In his PAOZ collection, Philippe Airaud explores forms rarely associated with traditional jewelry: a kilt pin, a carabiner, a simple gold band worn on the wrist. Through these pieces crafted from recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds, the designer explores an age-old question: at what point does a utilitarian object become a piece of jewelry?
Jewelry has long drawn its inspiration from nature. Flowers, foliage, animals, and constellations have formed its formal repertoire for centuries. Philippe Airaud takes a different approach. The lines of PAOZ seem to come from the world of tools, fashion accessories, or everyday mechanisms.
The collection presented for Father’s Day is organized around two distinct lines. On one hand, the Millimeter line. On the other, the Oz line. Both share a common fascination with formal reduction: retaining only what is strictly necessary until the object achieves a form of self-evidence.
The Millimeter bracelet offers the most direct illustration of this. Featured in the visuals for the collection, it consists of an extremely thin gold circle whose clasp subtly evokes the world of the safety pin. The piece seeks neither volume nor accumulation. Its appeal lies in the precision of its lines and in the tension created between presence and near-disappearance.
This concept is further explored with the Millimeter kilt pin. Historically, this item has been part of the Scottish men’s wardrobe. Here, its original function takes a back seat to a more versatile use: worn as a tie pin or on a jacket lapel, it serves as a graphic statement rather than a traditional ornament. Paired with a pendant from the Trilogy collection, it even takes on a playful dimension that men’s jewelry has often tended to overlook.
The most interesting piece is undoubtedly the Carabiner from the Oz line. The carabiner is typically associated with rock climbing, sailing, or technical equipment. Philippe Airaud retains its essential silhouette but transposes it into the world of fine jewelry through the use of recycled gold and the integration of inverted synthetic diamonds. The detail is telling: the stones are not used as a focal point but as a discreet accent that highlights the object’s mechanics.
Launched in 2024 as a result of the collaboration between Philippe Airaud and DFLY Paris, PAOZ offers contemporary jewelry inspired by unexpected references. Inspired by Oz, the designer’s Chihuahua, the collection might seem lighthearted at first glance. Yet behind this personal origin lies a broader reflection on the place of men’s jewelry today: less a status symbol than an extension of a function, a gesture, or a design detail.
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