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Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore

Barbiecore, Boujees and Baddies: Jewellery in Aesthetics and Kitsch

Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore

Today we create aesthetics and vibes. Tomorrow these styles give us the ick. The day after we feel nostalgic towards them and excessively reinvent their surface. This is how we create kitsch.

Kitsch has become a movement in art, design, even architecture, and by proxy in jewellery. Let’s explore the origins of kitsch jewellery, and walk towards modern aesthetics that are on their way to becoming kitschy as hell.

Kitsch history

The origin of the word kitsch dates back to the 1860s. The art dealers of Munich are credited with the creation of this term. They used it to describe art with no depth, cheaply produced for the masses, not intellectuals.

The word kitsch itself is said to be from the German word kitschen – to smear. Although some believe that a different German word, verkitschen – to cheapen, is the origin.

This movement coincided with the industrial revolution, urbanisation, and the ability to achieve mass production. As time went on, the word kitsch started to lean even further towards a negative connotation, mainly mixing superficial opulence with cuteness. However this has changed in modern times as the lines got blurry between pop art and kitsch as well as camp and kitsch.

Defining kitsch through jewellery

Many scholars have tried to define what kitsch is. But it is still relatively conceptual. One example is Austrian author, Hermann Broch, who defined kitsch as imitation of art which copied “the beautiful, not the good”. The key here was to copy the surface, and not the substance or the history, or research behind it.

To explain Broch’s theory in jewellery terms, think of an intricately designed Fabergé piece. Class. Now think of a low-end reproduction that people can buy cheaply and place the item on top of a doily, next to other tchotchkes. I know the latter sentence needed to be survived. At the same time, the Victorian household would have loved this look. In fact, kitsch was something they knew well, even if we attribute this term to some Victorian aesthetics retrospectively.

This leads me to another take on kitsch, as theorised by cultural historian, Celeste Olalquiaga. To her, there are further schools of thought for kitsch: Melancholic and nostalgic. Nostalgic showcases a yearning to a time that is considered more pure before current advancements. Meanwhile, melancholic “glorifies the perishable aspect of events, seeking in their partial and decaying memory the confirmation of its own temporal dislocation”.

Again, let’s think about this take on kitsch in jewellery terms. A great example of a trend morphing into melancholic kitsch territory is the evolvement of Victorian mourning jewellery into sentimental jewellery. Considered to be on the verge of tacky, sentimental jewellery was created for those desperate to mourn for something, but had nothing to feel sad about, while the rest were engulfed by mourning for the dead. Sentimental jewellery pieces came in many concepts, for example a relatively cheaply produced portrait of a pet or landscape of a place to be worn as a locket.

For the nostalgic kitsch example, we don’t need to drift far; barbiecore is a fantastic specimen. A longing for a time when our childhood’s taste for what’s pretty was much more rudimentary: the colour pink, eye-catching neons, light reflecting plastic and of course the heart motif. In jewellery terms, this look would take inspiration from all of these elements, and would elevate it to colourful gems, neon enamelling finishes on precious metals, charm bracelets, butterflies – and most importantly heart pendants. Even though the materials have gone from cheap to sophisticated, nostalgic kitsch in this instance only intensifies as the recreation of this moment through a look with high end materials adds no depth. All remains superficial. Once the trend passes, even the wearer realises their clothing and jewellery options were so over-the-top, they looked kitschy. Give it 30 years, and the nostalgia to elevate this kitschy moment reoccurs. It’s worth adding that some scholars would argue that while barbiecore remains superficial, the recreation may add irony, making the aesthetic lean towards camp.

Future kitsch

On social media, we come across many creators who are pioneering and/or representing certain aesthetics. Two of these are baddies and boujees – there are of course many more, but there ones tend to put a special emphasis on jewellery.

Baddies for example would be known for their makeup tutorials or ambassadorships of high street stores through their social media channels. Their jewellery usually would consist of layers of gold chains, hoop earrings and gold rings stacks.

Meanwhile boujees would step it up a notch by showcasing a wealthy lifestyle. A derivative of the word bourgeoisie, boujees would focus on wearing branded jewellery such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari in luxury settings like expensive hotels, yachts while sipping champagne.

Sounds like both aesthetics are living their best life, so where’s the kitsch? Because both are showing such dedication to representing the genre without a regard for the protagonist beneath it, it has created a timeline of relevance to these trends. In a while, baddies and boujees will make many cringe. After the cringefest, we will feel nostalgia towards the looks, adding a new layer of intensity when recreating them, once again championing kitsch. This is how kitsch future-proofs itself.

Of course, not every trend or aesthetic is kitschy but overemphasis can make it so. For example, costume jewellery as a concept is not kitschy, but maximalist costume jewellery from the 80s is… the kitschiest thing to ever kitsch.

Kitsch: An unavoidable reality beyond jewellery and art

In the past, kitsch was synonymous with bad taste. This has changed now. Kitsch can be an ingredient to someone’s independent style, or it can go viral and start aesthetics, whether it’s barbiecore or sentimental jewellery loved so much by the Victorians.

The concept of kitsch started off as being superficial in a world where depth and handcraft was valued. Look around you now. We are creating TikToks and Reels that represent nothing but a potential to use a trending sound; this in turn can raise the probability of achieving fame. Fame for what? It doesn’t matter. For our sanity, we no longer use kitsch as a derogatory term. It’s a description of our reality.

To accompany this piece, I chose a barbiecore look peppered with gems and hearts to achieve this aesthetic. That is less important. The real questions are: Do you think Aqua’s Barbie Girl sound is trending enough to post this look on Reels? Will I get a lot of views? Will I go viral?

Further reading:
The Philosophy of Kitsch by WorldWideKitsch
List of Aesthetics by Aesthetics Wiki

Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Kitsch History Through Jewellery - Barbiecore
Dopamine Dressing and the Psychology of Jewellery

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