When it comes to accessorizing, Sophie Quy is basically a ninja.
The chic Brit is adept at layering delicate necklaces, stacking chunky rings, and—of course—rocking the arm party in that effortless why-didn’t-I-think-of-that way that only cool girls can master (paging Kate Moss). So it’s no surprise that she landed the plum gig as head of fine jewelry at posh retailer, Net-a-Porter—at only 30. (Like we said, a ninja!)
Lucky for us, Sophie’s going to help us earn our black belt in accessorizing. The task at hand: The ear party. An offshoot of the famous arm party (props to Leandra Medine for that one!), the ear party is basically a grouping of different earrings on one or both ears. Now, if you thought the trend was too rocker for you, think again. It can be totally delicate and pretty, incorporating baby hoops, simple studs, and—if you really feel like getting fancy—some pavé diamonds. Another thing: If you once thought you needed to have more than one piercing in each ear to pull off the look, no more. Designers today are creating styles that give the look of multiple piercings, when you’ve only just got the one hole in each ear (you know—the ones you got from the Piercing Pagoda, circa age seven).
“People began re-piercing their ears and experimenting with earrings,” Quy told us on a recent trip to NYC. She noted that earring sales are through the roof—and she wasn’t even talking about pairs. “Over the years, fine jewelry has become more of a fashion accessory. We’ve seen a new generation of younger designers, such as Jemma Wynne, Delfina Delettrez, and Alison Lou creating really cool, unique earrings, as singles, not meant to be worn as a pair.” But Quy admits that the ear party, like Pringles, can become kind of addictive. “Once you start, you can’t stop,” she mused. “People are really having fun and pushing the boundaries.”
Here Sophie herself schools us on how to get the look, whatever your style (or hole amount!):
