More and more, men attending gala events like the Oscars are venturing into more exciting territory where jewelry is concerned. My favorite masculine jewelry moment from this year’s Academy Awards ceremony came from costume designer (and Oscar winner!) Paul Tazewell.
Paul Tazewell has been designing award-winning costumes for film and theatre for three decades. He picked up a Tony Award in 2016 for the costumes for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and was nominated three years later for his first Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. This year, he was nominated for Wicked, and his win in the category makes him the first black man to take home the costume design prize. (Designing costumes for adaptations of The Wizard of Oz is one of his specialties—he also won an Emmy for the costumes for a live production of The Wiz in 2016.)
Tazewell curated another beautiful look for his Academy Awards moment on Sunday. He worked with his stylist, Linda Medvene, to put together an ensemble inspired by a classic fashion moment from the 1960s.
On Instagram, Tazewell wrote, “In planning this classic look, I drew significant inspiration from the Black dandies of yesteryear. The debut tuxedo from Yves Saint Laurent’s 1966 collection, famously captured by Helmut Newton in Paris, provided the exact silhouette I was seeking. Dolce and Gabbana’s impeccably tailored classic black and white single-breasted custom tuxedo serves as the perfect foundation, complemented exquisitely by vintage jewelry from Fred Leighton.”
The Fred Leighton jewelry that he mentions is a show-stopping part of the whole look. I was captivated by the cascading brooch that Tazewell fastened to the tie of his shirt as he gave his acceptance speech on Sunday. The piece manages to echo a traditional tie while adding some impeccable glamour, very appropriate for an Oscar winning moment.
The good people at Fred Leighton shared a video of Tazewell’s brooch on their Instagram account. Above is a screenshot from that video, showing some of the grapevine-inspired details of the jewel. The piece, per the retailer, is a vintage jewel from the 1950s—something evident in the combination of baguette- and round-cut diamonds set in the piece.
Here’s one more look at Tazewell’s brooch as he lifts his Oscar in celebration after his win. I also love the way that the brooch mimics the placement of chivalric decorations for men. It almost looks like Tazewell’s version of the neck badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece—very appropriate for a time when someone reaches a pinnacle in his career!
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