Every second Monday in May, Hollywood A-listers and the fashion world’s elite gather on the steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual MET Gala. Heralded as the ‘fashion Olympics, the exclusive event is a chance for the world’s rich and famous to vouch for a spot on the best-dressed list with a one-of-a-kind couture gown designed by some of the most esteemed designers who often accompany their muse to the event.
Often causing a stir among us regular folk who are eager to take in every iconic fashion outing and of course, every meme-able moment the prestigious costume benefit is something style lovers look forward to every year-endlessly scrolling on social media and refreshing live media feeds to get a glimpse of their favourite star putting their best fashion foot forward. Naturally, the 2023 MET Gala was no different, producing some iconic fashion moments that will forever live on in our hearts and on our Instagram feeds.
So, from big statement necklaces to pearls galore read on as we unpack the 2023 MET Gala trends with a jewellery focus.
Overview:
What is the MET Gala?
Established in 1948 by the mother of American fashion, publicist Elenor Lambert, the MET Gala started off as a fundraiser to support the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and mark the opening of a new exhibition unveiled annually. Initially starting off as a benefit dinner attended by New York’s high society who could purchase tickets for just fifty dollars (around $553 in 2023 dollars), the event quickly ballooned into an extravagant affair attended by the world’s biggest stars including Elton John, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, Cher, Diana Ross as well as everyone’s favourite queen of diamond jewellery, actress Elizabeth Taylor. Now tickets are no less than $50,000 (USD) with designers and fashion houses shilling out hundreds and thousands for celebrities to walk the carpet showcasing their couture designs.
Today, the MET Gala is one of the hottest events on the social calendar and everyone is vying for a ticket. Hosted by Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour who curates the guest list with a fine-tooth comb in order to keep the event’s mystique, each year a theme is chosen to correspond with the new exhibit that dictates what the dress code will be. And while some play it safe, others will go all out and embrace the theme like Cinderella in her glass slippers at the Royal Ball.
Stars like Rihanna, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively are known always to nail the theme and therefore everyone looks forward to seeing them on the carpet at this legendary fashion event every year. Hosting the event alongside the editor-in-chief is a group of co-chairs who have been hand-selected by Wintour to help with the event’s proceedings. Generally consisting of singers, actors, fashion designers, socialites and social media stars, the co-chairs will often grace the covers of Vogue in the months leading up to the event and are essentially the Belles of the ball. For the 2022 MET Gala, actors Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lin-Manuel Miranda were chosen as the night’s official co-chairs alongside Wintour and honorary co-chairs Tom Ford and Adam Mosseri.
The MET Gala Theme For 2023
Many attendees will feel an immense sense of pressure to nail the MET Gala theme as it can often mean the difference between making it on the best-dressed list or the worst-dressed list. The theme correlates with the exhibit to be shown and is announced months in advance, giving attendees plenty of notice to liaise with designers and stylists on what creation they will be wearing on the night. Many attendees will collaborate with designers on a bespoke creation while others will simply be chosen by a fashion house to rock a piece made exclusively for the event. Hours and hours of craftsmanship go into producing these custom creations meaning that there is little to no risk of an outfit doubling up (the horror!).
This year's MET Gala theme was a tribute to none other than a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld known as Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The former creative director of Chanel, Chloe and Fendi who passed away in 2019 was a powerhouse in fashion and his impact on the fashion industry is immeasurable. Born in Germany, Karl Lagerfeld became the creative director of Chanel in the early 1980s, taking it from just another European fashion house that was on a steady decline to one of the biggest and most highly sought-after fashion brands in the world. Responsible for the iconic double CC logo which is now one of the most recognisable brand logos today and introducing the brand to more tailored silhouettes among many more signatures, it is said that Karl redefined feminine dressing by majorly pushing the envelope with his designs. Aside from being a major player a Chanel, Karl also created some incredibly memorable collections for heritage brands such as the Italian label Fendi, the French fashion house, Chloe along with his own eponymous fashion label.
2023 MET Gala Trends: A Jewellery Focus
Known for his penchant for monochrome, tweed and all things pearl, the Karl Lagerfeld theme definitely gave people a lot to work with at the 2023 META Gala. From opulent overly-jewelled drop earrings to grand oversized necklaces that served as a centrepiece for many ensembles, these are some of our favourite 2023 MET Gala trends for jewellery.
Diamond Pendants & Necklaces
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A symbol of purity, feminity and elegance, pearls are an unofficial signature of the Chanel brand, particularly when Coco Chanel was still at the helm and then saw a massive emergence during Karl's tenure at the iconic fashion house. So, as you can imagine they were also a big part of people’s outfits for the night. And while some had pearls embedded through their outfits, like Kim Kardashian's Schiaparelli Couture gown that gave the appearance that the reality star was completely draped in long strands of pearls or singer Rita Ora's pearl nails, others opted to include pearl accessories somewhere in their ensemble. Model Gigi Hadid channelled the Punk era with a pearl choker in her sheer black Givenchy dress, rapper Cardi B and singer Lizzo went bold with a pair of dazzling pearl earrings, while a whole bevy of stars including model Karlie Kloss, tennis champion Serena Williams and even rapper P-Diddy went timeless in long pearl necklaces. Some stars like singer Usher, Journalist Eva Chen and musician Ava Max even accessorised with hairpieces and brooches adorned with pearls.
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Diamond Drop Earrings
Diamond drop earrings are a staple on the red carpet, particularly at events like the MET Gala where they often reign supreme. And with attendees paying tribute to a designer known for redefining feminine dressing, this year's event was no different with attendees showing up rocking diamond drop earrings in droves. Bringing a touch of elegance and sophistication to every ensemble the enchanting allure of diamond drop earrings is unmistakable. From stars like Michele Yeoh, actress Aubrey Plaza and singer Billie Eilish rocking classic teardrop-style pieces to attendees like singer Olivia Rodrigo, Paris Hilton and actress Florence Pugh rocking hook-style diamond drop earrings, the stars really lifted their earring game this year. Another diamond drop earring trend that dominated the MET Gala was tassel styles and threader earrings, arguably heavily influenced by Chanel's iconic fine jewellery collection, stars like Aussie Nicole Kidman, model Naomi Campbell and actress Margaret Qualley were very keen to jump on this trend for the event.
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Touches Of Gold
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Due to Karl's affinity with the monochrome aesthetic, gold was a hue that was intertwined in many of the looks during the Karl Lagerfeld era of fashion. Whether it was the Chanel brand's signature gold chains or the Lamé gold couture looks associated with the Chloe brand during the late 70s and early 80s, the creative director's penchant for gold was very obvious. It is after all a symbol of opulence and luxury. So, naturally, many stars paid tribute to Karl by adorning yellow gold jewellery and accessories with their MET Gala looks. Actress Amanda Seyfried opted to coordinate her Oscar de la Renta look with gold layered chains that blended in seamlessly with her extravagant flapper-style chainmail dress. Aussie actress Margot Robbie kept her accessories very minimal so as to not distract from her one-shoulder vintage Chanel gown by rocking a few dainty gold rings that helped the chain bodice of her frock really pop. Then there was actress Elle Fanning, who paired her bridal-style Vivienne Westwood gown and flower crown with an elegant gold necklace adorned with shell-shaped tassels and a matching gold flower-shaped ring.
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