Review: Dragon Storm earrings, from Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton
By Ani Bundel
It’s rare that a costume designer becomes something resembling a household name, but when you’re designing the outfits for the biggest show on television, sometimes it just kind of happens. That’s what’s happened to Michele Clapton, who has won multiple Emmys over the years for her work on Game of Thrones. Although she left the show after Season 5, the production brought her back for the final two episodes of Season 6 (she designed Cersei’s coronation gown in “The Winds of Winter”), and she was back on staff for Season 7, too.
Since leaving the show, Clapton has capitalized on the worldwide recognition of her work, especially some of the most striking jewelry pieces from over the last few seasons. Prior to last summer, if one wanted to wear a piece from the show, one had to settle for a slightly-off copy from Etsy, or a few pieces put out by the HBO shop. No more. Clapton got together with jewelry designers Yunus Ascott and Eliza Higginbottom and started a brand new line called MEY Designs. We were lucky enough to check out a piece from the new line.
MEY Dragon Storm Earrings (Image via Kalistrya)
The shop carries several pieces that are directly from the show, including the famous dragon collar necklace (referred to on their site as a “Neck Sculpture”) worn by the Dragon Queen herself in Season 5. Here it is on a model:
The necklaces retail in the £1900/$2000 range, which may be a little steep for your average fan. We were more interested in the pieces “inspired by” the show, which include these Dragon Storm earrings, which are relatively more affordable at £260 ($370 US). MEY sent along a pair for us to check out.
MEY Dragon Storm Earrings (Image via Kalistrya)
The first thing we noticed about them, besides the delicate detailing, is that these, unlike the necklace seen on the show, are a tribute to all three of Dany’s dragons: Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal. Each earring is made up of three dragon heads. Also note the optical illusion. At first glance, these look to be a hoop-style earring. But looks can be deceiving.
MEY Dragon Storm Earrings (Image via Kalistrya)
These earrings are actually post-style, with some of the most enormous and sturdy backings I’ve ever seen. And unlike with smaller, more typical butterfly backing, these are not uncomfortable and don’t pinch your skin. This is doubly good, since the earrings have serious weight to them. They’re not heavy-heavy—these are no three-tiered chandelier style like you would see on Beyonce. But the silver isn’t thin, either. There’s a reason these aren’t cheap earrings—they feel expensive.
The shop also carries a matching handwrap with the same three-headed dragon design which retails at £450 ($650 US). They are all part of the “Game of Thrones 2016” collection, which suggests that there may be many more collections to come, hopefully ones that coincide with the next two seasons of the show. We can’t wait to see what Clapton creates next.