ON A WEEKEND in Florida when the “feels like” heat is 110 and it starts and stops raining at 20 minute intervals, one can read a book or, like me, finally take time to watch the full Netflix miniseries Sirens, which is truly binge-worthy. Making it even more so are the Fred Leighton and Kwiat jewels and the reference to Fred Leighton’s creative director, Rebecca Selva, who is an icon in her own right, having bejeweled the brightest stars for more red carpet events than I can count.
So it was great fun to watch Episode 3 when Julianne Moore’s character, lawyer-turned-socialite Michaela, second wife of billionaire Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon), was choosing jewels for a Labor Day Gala at her sprawling estate in an imaginary New England town akin to Nantucket. The camera pans in at her looking over a bunch of jewels that costume designer Caroline Duncan worked with Selva to curate for the film — antique and vintage jewelry from Fred Leighton and contemporary pieces from Kwiat.
During that scene, Selva gets a bit part. We see her quickly put a 19th century necklace around Michaela’s neck while Michaela is on the phone with her assistant, Simone (Milly Alcock). Michaela, also known as Kiki, remarks that the necklace “is too big for my petite frame” and tells Simone to “call Rebecca from Fred Leighton for more options.” The moment was apropos and served as a tongue-in-cheek nod, as so many have done just that for their galas. Selva has been the go-to for many leading celebrities when they were up for or were recipients of awards and has attended important red carpet events. She can recreate an antique or vintage jewel for an evening of glamour and drama or create a style that seems like it belongs on the star she is bejeweling. Additionally, she has a knack for mixing antique, vintage and modern jewels effortlessly. She has also worked on the jewelry for Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette and Cate Blanchett in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine and Todd Hayne’s Carol.
In an interview, Selva talks about her work on this film, her inspiration for Moore’s character and how she has developed the jewelry for a variety of films and the styles for celebrities and private clients.
“Caroline Duncan approached me and I was thrilled when she asked me to be involved in the film,” Selva says. “Julianne’s character is based on an archetypal mythological goddess. She wears Grecian column dresses and her style is that of timeless elegance.”
She continues, “I chose jewelry that was textural high-karat yellow gold that had an ancient feeling to build on her character through jewelry.” This was particularly apparent in Episode 4 when she is wearing a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels chain with a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels Gemini pendant from the 1970s dangling from the chain. She is also wearing Victorian Etruscan Revival earrings and a Jean Mahie 22K gold hammered cuff with zodiacs engraved in it.
“In Episode 3, Caroline asked me to do a preview of a variety of jewels as if I were presenting to a client for a major gala. It was fun to be in the scene for a short time and really interesting to choose pieces for the character and what would also bring out Julianne’s beauty. I chose emerald and diamond pieces as they go so well with her coloring — a Kwiat contemporary diamond riviere necklace and the amazing antique diamond 19th Kokoshnik Fringe Necklace, which is the one I am putting on Michaela’s neck, the one she says is too large for her frame.”
Selva concludes, “This is what I do so much of the time — try and build on a client’s style and reflect the personality of each person I am working with or open their minds to a new piece or look that they wouldn’t imagine would work for them but does. And to get to do that for the small or large screen is truly a dream.”
Here are some of the jewels in the presentation scene in Episode 3 and the jewels that Michaela wears in Episode 4.
Fred Leighton Antique Diamond Kokoshnik Fringe Necklace
Kwiat Colombian Emerald, Marquise and Baguette Diamond Earrings in Platinum
Kwiat four-prong oval-cut diamond studs
Fred Leighton 22K Yellow Gold Zodiac Cuff Bracelet by Jean Mahie
Fred Leighton 18K Yellow Gold Gemini Zodiac Pendant by Van Cleef & Arpels
Michaela’s look is quite different than the rest of the women on the island, who dress in confined Lily Pulitzer and other vivid colorful prints. This acts as a device to separate Michaela as an ethereal being, entrancing people when she speaks.
To give a little background to the story, it was based on the play Elemeno Pea by Molly Smith Metzler and was also created and written by Metzler for the Netflix series. “Sirens” in the series has a double meaning. In Greek mythology, Sirens were creatures who lured sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices. But in the film, sirens is also the code word between the DeWitt sisters — Alcock as Simone and Meghann Fahey as Devon, who comes to find her sister and then rescue her from Michaela and what she believes is a cult. The five episodes explore who the real sirens are — the women or the men — as well as wealth, power, secrets and insecurities.
Oh, and also some unexpected twists. In case you are coming late to the series, I will leave you to watch for yourself.
I know I came to it late. But the jewels and the nod to Selva made my weekend of staying inside to dodge the rain and heat worthwhile.
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