Celebrities, Please Wear Your Nose Rings On the Red Carpet

On Tuesday night, the 2023 red carpet season kicks off with the 2023 Golden Globes Awards. Here’s what to expect: sparkles, long-gowns, a well-cut suit or two, and lots of diamond necklaces. Here’s what we’d like to see: more nose rings. Hear me out.

Last year, Kim Kardashian and North West took to the Jean Paul Gaultier couture show wearing matching faux nose rings, connected to their nostril via long silver chains. It was over-the-top, sure, but it was Paris Haute Couture, baby! It was fun, and most of all, it was unexpected — an extra refreshing move from Kardashian who seems to find a look and stick to it for months at time. This is what we want from celebrity fashion — give us something to talk about!

Look, do we expect Michelle Yeoh to arrive at the Oscars with a diamond encrusted barbell through her nostrils? No (though she could totally pull it off, let’s be clear). But take Florence Pugh, for example. Over the past year, she’s paired her Valentino partnership with dainty septum rings, giving a bit of her spunky personality to princess dresses and yards of tulle. Recently, Katie Holmes surprised everyone with a simple silver hoop paired with her Chloe dress at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party — another viral moment for the former teen actress to add to her fashion renaissance.

Jewelry designers have also heard the rallying cry. For the holidays, celeb-beloved jewelry brand Dorsey, who has outfitted the likes of Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, and Taylor Swift, released a collection of high-end septum piercings. Made of lab-grown white sapphires and emeralds, sterling silver, and 18K plated gold, there is no reason for these not to hit the red carpet come Tuesday night and beyond (plus, they come without the commitment of a full piercing should one want to test it out for one night only). Here, Meg Strachan, Founder and CEO of Dorsey, further makes the case.

What was the inspiration behind the septum collection?

In recent years, all the traditional conventions of dressing have been turned upside down. Our customer is wearing her once formal lab-grown rivière necklace with sweatpants, or jeans and a tee shirt. The old rules no longer apply. In this same spirit, we wanted to create a new Dorsey jewelry category, septum cuffs, that felt both rebellious and sophisticated all at once.

What makes a septum ring an unexpected addition to the red carpet?

A septum ring on the red carpet makes you double take in the best kind of way. It’s that combination of edge and polish that instantly adds a new level of interest to formal dressing.

Do you think we will continue to see a rise of facial jewelry that we saw in 2022 in the new year?

Absolutely. Last year, we saw a revival of playfulness across all categories of jewelry. We saw more color and beads, we saw women of all ages wearing nose rings. Women (and men) were not afraid to have fun with their jewelry in 2022 and I do not foresee this trend slowing down. Our lab-grown sapphire and emerald septum rings are beautiful pieces that can easily be taken on and off, giving customers the freedom to do just that - have fun with their jewelry.

How is your septum collection best worn?

I love pairing my septum cuff with a classic outfit, again bringing in that unexpected element to something timeless, like trousers and button down or a beautiful gown. I prefer wearing minimal makeup and let the septum cuff make the statement, but it would also look great on the red carpet with a bold lip and hair pulled back. In terms of other jewelry, I would pair it with a stacked up wrist of mixed rivière bracelets, like Kate and Dorsey.