Body jewellery has been central to Rihanna’s mesmerising maternity wardrobe. From the moment that she announced her pregnancy wearing a vintage Chanel coat and layered pendants that traced her burgeoning bump, Rih has made sure every look comes with a dose of sparkle.

The singer boasts a jewellery box that’s centred around rare vintage pieces and custom designs, courtesy of both big-name brands and independents. Jacquie Aiche, who specialises in flossing body chains, has been supplying the singer with jewellery since 2010. The LA-based jeweller affirms that Rih has got “quite the collection” of her work, which she recently added to ahead of her pregnancy.

Just before she revealed that she was expecting, mother-to-be Rih visited Aiche’s famed workspace, known as The Bungalow, to scout out some new chains. Of all the pieces on offer, her heart was set on the body chain worn by the jeweller herself. “I never take mine off, it’s a forever piece,” Aiche tells Vogue. “Body jewellery becomes a woman’s second skin.”

Rihanna has forged the same attachment to her Jacquie Aiche chains. Like a hardworking basic T-shirt, the bestselling Sophia style has become a foundational piece in her maternity wardrobe. It elevated the sheer lingerie look that she wore to Dior’s autumn/winter 2022 show at Paris Fashion Week, and the same chain was wrapped around her body at the Gucci after-party. She paired it with Aiche’s marquise and diamond shaker bra for dinner in February, and it peeped out from beneath a baby-blue vintage Gucci coat that she wore to celebrate her birthday.

To ensure that she’s able to wear the chain until full term – and beyond – Aiche offers a unique alteration service. “As she’s growing, we add the links,” she explains. “I want her to feel comfortable in it.”

Aiche has done the same for pregnant women in the past and has tailored pieces to suit different needs. Like Rihanna, former customers have favoured a low fit that “dangles on the stomach”, drawing attention to the belly. “They come here to customise and put their own little twist on it,” she reveals. “Everybody wants to add something.”

Rih was first introduced to the brand shortly after Aiche debuted her body chain range, which has since become a brand signature endorsed by countless celebrities. Billie Eilish wore custom chains in her transformative cover shoot for British Vogue’s June 2021 issue, which Aiche intended to “drip down her body”.

Over a decade ago, Rih was rocking Aiche’s golden filigree chain that snakes around the neck, clavicles, and central torso before winding around to the lower back. Whether yachting in Saint Tropez, soaking up the sun in her native Barbados or holidaying in Porto Cervo, no mid-Noughties swimwear look was complete without alluring body jewellery. (She was an early fan of Aiche’s rings, anklets and earrings, too.)

Aiche expects that many women will be inspired by the unique maternity approach that Rihanna has finessed. “They’re going to be expressing themselves in a different way,” she muses. “Rihanna opens that door for women all the time.”