By Rachael Taylor
Everyone knows it is the red carpet after-parties at which the real action takes place, and the only party to be at following the BAFTAs in London on Sunday was The Weinstein Company’s at the Rosewood Hotel. And amongst the usual up-lit ice-filled troughs of Grey Goose, flitting waiters and mingling celebrities were tall cases showing off opulent jewels by Bond Street newcomer Kat Florence.
I joined designer Kat Florence, who specialises in rare bespoke-cut coloured gemstones such as Paraiba tourmalines and its latest Turkish find zultanite, for the evening as she co-hosted the party. Also in attendance were stars including Amy Adams, Casey Affleck, Naomi Campbell, Viola Davis, Dev Patel, Noomi Rapace and BAFTA host Stephen Fry.
Florence has made quite the transformation form working as a teacher just a few years ago to lighting up the BAFTA 2017 red carpet with her jewels – Best Supporting Actress nominee Hayley Squires wore the brand’s Lumiere diamond earrings and lemon tanzanite and morganite rings, and actress Emily Leo took the stage to collect the Outstanding Debut award wearing a pair of Kat Florence zultanite earrings.
Other stars dressed by Florence for the BAFTAs included model Lauren Gutton, French socialite Jessica Lemarie-Pires, Made in Chelsea star Lauren Hutton, and actresses Millie Brady and Simone Kirby. I, too, dipped into the Canadian designer’s jewellery box for the evening, adding some colour to my monochrome outfit with two diamond-encrusted yellow gold cocktail rings, one set with pear-shaped tanzanite and the other with an oval Tanzanian tsavorite. I also selected a discrete pair of drop earrings with oval tanzanites cupped in diamond-set cross-cross settings that made them just as beautiful from the back as the front.
Once dressed, we watched the televised BAFTA ceremony from the comfort of a private room in Rosewood (Florence herself attended the awards at the Albert Hall) before our pre-party descanted to join the after party. The Kat Florence jewels on display there were testament to what you will find at the brand’s store on Bond Street: a rose gold and diamond pendant set with an enormous morganite of close to 150cts and a fiery orange Khao Ploy Waen sapphire cocktail ring were amongst the highlights on display in the vitrines.
But you will also find more wearable designs for the daytime within her designs. Florence has worked with actress Sarah Jessica Parker to create The Flawless Collection, a line of jewellery designed by the duo and set only with D-coloured flawless diamonds. With a growing list of A-list friends, red carpet allegiances and access to some of the most intriguing coloured gemstones and ice-white diamonds on the planet, Kat Florence is a jeweller to watch.
