We look into why sales of brooches have soared, and why they can be such a powerful accessory. Governor of the bank of Russia Elvia Nabiullina says the brooches she wears contain clues to understanding policy decisions, and the late Madeleine Albright, former USA Secretary of State, used to wear them as a diplomatic tool.

Brooches are currently gaining popularity among consumers and fashion brands are taking note, as Dolce & Gabbana’s Carlos Palacios and British Vogue’s Carol Woolton tell us.

Paul Paradis, an art historian from L’ECOLE School of Jewellery Arts in Paris, takes us through the history of brooches, and jewellery historian Vivienne Becker tells us what it was like to work with Madeleine Albright, and help pen her novel Read My Pins.

And we speak to Cindy Chao, one of the world’s most famous brooch makers, who became the first Asian female to get her work inducted into the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Presenter: Vivienne Nunis
Producer: Izzy Greenfield

(Photo: Lady Gaga at the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Credit: Getty Images)