The sighting: We have several sightings of stylish young things wearing chokers with elaborate dripping festoons during Paris Fashion Week. Two are 90’s vintage, one appears to be a real antique! All are on trend.
The jewels: Nicola Peltz Beckham posted a series of photos from a fashion week party that show her wearing an off-the-shoulder pink blouse and a spectacular multi-row pearl choker with a glorious, dangling segment of diamond festoons in front. It looks like a classic Belle Époque era collier de chien. Antique paste and new versions of this style certainly exist, but based on this family’s known love of serious jewelry and impressive net worth, I think it’s safe to assume this is a real antique.
Secondly, we have two different festoons on one woman: Actress Katherine Langford wore festoon chokers for two of her Paris Fashion week appearances. The first is a circa 1997 beaded opal choker by John Galliano for Christian Dior. Many rows, delicate pale color, gorgeous. TAB Vintage posted the photo, so they are likely the source.
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Langford’s second festoon moment was also vintage Dior, this time a dramatic black beaded choker with a rigid structure and lots of neck coverage. Social media personality Addison Rae recently wore a similar piece to the People’s Choice Awards and I didn’t like it then, either.
The trends: 90’s style chokers returned to fashionable necks a few years ago and while they’re still hanging around, they’re no longer the most exciting neckwear on the block. The festooned choker is a much more dramatic version of this style, and one that wasn’t initially included in the choker’s renaissance. But multiple high-profile sightings of this look during Paris Fashion week feels like a powerful sign that the festoon is coming back around.
What do we think? You know I love some drama, and these festoons are extremely dramatic! I have, however, made things difficult for myself by including all three pieces because I do not love them all equally.
Nicola Peltz Beckham’s antique collier de chien is the kind of dream antique I would theoretically barter my organs for. It’s mind-blowingly incredible. The two vintage Dior necklaces that we saw on Katherine Langford are both delightful in terms of fun and creativity, but I personally like the opal necklace much more than the black bead necklace. There are too many rows to the black beads to make it truly wearable. It looks uncomfortable and the extreme height of the neckpiece gives it a strong “Maleficent goes to the club” vibe. Big fan of this trend, not a big fan of that particular necklace.
Judgement: 14/10 for a trend that I adore accomplished with varying levels of success.
