Rita Ora Came to the Met Gala With Foot-Long Chains Attached to Her Nails

The Met Gala red carpet, which is themed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” has only just begun and we’ve already seen some innovative nods to the fashion icon’s legacy. Topping the list? Rita Ora’s amazingly over-the-top manicure, which was complete with foot-long chains. “Rita was close to Karl, so she wanted to make sure she paid homage to him in a way that was meaningful to her,” celebrity nail artist Naomi Yasuda said in a press release shared with Marie Claire. “Her nail look is a take on a deconstructed Chanel necklace."

Achieving the look was naturally a multi-step process and unfortunately, amateurs aren’t going to be able to DIY. Alas, the Met is about extravagant glamour, so allow us to indulge you in the dramatic manicure. It required absurdly long pointed nail extensions at the get-go. Once they were painted with Manucurist Green Flash in shade Licorice, Yasuda glued on individual charm adornments reminiscent of a Chanel necklace. But that’s just the beginning. Once everything was dried down and cured by an LED lamp, each nail was punctured with a small hole so that the chains, which featured delicate little pearls, could be attached. 

Even though Ora’s nails stole the show, the rest of her beauty look was equally as stunning. She played up her natural hair texture with brushed-through, and slightly teased waves, and leaned into soft glam. Makeup artist Anthony H. Nguyen prepped the singer-songwriter’s skin with ReVive Skincare before going in with makeup. The final look? Eyes that took up a smoky hue, a bronzed complexion that gave a lil extra love to the cheekbones, and a subdued, subtle nude lip. 

Ora’s Met Gala glam may have come together in just a few hours, but she’s been counting down to the big event since she rolled out of bed this morning. She shared a makeup-free selfie from the comfort of her hotel room and followed that up with a stoic-looking photo of Kate Moss captioned, “Me people watching at the Met this evening.” I guess we know what she’ll be up to once she enters the Met Gala doors.