Celebrity stylist Micah Schifman is peering into a plush tray overflowing with gleaming diamond necklaces. His hand floats towards one strand then slowly towards another, as if contending with a magnetic force field.
Both necklaces, created by NYC jeweler Rahaminov, are stunning and Schifman must decide which piece works better for his client’s red carpet look to be worn the following day. Jewelry selection is the final step when pulling a red carpet look together, and is the stylist's favorite.
“Selecting jewelry is always my favorite part of the styling process,” says Schifman, whose longtime clients include Jean Smart, Isla Fisher, Emmanuelle Chiriquí and Patricia Clarkson. “It’s always the last step, but oftentimes it’s the most unifying. It makes the look cohesive.”
Cherry-picking "the best pieces for the best overall look" is the answer many stylists have shared with me when asked how they choose jewelry for their famous clients. But these days, there are other factors that dictate whether they opt for styles from, say, a small, independent designer or head to luxury houses like Cartier, Chopard or Bulgari.
“Truthfully there is so much competition for the big-name houses, that it's not always an option,” says stylist Katie Bofshever, who works with Ava Duvernay, Brittany Snow, Connie Britton and Natalie Martinez.” Bofshever has gilded clients with eye-catching statement pieces from big brands including Pomellato and Buccellati and independent ateliers including Reza, Ana Khouri, along with vintage.
Like Schifman, Bofshever sources the jewelry last, after considering the overall look and what will create the most cohesive result for the event and their client. Stylists often forge relationships with jewelry brands through a designer’s public relations (a.k.a. PR) firm, which curates red carpet pieces for stylist around big events in L.A. and NYC. Jen Lowitz, founder of FKA, a Los Angeles-based creative communications agency specializing in jewelry and luxury accessories, works with stylists daily to get their roster of a dozen-plus clients (Ana Khouri,
Nak Armstrong and Fernando Jorge among them) on celebrities.
Lowitz and her team send look-books out to stylists before every major awards show and celebrity event. “Because we’re working with stylists every day, we have a sense of what they each look for,” says Lowitz. And then there are times when a celebrity is an ambassador for a large jewelry house, and is being compensated (sometimes along with the stylist), to fulfill a red-carpet obligation by wearing jewelry from the brand.
In this case, the stylist might build the look around the jewelry. “When it’s a brand deal I start with the jewelry,” offers Schifman. “And that’s when you receive a tray of options that the brand wants to focus on. You have less of a choice. It’s almost like an ad job.”
Brand deals on the red carpet (think hair, nails, makeup, clothing) have become commonplace in the past decade, and jewelry is certainly not exempt. And as stylist’s red-carpet rates have been cut by streaming services who oversee a film or TV show’s marketing budget, these types of partnerships are a lucrative and often necessary option as the entertainment industry evolves.
“Over the years, especially with jewelry, stylist’s rates have been cut dramatically, so it’s a good way to make money,” says celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, who works with Kristen Bell and Rachel Bilson. Chavez adds that since she isn’t typically styling for award shows, the
obligations built into a brand deal don’t often enter her process. This works well for her, since she loves sourcing new and indie designers often discovering them on Instagram. “The deals aren’t usually dictating how I [work],” she says.
For Bell’s recent press tour for the hit Netflix show, Nobody Wants This, Chavez pulled Elsa Peretti-designed pieces from Tiffany & Co. to create a minimal 90s aesthetic. “That’s her sweet spot," she says of Bell’s style. “I wanted to keep it minimal as she’s not a big jewelry person. I am a big jewelry person, but Kristen and Rachel are not.”
Chavez’ personal love of jewelry can be seen in her recent collaboration with Jennifer Fisher. The Chavez Collection includes six pieces, including an ear cuff, two huggie silhouettes, and a ring that are all mixed metals and what the stylist describes as “puffy.” The collaboration is a culmination of her longtime love of discovering and supporting indie brands and sourcing distinctive pieces (jeweler Sarah Hendler is her go-to for vintage jewels).
Schifman's been known to place the jewelry first purely out of inspiration: “On occasion there is a standout piece (of jewelry) that we base a look around,” he says. After recently discovering the Parisian brand Marie Mas, the fluid, organic shapes of the pieces sparked the stylist to look at earrings and cuffs differently. “I hadn’t seen shapes like this before,” says Schifman. “These
were so interesting and beautiful and excited me to do something more edgy for the next red carpet go round.”
Photo collage: Ava Duvernay (Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins) and Kristin Bell (Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock); Pomellato necklace; Rahaminov trillion-cut diamond ring; Jennifer Fisher "Chavez" earring; hand with Marie Mas diamond ring.
Melissa Magsaysay is Gem + Jewel's Red Carpet Editor
