Eva Marcille vs. Lil’ Kim: Two Bold Takes on Jessica Rich Sandals at the BET Awards

At the BET Awards on June 27, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Eva Marcille and Lil’ Kim took two very different approaches to statement sandals from Jessica Rich.

Marcille paired a white Michael Costello gown with Jessica Rich Monaco sandals, a pointed-toe stiletto style distinguished by clear PVC straps and chunky gold chain detailing. Lil’ Kim went in the opposite direction, wearing custom crystal-covered Jessica Rich gladiator sandals that wrapped from her feet to her thighs beneath a black Dolce Gabbana look.

Eva Marcille wears a white Michael Costello gown with a matching satin headwrap at the 2021 BET Awards in Los Angeles (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

Eva Marcille Pairs Michael Costello With Jessica Rich Monaco Sandals

Marcille’s white Michael Costello gown combined an off-the-shoulder neckline with sculptural draping, a wrapped waist, gold-tone buttons, and a thigh-high slit that kept her shoes in view. She completed the monochromatic look with a coordinating white satin headwrap.

At 5’6½” (168.9 cm), though some sources round her height to 5’7″ (170 cm), Marcille is considerably taller than many celebrities known for relying on towering red-carpet heels. She wears a US shoe size 8, and the slim stilettos added height without the visual weight of a platform.

Eva Marcille pairs her white Michael Costello gown with gold chain-embellished Jessica Rich Monaco sandals at the 2021 BET Awards on June 27, 2021, in Los Angeles (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

The Monaco sandals provided the strongest contrast to the white gown. Transparent PVC straps exposed much of the foot, while polished gold chain links ran across the toes and around the ankles. A sharply pointed sole and slim stiletto heel completed the design, with the gold hardware picking up the metallic buttons on Marcille’s dress.

Clear materials have appeared repeatedly in Jessica Rich’s footwear. Normani’s Jessica Rich Love pumps similarly combined transparent PVC, metallic gold detailing, pointed toes, and slim stiletto heels, showing how the designer uses barely-there construction to make metallic accents more prominent.

A closer look at Eva Marcille’s Jessica Rich Monaco sandals, featuring clear PVC straps, gold chain hardware, pointed soles, and slim stiletto heels (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

Jessica Rich’s current sandal lineup continues the brand’s preference for shoes that make their details highly visible. As of September 2026, Nordstrom carries Jessica Rich sandals including the Lala, Racy Mule, Metallic, Tie Up, Rich, Ankle Strap, Diamond Wedge, Lisa, Exotic, Jessica, and Love Platform styles. The assortment ranges from streamlined stilettos and barely-there sandals to wedges and platforms, showing how the label has expanded beyond the clear PVC and chain-accented evening heels Marcille wore at the 2021 BET Awards.

Michael Costello also has a history of dressing BET Awards attendees in white. At the 2014 ceremony, Ashanti paired a white Michael Costello gown with sculptural black-and-gold Tom Ford sandals, another example of metallic footwear accents breaking up an otherwise white red-carpet look.

Lil’ Kim Takes Jessica Rich Sandals Thigh-High With Dolce Gabbana

While Marcille’s Monaco sandals concentrated their embellishment around the foot and ankle, Lil’ Kim took Jessica Rich’s strappy aesthetic much higher. Her custom crystal-embellished gladiator sandals extended from her toes to her upper thighs, making the footwear part of the overall silhouette rather than simply a finish beneath the outfit.

Lil’ Kim, who stands about 4’9½” (146.1 cm) and wears a US shoe size 6, has long embraced shoes with exaggerated proportions. Here, the narrow crystal-covered straps created repeated horizontal lines from the feet to the thighs, while open toes and slim stiletto heels kept the construction visibly sandal-like despite its thigh-high reach.

Lil’ Kim pairs a black Dolce Gabbana tuxedo-inspired look with custom thigh-high crystal-embellished Jessica Rich sandals at the 2021 BET Awards (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

She paired the sandals with a black Dolce Gabbana tuxedo-inspired ensemble featuring a structured jacket and shorts, then layered on oversized gold, pearl, and crystal jewelry. The mostly black clothing gave the jewelry and continuous rows of crystals around her legs room to stand out.

Lil’ Kim layers oversized Dolce Gabbana gold, pearl, and crystal jewelry over her structured black BET Awards look (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

The sandals sit at the extreme end of the gladiator spectrum, but the underlying idea is familiar: narrow straps turn the leg itself into part of the shoe’s design. Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya have worn Sophia Webster’s archival Clementine gladiator sandals, a knee-high stiletto design that similarly uses a caged arrangement of narrow straps to make the footwear the focal point of a look.

Crystal-covered straps are another recurring red-carpet shoe treatment. Our guide to celebrity crystal-embellished sandals shows how designers have applied rhinestones to everything from delicate barely-there heels to substantial platforms and wraparound evening sandals.

A closer look at Lil’ Kim’s custom Jessica Rich sandals, with rows of crystal-covered straps extending from the open toes past the knees and up the thighs (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)

Two Very Different Takes on Jessica Rich Statement Sandals

Marcille and Lil’ Kim ultimately showed how differently the same footwear designer can approach a red-carpet sandal. Marcille’s Monaco heels kept the embellishment close to the foot, combining transparent PVC with chunky gold chains that complemented her white Michael Costello gown. Lil’ Kim extended the idea up the leg, using rows of crystals to turn a strappy stiletto sandal into a thigh-high statement.