Joe Biden and Lady Gaga shared the spotlight at the United States presidential inauguration – was the singer’s viral brooch inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s beloved Cullinan pieces?

Feb 4 , 2021

US Singer Lady Gaga arrives to sing the US National Anthem during the 59th Presidential Inaguruation on January 20, 2021, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

Gaga’s unconventional brooch competed with Bernie Sanders’ million-meme mittens for attention at Joe Biden’s historic inauguration parade

Chanel’s CC brooch and Cartier’s Juste un Clou pin are just the start – just ask Wallis Simpson or Janet Annenberg Hooker for pairing tips

Lady Gaga’s appearance at the 59th US presidential inauguration brought positivity and hope at a time when the United States is more divided than ever before. From the way she sang the national anthem to the Schiaparelli dress she wore, the performance was as beautiful as it was powerful.

But the inauguration was a rare occasion where the style icon was upstaged by someone else’s fashion choice. If it weren’t for Bernie Sanders’ mittens, we’re certain the memes plastered all over the internet would be that of Gaga’s dramatic, oversized golden dove brooch.

Lady Gaga speaks to then-President-elect Joe Biden during the 59th presidential inauguration. Photo: AP

We suspect Lady Gaga probably didn’t mind sharing the spotlight with Sanders, not least because they were projecting very different fashion statements. While Sanders had “grandpa stopping by the inauguration before hitting the post office” chic, Gaga’s sartorial message was more deliberate. Referring to her brooch, Gaga later wrote on Twitter: “A dove carrying an olive branch. May we all make peace with each other.”

Juste un Clou lapel pin by Cartier: Photo: Cartier

Mostly associated with matronly members of the family, and even Queen Elizabeth herself, the brooch isn’t the obvious choice of accessory in contemporary fashion. Though emblematic pins such as the CC brooch from Chanel or the Juste en Clou pin from Cartier have a healthy following, most still turn to earrings or necklaces when they want to add a bit of sparkle to their look. The formal aesthetics and ritualistic act of pinning it on the lapel that gives the brooch its serious and grown-up rep; it’s not something you can casually pin on a T-shirt, after all.

The brooch’s origin dates back to the bronze age; before we had clasps and buckles, brooches and pins were used to secure pieces of clothing together. Over time, artisans began to ornament the brooch into an object of art and a status symbol.

Napoleon is seen wearing a brooch in the Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) by Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). Photo: Leemage/Corbis

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