Modernisation of the Pearl

'Accessories are what makes or mars a woman', according to Coco Chanel, who pioneered their importance in fashion by having pieces made to complement her collections. Of course when fashion's most influential woman decreed this — we all knew exactly what she was referring to. For what gemstone or piece of costume jewellery could ever rival the elusive charm and purity of the pearl?

Ever since Venus rose from the sea clad in nothing but pearls, their iridescent wonder has been an object of human preoccupation. The inhabitants of ancient civilisations believed the pearl was connected to the gods and anyone who wore them held the essence of nature. The pearl is thus firmly embedded in mythology, history and culture. The jewel of emperors and queens, the aristocratic classes' sentiment towards the pearl was as a symbol of prestige.

The lust for pearls has left its mark in history. Cleopatra dissolved a priceless pearl and drank it in a toast to her future lover, Mark Anthony, as a display of her wealth and power. And some of the world's most glamorous women, Grace Kelly, Jackie O, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana, were all pearl lovers.

At every turn, it seems we have been unable to resist the pearl's timeless allure. In 1990, esteemed shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik, made a pair of velvet boots studded with faux baroque pearls for the then editor of American Vogue, Diana Vreeland. And Calvin Klein purchased a necklace originally given by Edward the Duke of Windsor to his wife. Today Kelly Klein wears that same piece with jeans and a t-shirt. Back home, when Australian supermodel Sarah O'Hare wed media heir Lachlan Murdoch, she accessorised her Collette Dinnigan gown with Australian South Sea pearls.

Thus, the link between fashion and pearls is as strong as ever. But, the notion that pearls are for status seekers, the rich and famous, misses the mark. The March 2001 issue of Harpers Bazaar, Australia's leading fashion magazine for the eighteen to thirty fives, features an assortment of cultured and South Sea pearl strands on the "Right Here Right Now" page, an indicator of seasonal trends. Harpers defines pearls as "must haves" for its comparatively young readers.

Hardly surprising considering the international runways have been awash with pearls over the past two seasons. American designer Ralph Lauren adorned his Spring/Summer 2001 collection (a range of masculine sporty separates, tennis sweaters, and crisp striped shirts tucked into trousers) with long strings of pearls knotted at the neck. According to Lauren, "This spring, the glamour and elegance of pearls is new again.... we put a modern twist on this classic, showing the brilliance of oversized pearls in a multistrand choker."

And in the spirit of his predecessor, Karl Lagerfeld opted for huge faux pearls, some the size of ping-pong balls, to create the icy jewellery that complements the Chanel snow look for Autumn/Winter 2001.

With the emergence of punk-street culture which sees graffiti popping up on everything from clothing to suitcases (the latest range of Louis Vuitton luggage features a monogram of LV scribble by artist Stephen Sprouse), contemporary fashion designers all over the globe appear hell bent on further blurring the lines on what constitutes luxury. Avant-garde designers like New Zealand's Karen Walker and Matthew Williamson from London are elevating the status of t-shirting and casual wear and reinventing the image of pearls.

Walker took pearls miles from tradition when she photocopied real pearls and screen-printed broken ones to create her Spring/Summer Etiquette collection. For Walker, pearls perfectly captured the essence of her collection and were the best tool to communicate the breaking down of strict dress rules drummed into us by our mothers and grandmothers.

Who could forget the adage, "Blue and green should never be seen.... never wear more pearls than a Queen,"?

Walker for one. "Let's get real — pearls are fun —whether they're worn with silk or screen-printed onto anything with a neckline," screamed her press release, consigning decades of decorum to the scrapheap.

And for the unveiling of his Spring/Summer 2001 collection at London Fashion Week, Williamson opted for vibrantly coloured t-shirts with generous layers of screen printed pearl necklaces and chains.

Broken, sprayed on, or in their raw form, there is no questioning the stranglehold pearls have over fashion, even swimwear. For Claire Metcalf, the designer behind burgeoning Australian swimwear label C Design, pearls were the only accessory to promote her pieces. "There is a natural synergy between pearls and swimwear," Metcalf says.

There is no doubt in the ever changing world of fashion that the cycle will spin around again. But one thing is for certain. Whether it's the ladylike look of Ralph Lauren you're after or the edgy glamour of Karen Walker, pearls are perennial.