FTA x Diane Kordas Jewelry
She loves to play with jewelry, to reinvent it, to shape the stones and the precious metals for one purpose: to make people happy. With her feet in the Mediterranean Sea and her eyes glued to New York or London’s skylines, Diane Kordas, the founder of Diane Kordas Jewelry, is in a constant source of bubbling creativity. Her jewelry is made to be worn everywhere: on a glamorous red carpet, on a boat between two Greek islands, or in your kitchen, while you’re cooking your osso buco.
Talented, curious, eager to discover new cultures, Diane Kordas is also a generous soul, always ready to help. In this spirit, Diane Kordas Jewelry has partnered with Fashion Trust Arabia to create a limited edition collection of iconic evil eye woven bracelets. 30% of the proceeds will be donated to FTA in order to support, nurture and promote talents in the fashion industry across the MENA region.
Here Kordas answers Pulse’s questions.
Why did you agree to do this exciting collaboration with Fashion Trust Arabia, and what does FTA mean to you?
Fashion Trust Arabia is a magnificent source of support for fashion designers in the Middle East and North Africa. Providing financial support along with business mentoring is a very relevant part of nurturing and growing designers, as they are our future. Diane Kordas Jewelry is sincerely grateful to be part of this brilliant initiative.
How would you describe the MENA fashion scene in general, and the emerging designers in particular?
The MENA region has a long history and tradition in textile design and manufacturing. Using that as a springboard, and with the brilliant FTA, this knowhow is transitioning into a powerful fashion scene. Additionally, I’ve noticed the designers are beginning their work organically, close to home with influences from their family roots.
Do you remember the first piece of jewelry you touched or played with when you were a kid? The first one you wore? The one you will always cherish the most?
Yes! One of my earliest childhood memories was slipping into my mother’s bedroom and prying open her jewelry box as if it was a treasure chest, obsessing over this one, hypnotic, talismanic ring with an emblazoned diamond cougar. This ring became the inspiration for my Animal Kingdom collection.
Why did you choose jewelry design and not clothes, bags or shoes? How do you describe your relationship with stones and metals? And is the idea that you can “Show me the jewelry you’re wearing and I’ll tell you who you are and how you feel” accurate to you?
Actually, as a graduate of Fashion and Textile design at Parsons, I started out in the fashion industry but slowly started moving into jewelry when I began designing pieces for friends and family. I love working with gold and diamonds. They are symbols of intricacy and timelessness. As a product of pressure and time, they represent endurance and grace that lasts forever. Gold and diamonds hold stories, they could be a meaningful gift from a lover, the stone you get proposed to with or the thing you covet and buy for yourself after a professional win. It represents a time in your life, like a memory capsule. I always wear my rose gold diamond perfume amulet as scent is a memory connector linked to our emotional system.
Your name refers to one of the most prominent Roman goddesses, the patroness of hunters and the countryside, the twin sister of Apollo, god of art and healing. Is that why you take so much inspiration from mythology?
That’s me, the goddess of hunting! Actually, I spend a lot of time in Greece, especially the summers. My house in the Cyclades is next to the ancient sanctuary of Delos, the birth place of Apollo and Artemis which is the Greek name for Diana. Over the years I have grown to know, appreciate and be influenced by Classical Greek history and mythology. My armor rings and diamond arm cuffs, for example, reference the bronze battle gear of the typical Greek hoplite.
How does the Mediterranean way of living inspire you? Does it define you? And what about New York?
I’m very fortunate to have a summer home in the Mediterranean which is practically in the Greek Blue Zone. The climate, the powerful and healing Aegean Sea, the rugged coastline and the incredible history inspires me and defines the understated luxury which is the cornerstone of all my designs.
New York, interestingly, is also an island with other extremes which also inspire me. Fast paced, hard, vibrant with the motto ‘if you make it here, you’ll make it anywhere’ along with the best skyline in the world. All this keeps me alert and reminds me to be sharp and competitive.
Describe the woman who wears Diane Kordas in three words.
Confident, cool, kind
Are you ready to jump into the Metaverse? What opportunities do you think it offers?
I am ready! I am seriously looking into a line of jewelry to be offered as NFTs as well as creating digital expressions of my existing jewelry designs. The world is becoming digitized and although jewelry is to be primarily touched and held, there is a real interest in jewelry in the form of 3D assets to adorn avatars. I also believe block chain technology and digital certificates will replace copyrights.
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