Messika has revealed its latest High Jewelry collection during Paris Fashion Week, showcasing natural diamonds in all their glory. A crowd of A-listers assembled to support the Parisian Maison, including rapper Cardi B.
The definition of glamour, all eyes were on the “Bodak Yellow” artist, who wore a plunging black gown with an assortment of dazzling diamond rings and a spectacular diamond necklace. The geometric High Jewelry collar debuted last year at the Pavillon Cambon in Paris, worn down the runway by legendary supermodel Carla Bruni.
Cardi was joined by a top-tier audience, including Heidi Klum, Ashley Graham, Nina Dobrev, Cole Sprouse, The Perfect Couple actress Isabelle Adjani and Messika campaign stars, supermodel Natalia Vodianova and Lucien Laviscount of Emily in Paris.
A noted fan of the brand, the rapper has worn Messika jewels on several momentous occasions throughout the years. Cardi opted for Messika diamonds for her very first Grammy Awards in 2018, again in 2019, and her most recent appearance at the awards ceremony in 2023. Cardi B was even in attendance for the first Messika runway show in 2021.
Now on her fourth high jewelry presentation, artistic director Valérie Messika staged a runway show to celebrate the extension of her Midnight Sun collection, with a more vibrant Opus II.
Unveiling 125 new natural diamond creations, Messika showcased stunning statement necklaces, modern chokers, sparkling belly chains and body belts, lip rings, septum rings, mismatched earrings, nail jewels, and even forehead ornaments.
“This show goes beyond jewelry; it embodies the essence of our Maison,” said Valérie Messika in a press release. “It is an exceptional moment powered by music and fashion. It reflects our energy and singularity, which drive us to continuously create our High Jewelry pieces as true fashion statements.”
Greatest hits of French electro touch played as the models like Taylor Hill, Cindy Bruna, and Paris Jackson strutted down the catwalk, from Daft Punk remixes to Cerrone’s track “Supernature.”
Stand-outs of the collection included the aptly named Supernature necklace and the Fragments of Time necklace, which closed the show on the neck of iconic supermodel Eva Herzigova. An artistic feat, the piece features a gobsmacking 36-carat yellow diamond alongside an incomparable 33-carat white diamond, dangling from an intertwined diamond setting. Altogether, the jewel features 232 stones, totaling 129 carats.
Yet another necklace may have stood out to eagle-eyed jewelry fans. During the runway presentation, Messika presented a necklace that seemed a little familiar. Earlier this year, Sydney Sweeney attended the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, recreating Angelina Jolie’s look from the 2004 Academy Awards.
Sweeney called upon Messika to make a layered diamond look of her own to emulate Jolie’s jewels from 20 years ago. Styled by Molly Dickson, the Euphoria star sported a bespoke multi-row necklace, featuring two exceptional diamonds – the top, an inverted pear-cut diamond, weighing in at 17.04 carats, and the bottom, an oval-shaped 18.88-carat diamond. The two gorgeous natural stones are anchored by three rows of brilliant pear-cut diamonds.
While last year’s presentation took inspiration from the 1970s, Valérie Messika gave a subtle nod to the decadent decade of the 1980s for this year’s collection. With bold shapes, bodacious natural diamonds pulsated Midnight Sun Opus II through a series of perfectly executed silhouettes. We can’t wait to see what Messika has in store for her fifth show.