Blackpink's Lisa exudes elegance and glamour at the Bulgari Mediterranea gala in Venice
The K-pop star and longtime Bulgari ambassador drew attention alongside Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Priyanka Chopra at the Italian high jewelry event.
Blackpink's Lisa drew wide attention at Bulgari's Mediterranea high jewelry gala, held May 16, 2023 in Venice, Italy, according to coverage from Koreaboo and allkpop. The event marked the launch of Bulgari's Mediterranea high jewelry collection, staged in the Italian city.
Lisa, a Bulgari brand ambassador, wore a strapless black gown with a delicate updo, paired with a Mediterranea high jewelry necklace described as a platinum design set with nine pear-shaped emeralds, 30 round emeralds, 62 pear diamonds, round brilliant-cut diamonds and pave-set diamonds, per allkpop's reporting. Koreaboo's account additionally described the gown as an off-the-shoulder design by Antonio Riva Milano, featuring a slit neckline, oversize ruffled fabric at the arms and a trumpet-style skirt.
The two outlets differ slightly on the gown's construction — allkpop describes a strapless silhouette while Koreaboo describes an off-the-shoulder design with ruffled arm detailing — a discrepancy not resolved in the available coverage.
Who else was there
Lisa posed for photos alongside fellow Bulgari ambassadors Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the event, according to Koreaboo. Lisa has served as a Bulgari brand ambassador since 2020, per the same report. Billboard's coverage of the same event described fan reaction to a photographed moment between Lisa and Zendaya, both of whom wore black gowns to the gala, as a highlight of the evening's social-media response.
The collection itself
The Mediterranea launch event showcased more than 400 individual high-jewelry designs, some priced above $1 million, according to a report from The Retail Jeweller India. The collection itself was organized around three design themes -- "Southern Radiance," "Roman Splendour" and "East Meets West" -- meant to capture different facets of Mediterranean influence, per the same report. That outlet places the Venice gala on May 17, 2023, a day later than the May 16 date given by Koreaboo and allkpop; the discrepancy between the two dates was not resolved in the sources reviewed for this restoration.
What the other ambassadors wore
Zendaya wore a custom Richard Quinn gown in black velvet, with a draped silk off-the-shoulder neckline, a cinched corset bodice with center-front buttons and a mermaid silhouette, according to a report from Graziamagazine.com's coverage of the event. Anne Hathaway wore a gold-sequined Atelier Versace gown paired with a ruby-red Bulgari necklace, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas wore a dark red long-sleeve top and matching maxi skirt by Miss Sohee, the same report said. Zendaya posted about the evening on social media afterward, writing "Last night was a dream @bulgari," per Grazia's account -- the clearest on-record celebrity reaction to the gala retrieved in this session, even though it came from Zendaya rather than Lisa.
The reaction
Fan and press commentary characterized Lisa as a focal point of the evening, with social media reaction praising her styling as classically elegant. Coverage did not include an on-record quote from Lisa herself about the collection or the event.
US In News compiled this archived account from contemporaneous coverage by Koreaboo and allkpop. It restores a story originally published on this site in May 2023; figures are as reported at the time.