Confined to small portraits on Zoom screens for more than a year, many have found alternative means for self-expression. Colorful hair, dramatic jewelry, and pouf-sleeved tops have all been on the rise-the better to show off a little style on screen. Now, there’s another way to express yourself: Monogram face jewelry.

This isn’t just about the new Prada triangle earring or Balenciaga’s logo shoulder-grazer. Both Gucci and Chanel have shown monogrammed facial jewelry in their resort 2022 collections, with tiny interlocked Gs dangling from a septum piercing and a CC charm hanging from a faux lip ring. The piercings are definitely fake-no commitment necessary-and definitely noticeable. Rendered as they are in crystal, the intention seems to be to draw attention to previously unloved areas of the face, as well as to add a punkish influence to otherwise elegant fashion. Speaking with Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, Virginie Viard said the lip rings shown in her Chanel collection were an homage to the late, great Stella Tennant, a favorite model of Karl Lagerfeld known for her septum piercing in the ’90s.



The trend for small, monogrammed bits and baubles doesn’t begin or end with nostrils and lips. Micro-monogram prints, like Versace’s new interlocking key motif and Gucci’s heritage Gs, are seeing an uptick in search and sales, according to reports like Lyst’s quarterly data drop. The most popular item of 2021 so far, per the search aggregator, is Gucci’s monogram puffer made in collaboration with The North Face. We expect Fendi’s cursive F tights, Balmain’s geometric spiral blazers, and Givenchy’s G chain necklaces to soon join the most-wanted lists for the fall; small pleasures for a re-emergence wardrobe. The septum piercings and lip rings might be only for the brave... or the social media-savvy. A Chanel crystal kiss would look great on Instagram.