It’s not unusual for a jewellery collection to be designed according to a theme. “Femininity, florals, minimalism: I’m not into any of that,” says Ilaria Icardi, whose designs range from spacemen pendants to chunky aquamarine-set rings, stacked bracelets resembling lengths of precious yarn and chunky chain necklaces. “If I have an attraction to something, I’ll translate it into gold.” It’s no surprise that Icardi is so confident in her design approach. Valenza-born and Milan-based, she is a fashion industry veteran. Currently the womenswear ready-to-wear design director at Prada, Icardi cut her teeth at Etro and Hugo Boss, Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent. She has also had design director roles at Celine under Phoebe Philo, Victoria Beckham and at Bottega Veneta under Chanel darling Matthieu Blazy.
If design is in the tips of her fingers, then jewellery making is in Icardi’s bones. Not only was her father Umberto a jeweller, designing piece for Cartier and Tiffany & Co., but Icardi grew up in the centre of goldsmithing in Italy, also enchantingly known as “the city of gold”. Five years ago – inspired by bracelets in her father’s archives, and urged on by her friends – she decided to continue and evolve his legacy, launching her eponymous brand, alongside her gemologist brother. The burgeoning brand’s fifth series of jewellery – both bold and delicate, punchy yet pared-back – features both a Rivals-worthy ribbed gold choker and a dainty white gold ring set with Art Deco-evoking baguette and round-cut diamonds. “The series don’t necessarily link,” she says. “I do what I like.”
What she likes, Julia Roberts does too. In Luca Guadagnino’s 2025 After the Hunt, Roberts, who plays Alma Imhoff, a Yale professor with a crisp collegiate wardrobe of The Row, Celine, Lemaire and Toteme. A symbol served up by costume designer Giulia Piersanti to show that there is more than meets the eye to her character? An Icardi-made magnifying glass pendant, which Roberts toys with on a long length of chain, alongside a thick ribbed bracelet and an enamel and diamond ring.
There’s a magpie energy behind Icardi’s approach, inspired by found objects translated into 18 carat yellow gold. Other treasures include an astronaut pendant that nods to a model found in an antiques shop in New York City, a dangling whistle inspired by one Icardi played with as a child, a diamond-studded key which emulates one which opened her father’s locker, and a safety pin which alludes to Icardi’s career as a fashion designer. “I’m inspired by the idea of opening drawers,” she adds.
“I like conventional jewellery, but I want to add a touch of irony,” explains Icardi. This lighthearted touch is noted in her concept of a “baby engagement ring” – the aforementioned white gold ring, dusted in Art Deco-inspired diamonds, that is far more scaled down than her other designs. “It’s something small and discreet and the opposite of a big rock,” she smiles. “You can wear it with other rings.”
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Icardi’s approach to styling jewellery is where her day job and out-of-hours intrigue converges. “I like something precious and raw,” she shares. “Like a sweater and tuxedo pants.” When you have brown enamel and aquamarines, serpent motifs and orb-like charms, who needs themes anyway?