One of Hollywood’s most powerful stylists, Karla Welch is known for her authenticity and activism. She helps her clients—poet Cleo Wade and soccer player Megan Rapinoe among them—dress as the best, most real version of themselves. Throwing off the traditional rules of the red carpet, Welch’s definition of style is both liberating and inclusive. “Modern style means the freedom to wear whatever you want,” she says.

Welch, who co-founded creative studio Meritocracy, turned her discerning eye to the Tiffany HardWear collection for this shoot of Wade and Rapinoe. “It’s just my gaze on them and their gaze on me. Truthful portraits of two women who I am honoured to know and be inspired by.”

Cleo Wade, activist and author of Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life, shows off a standout design. “This necklace is the perfect embodiment of the whole Tiffany HardWear collection—minimalist, industrial and modern,” says Welch.

“I love this necklace because it’s a modern take on pearls. It creates an unexpected juxtaposition between edgy and elegant,” says Welch of the design worn by Megan Rapinoe, star midfielder for the United States women’s national soccer team and activist for equal pay and LGBTQIA+ rights.

With eye-catching designs featuring freshwater and South Sea golden pearls, the Tiffany HardWear collection is essential to creating a distinctive ring stack. “Combining delicate styles with chunkier rings is a statement in and of itself,” shares Welch.