by South Coast Plaza.
  • Ansel Elgort wore a platinum butterfly brooch with diamonds and sapphires from Tiffany & Co.’s Enchant collection, according to South Coast Plaza.

The strategic endorsement by influential figures underscores a deliberate repositioning of brooches within the luxury market. Such high-profile visibility is crucial for reshaping consumer perceptions, particularly for male demographics, and for fostering broader acceptance of these pieces as integral components of sophisticated formalwear. The shift suggests a calculated effort by luxury brands to broaden their market reach beyond traditional gendered jewelry categories, recognizing the burgeoning demand for unique, expressive accessories. The top-down approach, rooted in the curated choices of celebrated personalities, provides a powerful impetus for brooches to transition from a specialized item to a mainstream, albeit high-end, staple in men's wardrobes.

  • Male celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lionel Richie, are prominently wearing brooches at major events like the 98th Academy Awards, challenging conventional accessory norms.
  • High-end jewelers like Tiffany & Co. and Cartier are supplying intricate pieces, such as Ansel Elgort's platinum butterfly brooch and Jason Momoa's 18-karat white gold Art Deco-style brooch, indicating a burgeoning luxury market for men's formal accessories.
  • The use of terms like "pin" for pieces such as Rami Malek's Cartier accessory suggests a linguistic strategy by brands to broaden appeal beyond historically feminine connotations.
  • While luxury brooches are driven by male celebrity choices, more accessible options, like a $128 Rainbow Crystal Cascade Statement Brooch, often draw inspiration from female celebrities, highlighting a disconnect in market penetration.

By Q3 2026, luxury ateliers like Boucheron and Tiffany & Co. will likely further expand their dedicated lines of brooches for men, capitalizing on the sustained red carpet visibility and the evolving definitions of masculine adornment.