Zoe Kravitz is a master of the bejewelled bralette. The wisp of a gold Tiffany crop top she wore to the Oscars 2019 after-party will go down in fashion history. Ditto the crystal mesh underwear she modelled in a recent Saint Laurent campaign, complete with teeny-tiny YSLs suspended between the stones. Her Met Gala 2021 moment is a riff on these looks, only with more diamonds.
“It’s pretty bold and very sparkly,” says Kravitz, who cooked up the idea to expand her now signature bras into a full underwear set with shimmering dress overlay with Saint Laurent creative director, Anthony Vaccerello. “We then talked about how to elevate the look, because it is just so risqué.” Zoe called her friend Jessica McCormack, purveyor of cool, modern-classic jewellery, to help her perfect the balancing act.
“I live in her jewellery, I really do,” continues Kravitz of McCormack’s vintage-inspired pieces that still look wonderfully fresh. “Once I put something on, I just could leave it on. I love that Jessica creates these special, unique pieces that look great with a gown, but also a T-shirt. That’s totally my vibe.” Indeed, you can imagine Zoë still rocking her Jessica McCormack ear party—the pretty-tough Gypset hoops and Ball n Chain designs snaking up her ears—any day of the week, with her innately bohemian uniform that’s also a touch bourgeois. The giant Tilted Pear Diamond Button Back Ring perhaps less so—though the actor is adamant she’d still style it with jeans.
While some jewellers might balk at this breeziness, it’s part of what made the connection between Kravitz and McCormack instant. “Jewellery not being worn is my biggest pet hate,” says Jessica, adding, “Zoe just gets it.”
The New Zealand-born, London-based designer’s “day diamonds” are part of the whole Jessica McCormack world Zoe fell in love with. Her six-story Carlos Place townhouse—a treasure trove of antiquities, objets, art, books and, of course, exquisite jewellery—has become a place Kravitz regularly pops into when she’s in town. “It’s nice to have a friend out there,” says Zoe, while McCormack adds: “We understand each other and share an appreciation of the craft.”
This sort of grounded attitude is always key come Met Gala night. A great red-carpet look, for Kravitz, is “all about wearing the clothes and not letting the clothes wear you”. “People showing up and feeling like they have some sense of personal style… like it’s their version of the theme excites me,” explains Zoe, who has never looked anything but original. For Jessica’s part, she adds, “If I can make jewellery that people can wear and feel like themselves [in], then I’ve done my job.” A job very well done, indeed.
