Badu-llablongada: A Deep-Dive into Erykah Badu’s Exclusive Custom Jewels.
Unraveling the mystery behind Erykah Badu’s one-of-a-kind pieces and the artistic collaborations that define her jewelry style
Erykah Badu, artist, icon, social influencer, and all around spiritual force of nature. I’m a fan and find my self consistently inspired by her overpowering sense of individuality. If we’re talking about actual influencers, not those based around social media following or consumer conversion rates, Miss Badu is THAT. She has influence in social justice and was a big part of the natural hair movement, she created waves in neo-soul with artists in almost every genre sampling her work, and she is most definitely a fashion muse with emerging and established designers creating pieces specifically based on her taste. Actually—let’s change that, the correct term for her is tastemaker.
Personally, Other Side of the Game is my dream karaoke song, but would be open to take on any song in her catalog. I also painted a portrait of her on a jacket in college. It was her in black and white with her fro filled with colorful graffiti of her album names. An artistic journey that I forced my friends to retweet and tag her on so that she would hopefully see it. It didn’t happen but that’s ok. My love for her music is a small part. I love her southern flare, her philosophies, the way she dresses, and most noticeably the way she accessorizes.
Now, one thing about Badu, is most of her pieces are exclusive. They are made in collaboration with artists, on her own, or likely occurred through world travels and careful digging from her team. I say this to say, these are one of a kind pieces and it’s nearly impossibly to buy the exact one. There’s also not a lot of information on where they even come from. She doesn’t have a stylist dishing out the tea on which brands she’s wearing nor is she personally sharing this with the public. She just exists in her amazing jewels. As she should.
Lucky for you, I’m a little jewelry nerd and follow so many brands that I’ve seen them post our favorite girl wearing their pieces. So give me a second and I’ll provide receipts.
Erykah Badu has a type. It’s undeniable. She loves brands that emphasize the uniqueness of their creations. A characteristic she upholds herself. These made-to-order pieces highlight the individuality of the jewelry and create a sense of exclusivity. But these brands don't just sell their jewelry; they tell stories. If you dive into ancient artifacts, dreams, and avant-garde influences, and you'll see how these ideologies shape their style.
What I find ties them all together is this rebellious punk feeling. One brand maintains a rugged, grunge style, while another blends the future with underground aesthetics. It's that same spirit you find in punk culture—being unique, pushing boundaries, and expressing yourself.
Angostura:
Angostura's jewelry collection stands as a testament to innovation and individuality, the perfect fit for Badu. Crafted by a Roman designer, these tribal punk pieces plated in brass, silver, and gold, reimagine classical shapes and materials. The brand takes a sharp and unpolished approach, intended to be the opposite of what people think of when they picture jewelry, shiny and glitzy.
The pieces are not just accessories; they are meant to be amulets, drawing inspiration from “dreams of an indigenous culture.” Such a cool sentiment.
If you’re looking to get your hands on some Angostura, they do have some ready-made pieces on their site that will give you that same feeling that their made-to-order pieces do.
House of Malakai:
House of Malakai's jewelry collection is a fusion of past and future. The designers blend science, high fashion, and archaeological inspirations. The brand focuses on face and body jewelry pieces that are meant to evoke a familiar memory of something unseen before. I love when brands focus on the feeling they want to omit vs. the visual of their work.
Malakai’s creations are no stranger to the faces of tastemakers like Beyonce, Madonna, Rihanna, and FKA Twigs. The pieces reflect a unique ancient culture with a contemporary twist. This brand is for anyone seeking to adorn beyond the ordinary. Well, don’t mind if I do. I’m always looking for new places to add jewelry to and have been obsessed with lip and over the eye jewelry.
Lillian Shalom:
Lillian Shalom, a jewelry legend. You’ve seen her work and you probably didn’t know it. Everyone from Kylie to Beyoncé wears her pieces, just take a look at her IG feed. She weaves her roots into her creations, drawing inspiration from ancient artifacts, medieval armor, avant-garde, and surrealism.
As a second-generation American and the daughter of Iranian immigrants, Shalom's pieces carry a futuristic twist (seeing a pattern?) to her heritage. Something I read that felt different from the other brands is her focus on creating artistically charged pieces that are suitable for daily wear.
If that didn’t sell you on how major (!!!) the collaborations between Lillian Shalom and Badu are, then I should probably mention she’s the artist responsible for two of the most iconic Erykah Badu grillz, the MAAT Goddess grill and her opal, glow in the dark, open-face grill.
Raw Flow Jewelry by Marianna Klimaska:
I can’t forget Raw Flow Jewelry. This designer’s work is meant to encompass the lack of predictability or the art of randomness, if you will. She creates through her intuition. Much like Angostura, Marianna Klimaska’s pieces use raw textures and degrading forms to challenge the conventional notions of beauty.
In her bio Klimaska claims her jewelry to be born from the liberty of thought. I love the idea of a piece of jewelry reflecting a sense of freedom and the strength it takes to be a free thinker. She celebrates the beauty in imperfection through her art. This designer has created my favorite custom pieces for Erykah, some which she’s named after the artist herself.
It also seems to be a favorite of her daughter, Puma.
Xx mamapachá.