Kim Kardashian wears 50,000 pearls for the Met Gala 2023

By Joshua Hendren

What better way to dress “in honour of Karl” Lagerfeld than with rows upon rows of the late, great designer’s favourite milky gemstone?

For the 2023 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian bejewelled herself in 50,000 freshwater pearls, courtesy of Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli.

In homage to the gem that Lagerfeld often used in his work, the star wore a full pearl look including a moulded corset top and draped skirt, both of which were also adorned with 16,000 crystals. The ensemble – which also included a choker, pearl drop earrings, and ring made of pearls and crystals – took a dozen artisans over 1,000 hours of work to complete, each strand of pearls carefully strung and draped over her body.

“I wanted to feel glamorous,” said Kardashian upon hitting the carpet on the inspiration behind the custom look. “I wanted pearls. What is more Karl? The iconic Chanel pearls is what I always thought of. We wanted to be dripping in pearls.”

Like this? Priyanka Chopra wears the rare Bulgari Laguna Blue diamond to the Met Gala