From the best outfits to the worst looks (and everything in between), Met Gala 2022 was everything and more. Especially when it came to red carpet-worthy accessories and especially when it came to gilded and glamourous jewelry.
Few folks epitomized the theme better than Evan Mock, who rolled up to the first Monday in May decked out in exquisite Cartier jewelry of the finest order, which he showcased in imagery and videos premiered by Highsnobiety.
Fitted in a bespoke Head of State suit aligned with the Met Gala's Gilded Age theme, Mock was dripping in Cartier's precious gems and gold, from head to fingertip.
The lavish mélange was no mere costume jewelry, of course, but its fine facade obscured a super-subtle second meaning: Mock's selection almost perfectly represented Cartier's history in one fell swoop.
Mock wore Cartier icons like Reflection de Cartier earrings, Étincelle de Cartier ear cuffs, and Cartier Maillon Panthèr and Love rings (all finished with 18-karat white gold and diamonds), speaking to the importance of heritage to a century-and-a-half-old house like Cartier.
Mock even sported a retro platinum Cartier Fountain brooch to underscore the effervescence of good design; because Cartier pieces don't age, they simply become vintage.
But Mock's ensemble also reflects the future of Cartier by way of the Creative Collection necklace shrouded by his shirt's blooming neckline.
Crafted from 18k white gold, and precious stones that include diamonds, emeralds, sapphire, and onyx, the piece is at the tippy-top of Cartier's top-shelf offerings.
Its eight-figure price tag is eye-popping enough but the necklace is also indicative of Cartier's progressive perspective on luxury jewelry. This is the statement piece of today.
Through this lens, Mock's opulent outfit simultaneously speaks to Cartier's living legacy, reframing age-old house staples in a way akin to how Mock's outfit both draws from and updates early-20th-century dress.
It's all about perspective and, having been around since even before the gilded age was a twinkle in man's eye, Cartier knows plenty about that.
