Why this celebrity chef chose custom Chinese dynasty nail guards for their Met Gala look
King enlisted New York City designer Chrishabana to create the accessory.
The red carpet looks from the Met Gala can come with mixed reviews from stylists, fashion editors and more, but one celebrity chef's standout look on Monday carried with it a deeply significant meaning.
"As for my #MetGala jewelry piece, I was determined to represent my culture through Chinese nail guards traditionally worn by empresses in dynasty times," King wrote in a post on Instagram.
"These nail guards were inspired by the last empress of China, Empress Dowager Cixi who historically was written to be power hungry or a 'dragon lady,' but I feel might have been more of a feminist in patriarchal governed China (she met with Western women during the Guilded Ages and banned foot binding!). As a chef, I work with my hands daily so highlighting them in this way felt like a fun play on things," King explained.
The Cantonese-American chef, TV presenter, and winner of "Top Chef All Stars L.A." tapped "the incredibly talented" New York City-based jewelry designer Chishabana to create "the guards into a guilded glove that felt like I dipped my hand in gold."
"Chris has designed for names like Lady Gaga, Madonna, Lil Nas X and SZA to name a few," they continued. "He went through the story, images, sketches, and came up with this beautiful piece I felt proud to rock! Thank you Chris for blessing me with your work! Go Asians queers!"