Emily positioned herself as a fashion risk-taker willing to let jewelry lead rather than follow. Her team framed the look as wearable art, with stylist Jessica Pastor emphasizing how they 'reversed' the typical Met Gala dynamic where clothing dominates and accessories support.
Word in fashion circles is that Emily's team was desperate for a moment that would eclipse Anne Hathaway's Michael Kors appearance at the same gala. The Devil Wears Prada sequel premiere on May 1 created instant rivalry, and both actresses were looking for their own iconic red carpet redemption.
The necklace features a 21.85-carat pear-shaped morganite surrounded by 45.97 carats of diamonds with thousands of Akoya pearls. Emily attended her fifth Met Gala on May 4, having previously walked the steps in 2023, 2021, 2019 and 2016.
Emily Blunt just proved that sometimes the jewelry IS the dress. At half a million dollars, this Mikimoto masterpiece wasn't an accessory—it was a statement about what fashion can become when you stop playing it safe.
Perhaps the devil actually wears Mikimoto. Emily Blunt descended upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps during the 2026 Met Gala on May 4 wearing what can only be described as a declaration: a $500,000 pearl body necklace from the Japanese luxury house that transformed the traditional red carpet jewelry play into something far more ambitious. The Oppenheimer actress paired the extraordinary piece with a black corseted top and slacks by Ashi Studio, honoring the evening's "Fashion Is Art" dress code.
But make no mistake—while her clothing adhered to tradition, Blunt's approach flipped the script entirely. Rather than letting her outfit carry the theme, she let her jewelry become the garment itself. "Typically for the Met Gala, the clothing fully embodies the theme, while the jewelry plays more of a supporting role," stylist Jessica Pastor explained in a statement.
"Here, we reversed that. The body necklace became the garment, it defines the silhouette and directly expresses the relationship between the body and what adorns it." The rarely-worn Mikimoto creation features thousands of Akoya pearls forming its foundation, crowned with a blinged-out collar that houses a 21.85-carat pear-shaped morganite centerpiece surrounded by an additional 45.97 carats of diamonds. It's the kind of piece that makes you reconsider what jewelry is actually supposed to do on a red carpet.
"When we saw this extraordinary creation from Mikimoto, we knew it was perfect," Blunt said in her own statement. "It feels like wearable art and captures the idea of jewelry becoming part of the garment." Her appearance marked a significant return—not just to fashion's biggest night, but to the cultural conversation that launched her career. The Devil Wears Prada sequel premiered May 1, bringing Blunt back to the character of Miranda Priestly's assistant Emily Charlton alongside Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci.
Walking the Met steps less than a week later, she arrived with the kind of confidence that only comes from knowing you've just relaunched one of cinema's most beloved franchises. This was Blunt's fifth turn at the Met Gala, having previously attended in 2023, 2021, 2019 and 2016. But even against seasoned veterans of fashion's biggest evening, her Mikimoto moment stood apart—less about what she wore and more about how she chose to wear it.
