FASHION TREASURES

Valérie Messika, the name behind Maison Messika jewellery, landed in Qatar to open the brand’s store at Place Vendôme Mall. OHLALA had the opportunity to chat with her about her career and the brand’s core values.

OHLALA – Maison Messika is a worldfamous brand with a celebrity clientele. Why do you think your jewellery is so in demand?
Valérie Messika –
I think we offer a new proposition in diamond jewellery bringing something new to the industry. It’s cool, feminine and stylish. I think we really encapsulate the mood of the fashion world in our collections. That’s why we took Messika’s High Jewellery to Paris Fashion Week. I’ve loved fashion since I was young and I wanted to recreate the mood and the energy of fashion in the diamond world. My jewellery isn’t just given as gifts, my clients come into the store to buy for themselves.

OHLALA – It’s almost a decade since Maison Messika opened their first flagship store on the Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Now Messika is debuting at the Place Vendôme Mall in Qatar. What similarities are there between this store and your first? And what’s new?
Valérie –
In the last 10 years, Messika has changed in many ways. But some things remain the same. Clients are always looking for new and innovative products. That’s why I decided to open my first store in a fashion street like the Rue Saint-Honoré and not in a jewellery street. And that is why we are here today in a fashion mall. Our new store in the Place Vendôme Mall is amazing. It’s very grand, with incredibly high ceilings, but the store is very open too. That’s important to me. I want people to be able to come inside easily and to feel welcome.

OHLALA – What have been the highlights of your career so far?
Valérie –
My first career highlight was when Beyoncé wore my jewellery in 2013. I’m obsessed with music and she’s an icon in the field. I was very blessed by her. She fell in love with the brand and has worn it so many times. She is strong and powerful and she gives the brand the mood of something very edgy, very cool. Another highlight was when I opened my first store in Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Messika is also about creating special lines with incredible models. In 2017, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of my iconic collection, the Move Collection, and I co-created a limitededition jewellery line with Gigi Hadid. In 2020, I worked with Kate Moss, one of my muses, and we created a vast and unique collection. I guess I also need to highlight the importance of the new generation to our brand, they love our pieces. I would like to thank them for helping with the success of our maison.

OHLALA – Why do you feel that Maison Messika’s collaboration with Kate Moss worked so well?
Valérie –
Because in life, when things are true, people feel it. Our collaboration is not a marketing strategy. It was very spontaneous. Kate Moss was the first face of the brand and one day we were having tea and she told me that she was a big collector of jewellery. She invited me to London and offered to open her jewellery box for me to show me her collection. I said I would love that and asked what she thought of co-creating something together. And she said yes! For me, it was like a dream come true because I see all the pieces of jewellery we created together as fashion creations. This is what I have in my DNA and why I started the brand. And I definitely think these pieces are cool, edgy, feminine and, at the same time, very modern.

OHLALA – The Skinny Diamond Collection was a turning point for Maison Messika. What do you see as your next big thing?
Valérie –
I want to adapt myself, always. I want to bring something new to the market and I’ve looked for inspiration from cultures around the world. So now I’m obsessed with different ways of wearing jewellery, such as nose piercings and lips. It’s so cool and so sexy. I want to keep going and be a game-changer in the industry to make diamonds even cooler, young and fresh.

OHLALA – Finally, if you had to choose three words to describe Maison Messika’s vision, what would they be?
Valérie –
Game-changer, like a disrupting diamond. This means bringing novelty and a fresh attitude. Feminine – women are a big source of inspiration for me. I am surrounded by women, such as my mother and my two girls. I think there is something about empowering women in the brand. And lastly – diamonds, of course.

@messikajewelry

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