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For decades, the relationship between fashion houses and jewellers followed a familiar script: jewels were loaned for runway shows, clasped at the last minute, and functioned as a brilliant finishing touch. Increasingly, that dynamic is changing. A fresh wave of collaborations positions jewellery designers not as accessory providers but as creative partners — co-authors of a collection’s narrative from its inception.
Among those working in this way is Anabela Chan. The London-based jeweller trained first as an architect under Lord Richard Rogers, then in fashion with Alexander McQueen, before retraining in jewellery at the Royal College of Art. “To be able to work on haute couture shows in Paris again feels like a full-circle moment,” she says. “Of course, collaborations can drive sales and extend client base, but haute couture for me is about the joy of creation where creative freedom triumphs over commerciality. As a designer, it is almost self-indulgent — and I love that.”
Her partnership with Hong Kong-born, London-based couturier Robert Wun exemplifies jewellery as narrative architecture. For spring/summer 2026, Wun’s collection, Valour, unfolded in three acts: Library, Luxury and Valour, charting the emotional journey of the creator. Chan responded with more than 30 bespoke pieces: Morse code earrings spelling secret messages; feather-light butterfly forms; and jewelled body armours recalling maharajas and royalty. Together, they incorporated 8,892 calibrated laboratory-grown gemstones, totalling more than 6,600 carats.
Before the show, Chan studied fabric swatches, embroideries and silhouettes in Wun’s east London studio. She returned with sketches; they refined together; then her workshop translated the vision into form using traditional fine jewellery techniques alongside experimental materials.
“There are two crucial elements from Anabela’s work that I feel very connected with,” says Wun. “The craftsmanship of high jewellery, and the pure innovation of using unexpected elements to incorporate into this craft.”
If Chan and Wun use jewellery as a medium for emotional storytelling, the collaboration between London jeweller Hirsh and Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng treats it as a vocabulary.
“I’ve always believed that design is a form of language,” says Boateng. “With Hirsh, I found a partner who understands that jewellery should speak.” The pieces reinterpret African Adinkra symbols associated with hope and protection, exploring heritage and identity — themes long embedded in Boateng’s sharply cut tailoring.
A golden pearl necklace from Hirsh London’s collaboration with Ozwald Boateng
New York-based Lebish created a brooch incorporating a 30.36-carat Burmese ruby in partnership with Galia Lahav
Hirsh managing director Sophia Hirsh describes the project not as a seasonal capsule but as “a body of work, carefully considered and designed to endure”. Boateng remained closely involved, questioning scale, balance, and symbolism, while the atelier translated his graphic clarity into metal and stone. The exchange proved fertile precisely because of the disciplines’ differences: tailoring is governed by structure and silhouette; jewellery by weight, tactility and the intimacy of how a piece lives on the body.
In New York, coloured diamond specialist Leibish partnered with bridal couture house Galia Lahav in what might be described as technical synchronisation. The collaboration sought to translate the material language of Lahav’s sophisticated lacework into three-dimensional jewellery. Six pieces emerged, each conceived as a sculptural interpretation of specific dresses. Five designs were crafted in colourless diamonds, while one brooch incorporated an exceptional 30.36-carat Burmese ruby; each can be reimagined with coloured diamonds to reflect the bride’s individuality.
Not all collaborations are built on technical parallels; some are born of friendship and shared sensibility.
Lucy Delius’s collection with Asceno founder Poppy Sexton-Wainwright was inspired by a vintage fish pendant
Anuka x Patrick McDowell’s Daisy Choker was inspired by portrait painter Glyn Philpot
British jeweller Lucy Delius and Asceno’s founder, Poppy Sexton-Wainwright, describe theirs as “an ode to the indulgence of long, hot summer days”. Inspired by a vintage fish pendant sourced at Grays Antique Market, Delius developed a collection of starfish, mermaids and seahorses, each articulated to move fluidly, mimicking the roll of waves. In jewellery, the motifs were realised in 14-carat gold and Victorian-set pavé diamonds; in Asceno’s world, they were hand-painted in monochrome on silk twill.
For Francesca Kippax of Anuka Jewellery and British designer Patrick McDowell, collaboration centred on art history. Inspired by portrait painter Glyn Philpot, the duo explored the symbolic florals that recur in his work, such as hibiscus and daisies, and McDowell’s favourite, the freesia. The collection made of recycled silver was designed to exist both alongside and within the clothes. “After initial discussions on ideas, Patrick gave me the freedom to develop what I felt were strong designs, which he then seamlessly integrated with his garments. The result is a collection that feels cohesive, and a respectful partnership in which two creative practices converge to produce something distinctive and considered,” Kippax says.
When Danish jewellery house Pandora partnered with London label Tove, the focus was on craftsmanship and sustainability. Tove’s Holly Wright created engraving designs for Pandora charms, embedding them within the brand’s minimalist language through layered necklaces and stacked, personalised pieces. The collaboration also reflected the designers’ experience as parents of neurodiverse children, using jewellery to express individuality — aligning with both brands’ emphasis on longevity and considered design.