EMILY RATAJKOWSKI WAS radiant at the 2023 Met Gala. She juxtaposed two styles of jewelry to project unstudied elegance — even though we know that stylists had perfected her from head to toe before she walked the red carpet. But what’s important is how two contrasting trends worked together to create relevant, lasting styles.
Ratajkowski’s Fred Leighton trio of rings inspired by the Georgian era and styles the shop carries from that period provided the inspiration for Leighton’s in-house designers’ renditions, spearheaded by Rebecca Selva, which included rose-cut, cushion and emerald cut diamond rings, collet set in silver topped 18K gold. While these had a distinctive heirloom quality, they were more pared down than the authentic antiques, and so the contrast of Ana Khouri’s thoroughly modern mismatched earrings created a win.
I wish more people, not only celebrity stylists, would try out new combinations of jewels: past and present, unexpected color combinations, and a mix of statement and more personalized jewelry.
In any case, I give Ratajkowski a thumbs-up on her entire Met Gala outfit, which also honored Karl Lagerfeld and his love of diamonds and elegant gowns.