Men’s rings by Vivienne Westwood: a closer look at what really matters
Men’s rings usually fall into two categories: they’re either boring, or oversized declarations, pretending to be some sort of subversive idea. With nothing in between.
Thankfully, Vivienne Westwood’s men’s jewellery refuses to sit in either camp. These pieces, found in the House’s latest collection of men’s designer rings, belong to a new idea of the ring: something with a sense of history, yet clearly hungry to push menswear somewhere less predictable and far less dull.
Not a chorus of voices, but finally a considered edit
Perhaps it’s the restraint that makes Vivienne’s collection so intriguing. Nothing feels inflated or desperate for attention. The volume’s turned down; the precision’s turned up.
You can sense the house’s heritage: the orb, the metalwork, the architectural silhouettes and textures, but never as loud references or nostalgic props.
Every piece carries cues from Westwood’s history, yet none of those symbols dictates who you must be when wearing them. And they’re not an archive of old ideas sold back as new.
- Much ado about nothing
If we still had Shakespeare’s brilliant creativity at hand, he’d probably describe the bulk of men’s rings exactly like this. Where they’re not completely insignificant (because they’re afraid to show up and be seen), we’re usually confronted with a parade of shouted logos, clumsy shapes, and “please notice me” silhouettes, the sort of thing few would ever dare to slip on a finger. Thankfully, we might add.
It’s hardly their fault, of course, more the fault of the brands pushing this sort of thing. Speaking with a decisive voice without shouting isn’t for everyone. It’s a matter of charisma. You can work on it, but you can rarely conjure it out of thin air.
- Then Vivienne Westwood arrives
If we had to judge Vivienne Westwood’s entire men’s ring collection with one word, we’d choose refreshing, long before analysing any of the individual fashion items released by the maison. Because in a collection of 17 rings, there’s none of what we’ve just criticised the industry for offering. Visible logos (the iconic orb has no intention of hiding, fortunately) and shapes that run the full spectrum from discreet to decidedly noticeable, yet always with that sense of proportion only Vivienne Westwood could balance.
And rather than walking a tightrope, the collection feels entirely at ease outside the usual men’s ring comfort zone. No stress, no unnecessary ambiguity: exactly like the spirit of the person who’ll likely wear them.
Tradition, with distinction
The work done to reimagine and reinterpret the symbols that shaped this fashion house is remarkable. Beyond the iconic orb, on some models like the Westminster Ring, it’s the name of the designer who founded the house to take the central stage. Elsewhere, as on the New Diamante Ring, you’ll find the almost equally iconic heart, so assertive it has no need to be toned down just because it sits on a men’s ring.
It’s an extraordinary collection in terms of variety too, finishes, constructions, ideas, several games being played, and… at least in our view, all of them won.
You can discover the full men’s ring collection on the Vivienne Westwood website. Or pop into a boutique, there are plenty of details that only reveal themselves as you lean in with a curious eye.
