Alexandra Hakim is a British-Lebanese jewelry maker and designer whose innovative craftsmanship, thought-provoking designs and dedication to sustainability have gained her an international following. She completed an Art Foundation course at Central Saint Martins before gaining a BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she focused on design innovation and developed her experimental making process.   She moved to Beirut, Lebanon, in 2016 where she launched her brand and immediately infiltrated the jewelry scene, gaining the respect of the predominantly male industry of craftsmen and goldsmiths, thanks to her technical prowess and unique methods.   Each of Alexandra Hakim’s collections centers on found materials and consumed objects which would otherwise go to waste - often straight from Lebanon’s local food markets - but which, in her hands, are given a new lease of life and meticulously repurposed into striking, contemporary handmade pieces.

AMNA ALSALEM is an exclusive brand that renders it’s own articulations of art, time and humanity from a multidisciplinary practice that is made for the free. With a mix sense of freedom and witty spirit, AMNA ALSALEM is Devoted to creating an ethical luxury brand. Born, raised and based in Kuwait, Graduated with a bachelor degree in business administration and management information system. After university Amna perused training at central Saint Martin, London college of fashion and institute Marangoni. While specializing in Fashion, Amna also experienced sculpting and painting which led her to dive into the world of interiors, print, photography and luxury events. This fueled the influence to create fashion with a multifaceted base and surface that’s unaffected by trends and often involving, architecture, art, literature and a bit of technology.

Marrakech resident, Artsi Ifrach is a fashion designer who is better known as Maison ARTC in the fashion world. On a quest for independence, Ifrach has found his sanctuary in Morocco and has been actively creating his “one of a kind” collections since. Artsi – meaning ‘My Country’ in Hebrew and Arabic – lived in Tel Aviv, Paris and Amsterdam before settling in Morocco and has an extensive understanding of multiculturalism. Using colors and prints as his landscape, Artsi’s imaginative designs reflect on space and time. He started fashion designing at the age of 28 while he was living in Amsterdam. From there, he moved to Paris  where he was represented by 2m Bureau, showing in the Haute Couture Week.   Today, living and working from Marrakech, his parents’ hometown, he also collaborates with local photographers such as Laila Hida and Mous Lamrabat.  With Lamrabat he created an artistic duo called @artsimous, a collaboration of photography that tells a story of cultural crossover, where the inspiration comes from culture, history and art. His goal is to keep the picture as something timeless, that remains long after the collection is finished. “I believe that fashion is a part of art that tells something about, in a period that meets culture and individuality. I am an autodidact, I do not work with design skills, I am working just with creativity and intuition,” he says.   His influences come from history, culture and traditions and he searches the past in order to carry on into the future. He is known for his rich, colorful and eclectic style. “I am trying, through the material that surrounds me, to create a story that captures culture, memories, and artisanal work. The materials I am using are vintage and handmade. I create my pieces with a total freedom, it comes from the state of mind I have at that moment. The point is to be respectful of the past, of the culture and to bring something warmer. In my pieces, I want to create a memory that moves me emotionally. Vintage fabrics can match past and present together. Colors, patterns and prints are my landscape.”   Napoleon said once “there is a thin line between the ridiculous and the sublime” and, according to Ifrach, he is searching for this line every time, in every piece. “I am always thinking about what we would like to have that we do not have yet, as a result, I believe that the strongest part we all have is our individuality. That is what I am trying to do with “one-of-a- kind” pieces, as we all are “one-of-a- kind,”” he says.

Bünyamin Aydin was born in Neuss, Germany, and relocated to Istanbul, Turkey, at age 12. The Les Benjamins brand is a coalescence of founder and designer Bünyamin Aydin’s interests in drawing, photography, and art.“The brand is a touchpoint for people to enter our world. I want people to feel part of our movement, which begins with the East,”he says.In2017, Aydin’s work caught the attention of Nike and he was commissioned to be part of a global campaign titled Vote Forward; where he was selected as 1 of 12 designers to imagine the future of AirMax. This partnership later developed into a program of custom AirForce 1s,whereNike commissioned Aydin to create 100 Istanbul-inspired Air Force 1s, sold at a pop-up event. These projects positioned Aydin as Turkey’s foremost sneaker authority, and a collector whose eye drifts towards limited edition and autographed pieces. Aydin is a passionate photographer and a proud ambassador of Leica. He also spends his spare time as a music curator and a DJ, both internationally and in his hometown of Istanbul. While Aydin is firmly rooted in his Turkish heritage, he is also an avid traveller and explorer.

Burç Akyol, 32, was born in Dreux, France to Turkish parents. He was raised in a household headed by strongwomen: his mother, two sisters and aunt. They had a lasting impact on Akyol, who as a male outsider to thisrealmoforiental womenobserved and interpreted gestures, dress codes and ways ofspeaking so as to gain passageintotheir world. "I would wear black because they always did and applykohl on my eyes to say“I want to bewithyou”,” says the designer.His father, a tailor, subcontracted for Parisiancouture housesandworked from home, where Akyol'sbedroomwasalso the atelier. Akyol watched his father and learnt how to craft garments and sew,educating himself in therigorous artisanal work of tailoring.Moving to Paris in 2005 to study fashion at l'Institut Français de la Mode, Akyol worked multiple side jobs andsoldhis paintings topay forhis studies. Leaving school in 2006, he gained experience at ChristianDior under JohnGalliano, Balenciaga under Nicolas Ghesquière and at Emanuel Ungaro withEsteban Cortazar. In2014, he wasnamed head of collections at Cortazar's namesake brand.In 2019, Akyol decided to launch his own label and debuted agenderless artisanal collection celebrating feminine seduction in both women and men, creating awardrobefor "sexy tragédien-nes" as thedesigner explains.Hispieces are always very revealing and austere at thesame time, whispering hot andcold, just like the women he grewup with.Burç Akyol’sworkis not seasonal; his collections are styledCOLL 01 PART 01,02,etc. This is because he isbuilding a language close to Haute Couture,which takes time. When he designs, he taps into hisobsessions forCariatides, dramatic glamour and hislovefor black tuxedo-tailoring which Akyol says is"the perfect uniform".He also references female leadership and his multicultural heritageina constant dialogue between hisurbanEuropean upbringing and his Oriental roots: a mixturethathe finds is best visiblearound theMediterranean’svolcaniccoasts,where Akyol spends his summers on the island of Pantelleria.In harmony with his love for craftsmanship, each piece is either hand-finished or entirely hand-made at hisstudio inthe 8th arrondissement of Paris. Akyol values his wearer above all and is in constant search toofferthembothmaintenance and seduction: he says he is "distant-flirting" with his customers.His collectionshave been featuredinternationally with high profile personalities wearing hispieces starting withCardi B and Zendaya for the BritishVogueand the launch of his collection first collection was coveredbyVogueTalentsfor VogueItaly. With his latest addition toCOLL 01,Akyol staged his first physicalshowin Paris on March21stfor Fall Winter 2022.

Founder and Designer of SIEDRES Ceylin Türkkan Bilge was born and raised in the fashion world. With her family owning a textile factory in Bursa, Türkkan Bilge was able to catch her first glimpse of the ins and out of the industry and quickly realized that she had a talent for design. After studying fashion design in Istanbul for two years, Türkkan Bilge continued her college education by attending the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she earned a degree in Fashion Design. While living in the competitive city, she worked for a few well-known brands, such as Adam Lippes. Shortly after finishing her education, she returned to Istanbul to continue her dreams and began to work as an art director and graphic designer. Türkkan Bilge’s experience in art direction, graphics and fashion design have aided her in the creation of her own label. She dreamed of a brand that encompassed a utopian lifestyle. However, it was not until she met her husband and now co-founder, Emir, that SIEDRES came to light. Türkkan Bilge currently resides in Istanbul with her husband where she designs all of SIEDRES’ Mediterranean-inspired styles.

SaintBalech Located on the coast of Beirut, Saint Balech was named by the people for the people, in reaction to the expensive private beaches of the capital. It was a symbol of freedom and a place for everyone and anyone. Claudia Khachan wanted to revive this concept within the fashion industry, with SaintBalech as a collective and a brand where anyone and everyone is welcome as they are. As a young Lebanese fashion designer, Khachan wants to offer the youth not only a brand, but a new platform of unrestricted and free expression in the MENA region. SaintBalech believes in new alternatives such as up-cycling, a means of local production capable of remaining sustainable over the years while focusing on minimal waste.

Raised in the Parisian suburbs, Dalila Barkache is a jewelry maker and designer of Moroccan origin with inspirations and experiences that stem from the four corners of the world. Her name resonates loud and clear in the underground, unconventional and progressive world of design.   She quickly launched her career after graduating with a degree in Jewelry Design from the renowned École de la Rue du Louvre in 2002 by collaborating with distinguished jewelry houses. She left Paris for Beirut’s electric creative environment and cultivated her love for fashion by styling for top magazines, while influencing the city’s fashion milieu by inaugurating its very first Comme des Garçons guerilla store in 2006.   2011 was a momentous year for Barkache as she gathered up her energy to launch the very first collection of her eponymous jewelry brand. Meticulously handcrafted in a small atelier in Beirut, her designs defy the traditional norms of jewelry making to take on wild, edgy and unconventionally playful shapes.   Through her arrangements, she emphasizes the omnipresence of movement and geometry by merging mobile and fixed structures, creating an atypically elegant swing effect. Her subtle combinations of 18-carat gold and cooler matte 925 silver set with diamonds and precious stones offer a complex, contemporary take on classical fine jewelry. Her origins have a direct influence on her work. She mirrors traditional ceremonial Berber ornaments and embellishes the details with modern romantic rock and roll accents. Her creations are an extension of her being. Mixing ethnicity with simplicity, her designs are exclusively retailed at the concept store Dover Street Market in London, New York and Ginza, as well as in the prestigious online boutique Sancy & Regent. She is today on the verge of launching a new, long-awaited collection.

Pupchen is an outburst from—and an invitation into—the unusual, decadent, uncompromising universe of young Tunisian designer and architect, Duha Bukadi. Pupchen is her aesthetic revenge on a world of resigned adults, tedious routines, and flat personalities. As an architect, Bukadi always loved navigating the mix of structure, utility, and aesthetics in every building she designed. This is what she likes about building shoes, too: the savoir faire (structure), the comfort (utility), and the fantasy (aesthetics).   Tunis-based Bukadi draws constant inspiration from her surroundings: her daughter’s toys, her vivid dreams, and the unexpected poetry of everyday life. She’s a storyteller, and shoes are her medium. Bukadi wants shoes to be playful, fun, and, at the same time, the height of chic. Pupchen shoes are imagined and designed at the Pupchen offices in Tunisia. Then prototypes are made in Maison Massaro, part of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art, in Paris. Production takes place at Nillab, a well-known footwear manufacturing firm based in the Riviera del Brenta, Italy.   Pupchen is a pet name. The late French singer and poet Georges Brassens gave it to his lover and muse, Joha Heiman. Brassens and Heiman were each other’s obsession for 30 years from the time they met in Paris until Brassens’ death in 1981. Pupchen comes from the German for “little doll.” But a love like Brassens’ and Heiman’s is not diminutive or conventional. Never married, never living together, their passion for each other was expansive in its contradictions. Brassens famously sang in awe of Heiman, “I made myself small (before a doll).” When told that she lived in Brassens’ shadow, Heiman would respond that she lived in his light. Pupchen is a doll who plays with the world. Not the other way around.

Brand Bio EILAF is a contemporary luxury handbag brand that combines high quality craftsmanship and Sudanese artisanal motifs to create a visual twist. The brand's foundation manifests from founder Eilaf Osman's desire to deeply connect with strong childhood memories of summers spent in Sudan, with her grandmother and her cousins, drinking tea in the garden and telling tribal folk stories. EILAF explores notions of identity based on the expressiveness of tribal art and seeks to uplift marginalized tribal art forms in the region. EILAF's values are centered around the preservation of Sudanese heritage and the use of traditional artistry codes that are inherently sustainable.

Fatma Mostafa is an artist and jewelry designer experimenting across a wide range of media.   In 2017, she founded her own jewelry brand. In moving through oil painting, embroidery, and photography, her work takes a multi-disciplinary approach, posing questions of our relationship to materials. She combines mediums and incorporates natural materials in both her paintings and designs. Her artistic background makes her think of her jewelry as pieces of art that she gets to share with others.   She has been part of many group exhibitions, The Girl’s Window in 2022, Roznama 8 in 2021, the "Lost, found, eternal" workshop and exhibition in 2018, and The Youth Salon in both 2017 and 2018.   Fatma Mostafa jewelry was born out of a love for fine art, fashion, and traditional crafts, like embroidery. Mostafa was introduced to embroidery by her mother, and as a young girl it was the first medium she was trained in but she never gave it much thought. Mostafa later pursued fine arts, and through oil painting discovered a fascination with colors and landscapes, and developed a curiosity for experimenting with the potentials of the medium. As she continued experimenting with different mediums, she rediscovered her love of embroidery and her interest in jewelry design, and in mixing both, she founded her brand. Like painting, the beauty of embroidery comes from the time, care and deliberate effort it takes to create a piece, she believes.   Through her work, Mostafa was taught to cherish patience and see the beauty in slowness as a piece unveils itself. She strives to create pieces that are original works of art, where you can clearly see the value and beauty of nature and the endless potential of patient human hands with colorful threads.

A keen eye for beauty is the key ingredient to have inspired the birth of this unique brand. BOADḰ is a sustainable slow-fashion, wearable-wood brand based in Cairo. The brand focuses on the experience of belonging to nature and nurturing the channel between women and nature. Through the creation of spirited wooden handcrafted bags, BOΛDḰ uses wood as a space to embody art objects and patterns, avoiding exaggeration of appearance, focusing instead on material individuality. As massive wood, epoxy and leather, some wooden purses are uniquely adorned with needlepoint embroidery, giving traditionally nostalgic elements a refreshing modern twist. As a brand inspired and created by the natural world, it should come as no surprise that BOΛDḰ gives the natural world the respect and love it deserves; by being sustainable and promoting sustainability and slow fashion.   Founder bio:   Having been continuously transfixed by the natural beauty that surrounds her, Karen had started her creative journey in architecture, only to have specialized her interests even further as time passed. Architecture eventually turned into interior design, which ultimately turned into product design - one thing led to another, knots seemed to unravel, and finally BOΛDḰ rose to the surface. Having always been drawn to the beautiful versatility of the wooden medium, ever since her architecture days, Karen roped together her passion for creating with her knowledge on how to best make use of material elements. Having been raised in a French speaking environment all her life, it only made sense to Karen that when it came to naming her brand, it would carry French elements.     Brand name concept:   BOΛDḰ is made up of three parts - the first part ‘BOA’ is a shortened version of 'Bois', the French word for ‘wood’, the second part ‘D’ is the French word 'de' which means ‘of’, and the ‘Ḱ’ stands for Karen... altogether it simply means 'Wood of Karen'.

Kazna Asker is a fashion designer who has created a brand encompassing the values associated with community, activism and charity. The brand combines her British upbringing with her Yemeni heritage, merging technical sportswear materials with traditional, woven Middle Eastern scarves and fabrics.   Purposefully designing her pieces in pairs to show the brother- and sisterhood of the Muslim community, Asker creates matching menswear and womenswear looks, as well as featuring a range of corresponding tracksuits and outerwear with Islamic abayas and thobes.   Asker collaborates directly with her local community to create graphics, film and print projects. Alongside fashion, she has contributed to community projects in her hometown of Sheffield, England, as well as volunteering with refugees in the Netherlands and working with rural communities in Nepal alongside youth-led charity Restless Development.   Along with co-organizing community fundraisers for Yemen and Palestine, and raising over £20,000 for charity, Asker has created her own charity project where she designs and sells T-shirts through which she has raised over £6,000 for humanitarian aid in Yemen.

Talel Paris is a contemporary luxury brand founded in 2019 by the Moroccan Designer Leila Roukni. The brand offers leather handbags and accessories with a sharp design and a focus on unconventional shapes, considering details and a sustainable production. The Designer has more than 10 years of experience in the leather goods industry, all of it accumulated in Paris. Worried about having to do the same work over and over again and needed more freedom and creativity in her work, Leila took the decision to launch her own brand. Designed for a modern urban life and produced in limited quantities, Talel is driven by an irrepressible desire for freedom, at the service of an entire generation who sets its own rules, disrupted by the norm. Its radically colorful designs are made to accompany those who share the same values of boldness and creativity. The colors and inspirations come from the Designer’s travels around the globe and especially from Morocco, her native land. TALEL bags are handcrafted with the finest materials and built around the best manufacturing practices, continuing the transmission of specific know-hows at every step of the production process.

Marnissi is defined by its unisex haute couture featuring colorful silhouettes with far-reaching cultural influences. The label is characterized by the combination of contemporary aspects, innovative techniques and sustainable materials, with an underlying aesthetic derived from Arab heritage. The collections strive to create a true sense of belonging, regardless of social and cultural origin, allowing people to be themselves, as they desire to be. Marnissi has a strong commitment to an empowering society and to all those who strive to break free from the current way of thinking.

Moulham Obid’s couture collections are defined by his exciting, sustainable, detailed creations which are handcrafted over hundreds of hours. From recycling used textiles and clothes to choosing eco-friendly, natural and organic materials, his designs capture a vision of modern femininity for a better future. His creations elevate his clients’ individuality while keeping sustainability in the front row of every piece he creates. With elaborate patterns, artistic draping, and pleats, Obid's designs reveal the client's desire to present a mix of modern, linear structures blended with romantic, imaginative femininity. His creations are sophisticated extravagance at their best. He combines diverse materials to create standout contemporary, sustainable feminine silhouettes.   Through his exciting and artistic creative talents, he arranges sheer tulle ruffles among cascades of silk, while skillfully placing intricate hand-embroidered details onto his creations. In his collections, he reveals his feeling for complex volumes and modern proportions. As his work is first derived through an artistic lens, he then transports these visions into unique, individual pieces that speak to every modern woman.

Hailing from Algeria and the Netherlands, Rayana Boulila’s womenswear brand is about fantasy and a focuses on a cross between couture and sculptural  garments. The designer emphasizes the curves of the body through graphic contouring by playing on color contrasts. These graphic silhouettes allow the designer to celebrate the body and the power of women while relying on a cosmetic material that is rejuvenating and regenerating the skin. Boulila describes her collection as a “selfcare collection” that focuses on what we can see, and, through the power of suggestion, what we can’t. The result is a new Venus.

The key to enhance creative conversations leading to a more sustainable way of working in the fashion industry. Born and raised in Africa, with its roots in Lebanon, RĒNWA sits in the midst of both cultures, and understand their commonalities. The idea that “cultures have no barriers” resonates through the designer’s commitment to bring culture and heritage to the core of her maison. “I grew up in Côte d’Ivoire and it felt innate to be here, building a loyal community who understands my mission in working with sustainable fabrics,” says Renwa. RĒNWA was launched in 2019, and was imbued with Renwa’s determination to create a wardrobe recognized for its innovative cuts and subtle cross-cultural inspirations with fabrics that are equally sustainable and innovative.

Super Yaya is a brand that explores West African culture and textiles. After graduating from Central Saint Martins’ womenswear program, the Lebanese-born, Côte d’Ivoire–raised creative Rym Beydoun returned home to launch her brand in 2015. As a fourth-generation member of a Lebanese immigrant family in West Africa, Beydoun immediately felt at once immersed in, yet apart from, the culture, and sought to create a forward-thinking line that locals would feel proud to wear. Most of the fabrics used to create the collections are handpicked, hand dyed and printed in Cote d'Ivoire before arriving and being  transformed in-house in Beirut.

Sansim Adali, creator of SUDIETUZ, graduated from LaSalle Academy with a Fashion Design major, and was mentored in Antwerp in conceptual design. A wife and mother of two, born in Istanbul, Turkey, Adali established her brand SUDIETUZ (a combination of her family names) in 2016. The brand reflects how she blends her Syrian roots with contemporary Turkish legacies, which is clearly reflected in all her collections. Her first feminine collection showcased her vision as hyper textured and colorful. Her aim is set on lifting up couture using her chosen signature fabric, tulle, perfectly and in the most trendy and innovative way. Adali is environmentally conscious and strives to incorporate sustainable fabrics at every opportunity. Defined as “street couture” her designs are visually immersive and romantically abstract. Very early on in her career she received the Leading Emerging Designer award from Elle Magazine. Each season she surprises with digital and interdisciplinary presentations, making her real world appeal virtual. With her passion for technology, Adali created virtual humans with Artificial Intelligence and added them into her fashion journey as seen in her 3D Metaverse Collection with DressX. Adali has enjoyed successful mass-market collaborations with LCWaikiki, Erikli waterbottles, and Coca-Cola energy drinks and offers a digital design experience to millions of people in Turkey as well as Eurasia. She is highly sought after as a stylist by celebrities. Adali’s loyalty to her design vision equates to representing the opulence of her multicultural being, personalizing her cultural traditions whilst redefining couture at her atelier in Istanbul with a team composed of fashion designers, 3D artists and computer engineers. It is here where she designs wearable fashion alongside digital versions of her designs. Her biggest inspiration stems from her family and her cultural roots and her future plans include exploring handcrafts and supporting local craftsman in Turkey.

Founded in 2018 by Saudi Arabian sisters Sarah and Siham Albinali, Lurline redefines contemporary luxury fashion by embracing the soft goth, the daring and the feminine, combining this aesthetic with a sense of dark humor. The brand aims to embolden the meaning of what it is to be a woman in today's world by championing a fearless feminine viewpoint through timeless pieces.   Lurline takes pride in combining both classic and modern techniques in their unique creations, sourcing only the finest fabrics with superior craftsmanship. While always seeking new and innovative ways to create, the brand also strives towards the path of sustainability and bringing a strong meaning of what it is to be a Lurline woman.

Yasmin Mansour, a fashion designer and creative director of her eponymous fashion house, was born in 1990. She obtained her degree in Fashion Design from Instituto di ModaBurgo in 2012 and her love for cinema and photography inspired her to complete a bachelor’s degree in Art Directing.   In 2014, Mansour founded her eponymous label, one of the first luxury, sustainable labels in the region, in Qatar, and she now works between Doha and Paris. “For me, designing has no rules. If you start setting rules, you will not be able to create anything. You create what you dream of,” says Mansour. Her work is inspired by “her dreams, art and architecture”, she says, and creatives including Oscar Niemeyer, Jean-Michel Frank, Pierre Jeanneret, Elsa Schiaparelli and Yves Saint-Laurent inspire her creative journey.   Mansour enjoys collaborating with other brands and artists such as Bouthayna Al Muftah, Leo Vanweersch, and Nespresso and her aim is to encourage and promote sustainable fashion and art creativity. Her latest collaboration with Qatar based artist Al Muftah presents a concept beyond fashion and art. Together, they created a collection entitled Kitabaat, which is made up of unique pieces based on stories and memories from a land’s past, designed to empower and inspire into the future.   For Vanweersch, Mansour designed sunglasses made of sustainable horns from animals that died of natural causes. As for Nespresso, she created two dresses out of recycled coffee capsules. Mansour believes that luxurious fashion can also be sustainable. All of her pieces are handmade and made-to-measure for high quality and so that she can be assured of their sustainability.   Mansour’s passion is to inspire young artists and designers through her work and she continues to collaborate with local artists and promote sustainable fashion through her unique pieces.   One such example is her unique art piece, Le Livre. Le Livre is a kaftan made out of canvas fabric and the inner lining is hand drawn. The fabric is collected from leftovers used in the production of tents from Souq Waqif in Doha. The piece was fully hand-crafted in Doha, Qatar. It took around 370 hours to make.

Boutique de Nana Boutique de Nana is a luxury sustainable brand that specializes in unique and trendy clothing. It has the objective of breaking stereotypes, merging cultures, and advocating for inclusion and the celebration of uniqueness within fashion. Boutique De Nana has showcased its work during London, Milan, and Paris Fashion weeks. Moreover, the brand’s extensive social and fashion impact is marked by a wide range of national and international awards and coverage by international media, including appearances in three BBC documentaries. The brand also raises funds for causes such as girls' education and other issues the founders feel strongly about.   Boutique de Nana was founded by Yousra Elsadig, a Sudanese fashion designer, double-degree holder, wife, a mother of two and who specializes in eye care and comes from a family of medical care providers. She founded her brand when she took a maternity break before going for her second degree in the UK. Yousra’s message revolves around ethical fashion with an impact and inspiring women from all walks of life to pursue their dreams regardless of how unconventional or unrealistic they may seem to those around them.

Jewelry has always enjoyed a prominent place in Moroccan society. A social indicator, as family heritage and even as an investment, the heavier and more sophisticated the adornment, the greater the prestige, the perfect example is the famous gold mdamma (traditional belt) that young brides received as a dowry. However, for decades, many have tended to abandon traditional jewelry, as it is difficult and heavy to wear on a daily basis.   The jewelry brand Dihyan, designed by Youssra Nichane and co-founded with Nicole Abate, was born as a beautiful tribute to Moroccan craftsmanship and has the goal of reconnecting woman to their roots by transforming  jewels dating from the 17th to the 19th century into everyday pieces adapted to the present,  as a” revival” of the wearing of Moroccan jewels with a “modern twist “. The pieces work by “lightening” the designs of traditional jewels, creating jewels that Dihyan intends to inspire woman to wear to accessorize their outfits.   The unique pieces are made by hand from individual parts by local artisans in the country’s cultural capital Fès. The designs are labor-intensive and the true heroes and heroines behind the creations are the house’s enamellers and goldsmiths. Nichane and Abate stand by them strongly through their brand in order to keep this form of art moving forward in North Africa, and to conserve the talent and hard work of the hands that make the brand a possibility.   The brand’s DNA is chic without being ostentatious, precious yet affordable and traditional without being weighty. An array of semiprecious stones carefully picked for each creation and intertwined by silk threads are set on 24 ct gold plated silver. Jewelry is one of the most personal and intimate forms of art. It is capable of expressing deep emotions, while remaining at the heart of fashion.   Founders   Passionate about jewelry and with a deep-rooted love for her culture since childhood, creative director Youssra Nichane has a call for the art of creating jewelry. Her biggest spur for going forward with her dream was the attention she grabbed from fashionistas and designers while wearing traditional pieces from her private collection during Paris Fashion Week, a realization that pushed her to develop the idea further and imagine her own collection. With one goal in mind, breathing new life into Moroccan jewelry to create real fashion pieces, she was determined to move forward.   She discussed the idea with her friend Nicole Abate, an expert in arts and culture and a great lover of antique jewelry, living between Miami, New York and London. Together, they took Dihyan's first steps by joining forces as they knew the brand would quickly have the opportunity to travel the world and make an impact in the global jewelry market through its one of a kind designs and traditional roots.   Social Impact   Full of history, inherited from generation to generation, the craftsmanship of Moroccan goldsmiths remains the soul of Dihyan. Local artisans have been highly impacted by the current pandemic, and Diyhan works with talented creatives from Fès, - one of the oldest cities in the African country- while also donating a percentage of its profits to a collective of local women founded by Dihyan, in order to teach them the goldsmith’s trade, a sector mainly dominated by men; it’s goal being to create jewelry made by women for women.   Dihyan’s Drawings - From Imagination to Reality   It was during the pandemic while the world took a pause when the first images of Dihyan came to life. Nichane found great pleasure in drawing and made it a fountain of creation for what she had previously imagined as the first designs of the brand. During the creation process, each pearl, stone and element were meticulously selected and conceptualized in sketches to be later reinterpreted by the Moroccan silversmiths that brought Dihyan into existence.