Bella Hadid brings back stacked gold bangles at Cannes, with Luv AJ set

Bella Hadid gave stacked gold bracelets a fresh case for summer at Cannes, where her off-duty styling put the wrist back at center stage. The most accessible piece in the mix was Luv Aj’s Flex Snake Chain Bracelet set of 3 in gold, a $185 trio that reads less like a nostalgic throwback than a polished, ready-to-wear answer to the season’s bracelet revival.

The appeal lies in the contrast. Luv Aj’s set is made from plated brass, and the brand describes it as waterproof and tarnish-free, which makes the stack feel deliberately low-fuss for real life rather than red-carpet only. At 12mm wide, the bracelets have enough presence to register as a statement, but not so much heft that they overpower a watch, a cuffed sleeve or a second metal on the other wrist. That balance is exactly why the look lands now: it translates the old “arm party” formula into something more controlled, cleaner and easier to wear with linen, silk and sharply tailored summer separates.

Hadid’s Cannes wardrobe has made the festival feel like a fashion-history exercise. She wore a pink gingham set from Chantal Thomass’ spring 1988 collection, and other recent looks included archival Elie Saab and a custom Prada ensemble. That archival instinct gives the bracelet stack context: the jewelry does not feel like a recycled 2010s costume piece, but like part of a broader styling language that treats references as personal, not literal.

The phrase “arm party” itself belongs to another fashion era, popularized in the early 2010s by Man Repeller founder Leandra Medine, when statement bracelet stacks briefly became a shorthand for maximalist accessorizing. What feels current now is the restraint. Recent trend coverage has framed bracelet stacking as part of a wider return to 2010s accessories, but Hadid’s version is tighter and more wearable, with gold tones that can be layered beside a slim watch or worn alone for cleaner impact. If sleeves are voluminous, the stack works best at the wrist opening; if the outfit already carries heavy earrings or a strong necklace, the bracelets should stay as the focal point.

Hadid has been a Cannes Film Festival regular since 2016, and this year her off-duty moments generated the same kind of attention as the formal ones. The message was clear: stacked gold is back, but in 2026 it wants to look styled, not staged.