The Refashion Journal
Seen on Screen: Madonna, Maripol and the Art of Layering
The Jewellery Archive: Seen on Screen
Layered jewellery can look spontaneous while doing very specific work. Repeated lines, contrasting finishes and a recognisable motif turn separate objects into a visual vocabulary.
The maker’s account
In a 2007 interview with MadonnaTribe, Maripol discusses making rubber jewellery and crosses and styling Madonna’s Like a Virgin album cover. She says Madonna retained jewellery and bangles for Desperately Seeking Susan, while clarifying that she did not work on the film itself. That is a more precise attribution than treating every element of a screen costume as the work of one person.
Layering as composition
Our interpretation is that a successful stack needs differences as well as repetition. Change the length, leave breathing room around a focal pendant, or repeat a colour across otherwise unrelated pieces. An assembly can feel personal without being a literal recreation of an album cover.
There is a practical side too. Check whether chains catch on one another and whether surfaces rub. Costume jewellery can combine finishes and materials with different care needs. More pieces do not automatically make a stronger composition.
A reference, not a replica
The Vivienne Westwood necklace pictured here is an independent catalogue example for considering a pendant-led composition. It is not attributed to Maripol, not identified as worn by Madonna, and not a replica of her jewellery.
Explore our original-photo mood boards for other ways to combine colour, scale and ornament. Follow individual product pages for current availability.
Source: MadonnaTribe’s interview with Maripol, 24 June 2007. No album artwork, film stills or celebrity photographs are reproduced.
