Harry Lambert Gives Pearls a Playful New Twist for Pandora

From pearl frogs and tiny mice to ice cream cones and puffer fish, Harry Lambert‘s latest collaboration proves that fine jewellery doesn’t have to take itself too seriously. The British stylist—best known for shaping the wardrobes of Harry Styles, Emma Corrin and Alexander Skarsgård—has partnered with Pandora to co-create the inaugural Pandora Wonders collection, an imaginative lineup of 11 limited-edition charms crafted from one-of-a-kind baroque freshwater pearls.

For Lambert, the collection began with a simple idea: jewellery should tell a story. “I wanted to think about what those symbols could be,” he tells FASHION. “A lot of them relate to memories I have... but they’re meant to for other people, and that’s the joy of this collection.” Childhood nostalgia runs throughout the designs—from a frog inspired by the tadpoles that filled his family’s garden each summer to an ice cream cone recalling seaside trips with his grandparents. “I’m hoping there’s something in this collection for everyone that links back to their own stories and brings them a sense of joy,” he says.

For Lambert, jewellery has always been about storytelling rather than perfection. “What we wear communicates who we are before we even speak to someone,” he says. Charms, in particular, become conversation starters, allowing the wearer to build a collection that reflects their own experiences over time.

Pearls, too, have taken on new meaning. Long associated with tradition, they’ve become one of Lambert’s signatures—and a defining element of the gender-fluid wardrobe he helped build with Harry Styles. Over the past decade, the stylist has played a pivotal role in bringing pearls into the menswear conversation, transforming them from a classic staple into one of fashion’s most covetable accessories. “Seeing men wear pearls and redefine that excites me,” he says. For Pandora Wonders, he pushes the idea even further, styling pearl squid charms on hoop earrings and layering multiple pea-pod pendants on a single chain. The result feels playful rather than precious, proving that one of jewellery’s oldest materials can still surprise.

Pandora Wonders feels quintessentially Harry Lambert: nostalgic, humorous and just a little surreal. We caught up with the stylist to talk about childhood memories, the enduring appeal of pearls and why fashion is always better when it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The collection feels surreal and a bit childlike. Were there particular memories, artists or references that informed these designs?

The idea was that we wanted, as with all Pandora charms, for them to hold a memory or a momhttps://www.instagram.com/harry_lambert/?hl=enent. I wanted to think about what those symbols could be through this collection. A lot of them relate to memories I have, and some don’t, but they’re meant to for other people, and that’s the joy of this collection. I do believe there’s something in there that everyone could love. There’s a slight sense of childhood in this collection, and of looking at the world through the eyes of a child, and bringing that joy and fun into the charms.

You often talk about fashion as a form of self-expression. How do charms lend themselves to storytelling in a way other jewellery doesn’t?

I have a lot of charms. I own a lot of pieces of jewellery that are symbols, and there’s something very joyful about that. I feel that what we wear communicates who we are before we even speak to someone and jewellery does exactly that.

There’s a world where, when I see men wearing pearls, it fills me with joy and a sense of security because something that used to be seen as non-masculine or very traditional has changed. Seeing men wear pearls and redefine that excites me.

Jewellery is a great form of self-expression. I’ve gone through lots of jewellery phases myself. There have been times when I’ve worn more delicate pieces, and then other times when I’ve gravitated towards chunky necklaces and much bolder styles. I always see jewellery as the cherry on top.

Is there one charm in the collection that feels especially “you,” and what makes it so personal?

The frog. That’s really special to me. It reminds me of my childhood. We had a water bucket in the garden, and I remember when the frogs would hatch, there would be these tiny tadpoles and eventually our garden would be covered in little frogs. The ice cream charm is also special—it reminds me of going to the seaside with my nan and grandad.

I’m hoping there’s something in this collection for everyone that links back to their own stories and brings them a sense of joy. And even if there isn’t necessarily a memory attached to a particular charm, they’re also meant to be just fun and charming.

Your styling has always embraced humour and personality alongside luxury. Do you think fashion has become too serious, or are we finally embracing joy again?

I think we’re in a new era where people are realizing they don’t want to take themselves too seriously. I love fashion. It’s my life. But I found that the moment I stopped pretending to be something I wasn’t, the moment I embraced who I was and leaned into fun and joy and camp and storytelling, that’s when it all clicked.

I use fashion as a form of escapism, a form of dressing up, feeling better about yourself, a form of transforming yourself into something greater. From my perspective, fashion is at its best when it brings joy to people. There can absolutely be joy through chicness and intellectuality, but I just think a sense of humour always finishes off the look.

Pearls have become something of a seasonless staple. What’s your favourite way to wear them that feels modern rather than precious?

Pearls were one of the first pieces of jewellery that I really cherished and invested in. I remember buying a pearl charm necklace when I first moved to London, and it felt really modern to me. Another way I’d wear them is as a pearl earring. A few things we did in the campaign, like styling the squid charm on a hoop as an earring, felt super modern and fun.

We also layered all the peas in a pod charms together on one chain, and that repetition of charms on a necklace felt really playful. But equally, just letting one charm speak for itself felt very clean.

What really excites me, though, is that these charms will be added to other people’s collections. I love the idea of these Pandora Wonders pearls disrupting a charm bracelet or complementing everything else that’s already there.

The  Pandora Wonders collection drops on July 9.