Poet Amanda Gorman's Hoop Earrings Are an Emblem of Empowerment and Individuality

From Town & Country

At just 22, the nation's first Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman delivered one of the most poignant and profound moments at Wednesday's inauguration of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. With poise and grace, she read her poem “The Hill We Climb” wearing a bright yellow Prada blazer and a symbolic gift from Oprah: statement gold and diamond hoop earrings by Nikos Koulis.

On this historic day, Oprah, who has been one of Gorman’s most vocal supporters, gave the young poet the bold earrings and a birdcage ring, which recalls Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” poem. Making this a tradition, Oprah gave Angelou a gift before she delivered her reading at Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration.

“I have never been prouder to see a woman rise,” Oprah wrote on social media. “Maya Angelou is cheering—and so am I.”

Gorman’s words and story touched a nation and were felt as far away as Athens, Greece where designer Nikos Koulis watched the inauguration with friends and family in his hometown.

“Amanda Gorman’s speech was filled with energy,” Koulis told T&C. “She represents the power of youth, hope and a new beginning.” The earrings ($8,195) are part of the designer’s new Energy capsule collection designed to reflect a modern, bold, and energetic spirit.

Gorman, the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, captured the heavy emotions of the moment with her words. “For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us,” she read to an audience of millions around the world. After weeks of crafting this poem, she was further influenced by the riots at the Capitol and addressed them by saying: “While democracy can be periodically delayed / It can never be permanently defeated.”

“I wanted it to be a message of hope and unity,” Gorman said last week on CBS This Morning. “And I think that Wednesday for me really just underscored how much that was needed. But to not turn a blind eye to the cracks that really need to be filled.”

The Los Angeles native, who like President Biden overcame a speech impediment, didn’t appear nervous or hesitant. The gifted student has been preparing for a moment like this since childhood. Gorman and her twin sister were raised by a single mother, and at 16 she was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. She continued her upwards path at Harvard University, where she was named the inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate.

Oprah’s earrings will no doubt be a memorable gift, but in addition to its sentimental meaning, the bold gold hoops also reflected Gorman’s youthful spirit. There’s something liberating about big hoops, a style that been a symbol of power across cultures and throughout history, and worn by women in every generation.

For Koulis, one of the jewelry industry’s favorite designers for both his talent and kindheartedness, it’s an historic moment.

“I am in awe that as an independent designer from Greece, my work is somehow present in this highly symbolic and majestic occasion,” he said.

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