When Lady Gaga embodied the big-haired, cripplingly adorned Patrizia Reggiani for her role in the film House of Gucci, she pulled the trigger on a new sartorial style that has since been dubbed “Mob Wife.” And the better half of this trend is most definitely the jewelry.
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“Think of The Godfather, The Sopranos and Goodfellas… [it’s] power [and] confidence wrapped up in femininity,” declares Clémence Devaux, who heads up the jewelry department at auction house Catawiki. It recently curated an auction dedicated to the trend, with bold gold jewels and attention-seeking 1980s-inspired designs.
“This style is the opposite of quiet luxury and invites people to be courageous and stand out,” she says.
It is not so much that jewelers need to create new designs to fit this theme; they can draw on existing collections or vintage designs. Supersized hoops, heavy chains, bold cuffs and look-at-me cocktail rings all work. Yellow gold is the metal of choice for this trend, and layering is vital to unlocking the look. When embracing Mob Wife, more is more…and probably still not enough.
“Layer your necklaces, stack your bracelets and don’t hold back on those rings,” Joy Haugaard, founder and creative director at New York brand Lionheart, advises clients. “Mob Wife-inspired jewelry is more than just accessories — it’s a story of luxury, power, boldness, cultural depth and unapologetic excess.”
Main image: Selection of Eéra diamond rings in 18-karat gold on model. (Eéra)