The power of the brooch
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 816 Ratings
🗓️ 28 April 2022
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We look into why sales of brooches have soared, and why they can be such a powerful accessory. Governor of the bank of Russia Elvia Nabiullina says the brooches she wears contain clues to understanding policy decisions, and the late Madeleine Albright, former USA Secretary of State, used to wear them as a diplomatic tool.
Brooches are currently gaining popularity among consumers and fashion brands are taking note, as Dolce & Gabbana’s Carlos Palacios and British Vogue’s Carol Woolton tell us.
Paul Paradis, an art historian from L’ECOLE School of Jewellery Arts in Paris, takes us through the history of brooches, and jewellery historian Vivienne Becker tells us what it was like to work with Madeleine Albright, and help pen her novel Read My Pins.
And we speak to Cindy Chao, one of the world’s most famous brooch makers, who became the first Asian female to get her work inducted into the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Presenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Izzy Greenfield
(Photo: Lady Gaga at the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Old Bond Street in the heart of London's high-end shopping capital Mayfair. |
| 0:07.7 | I'm Vivian Nunes and today on Business Daily, we're taking a look at a small accessory with an awful lot to say. |
| 0:14.9 | On good days I'd wear flowers and balloons and butterflies and on days, I would wear spiders and bugs. |
| 0:22.8 | For royalty, politicians and Hollywood stars, the brooch has long been a fashion staple. |
| 0:29.2 | But today, this jewel is experiencing a surge in demand, and retailers are taking note. |
| 0:35.9 | Especially now after COVID, there's a big comeback |
| 0:38.6 | because people are really wanting to make a statement, |
| 0:43.4 | to have fun, to be more playful. |
| 0:45.5 | And for sure, in the past year, I would say, |
| 0:49.5 | we've increased our sales for men's broch. |
| 0:53.0 | Pins and power. |
| 0:54.7 | That's Business Daily from the BBC. |
| 0:58.0 | I've just been led into Dolce and Garbana on Old Bond Street in the heart of Mayfair. |
| 1:04.3 | And I've just been taken through the store, out the back, going through security. |
| 1:10.2 | And now we're going to go upstairs. |
| 1:12.4 | Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Vivienne. Hi, Carlos. Carol Walton from British Vogue. I'm an author |
| 1:20.8 | and founder of the podcast, If Jules Could Talk. I'm with Carlos from Dalchina, who's head of |
| 1:25.9 | fine jewelry. He's come from Milan to show us some of these incredible purchases. |
| 1:30.1 | My goodness, I don't think Business Daily has ever had anyone come from Milan to talk to us, |
| 1:33.5 | so this is definitely a first. |
| 1:35.0 | I'm Carlos Palacios from Dolce Cabana. |
| 1:37.5 | I manage the high jewelry collection, the Alta Joyeleria. |
... |
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