Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Makes Waves with Accessory Book

Most of the time, costume jewellery in the media is brought up in connection with the most popular celebrities, or with special events of the stage and screen, playing their glamorous part in the rough and tumble of the modern fashion world. But costume jewellery is also able to take on an important role in the world of politics, and it has known perhaps no other home as suitable and lauded as the lapel of former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
The first female secretary of state, Albright had quite an intense spotlight shown upon her during the early years of her office, a spotlight that would prove to keep a keen interest in her person, her policies, and her preferences in costume jewellery, throughout her career. The diplomat displayed a healthy fondness for jewellery; one that was quickly brought center stage after she was referred to by an angry Hussein-era Iraq that she was an “unparalleled serpent.” Upon her next meeting with the relevant officials, Albright wore a serpent pin on her lapel, underneath which were the words “don't tread on me.”
After the case of the serpent, Albright began selecting costume jewellery pins that reflected her moods and thoughts as she met with world leaders and carried out her essential role. Her collection began to grow by leaps and bounds, allowing her to express her sentiments with greater precision; all while perfectly looking the part.
In celebration of women, of fashion, and of the power of costume jewellery, Albright recently published a book entitled Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box. The tome explores her experiences through the lens of her choices in jewellery, a read that's sure to be captivating for anyone who appreciated Albright's reign –or for die-hard costume jewellery lovers, of course.
Doing a bit of travel and interview work in an effort to promote her book, Albright has given talks in fashion stores while models don the latest fall lines adorned with favorites from the former politician's jewellery collection. While the talks have sometimes turned sour in the wake of heated political debates, Albright's dedication to her essential message of the power of accessorizing and the unique abilities of jewellery to convey precise messages has remained intact.
The attention paid to Albright's new book, and to the costume jewellery that helped to define her career, is likely quite comfortable for the pieces themselves, which are so often used to seeing the flash of cameras and hearing the roar of the printing press when starlets put on the ritz for a big night out. But this episode has proved that costume jewellery has a purpose and a passion far beyond the front pages of gossip magazines. Costume jewellery is able to fit snugly into a world that's full of mixed messages and emotions, of complex concepts and revolutionary ideas; the ultimate accessories, simply waiting to be found, worn, and adored, costume jewellery pieces are indisputably part of the modern human landscape.