Sisters 29-year-old Mariam and 24-year-old Dania Sawedeg launched their brand Kamushki, meaning “precious stones” in Russian, only a short year ago, and it is already attracting a following for its fine attention to detail and clever use of 18K gold and diamonds. Each collection is marked by far-flung cultural references, including their native Libya. Here, the designers recall their early experiences and speak to Caterina Minthe about building a fine jewelry brand in a man’s world.
ON THEIR GLAMOROUS INTRODUCTION TO FINE JEWELRY
MARIAM: I was born in Libya and then I moved to Switzerland when I was a baby and grew up there and in Dubai for a few years. I studied media communications and then did a masters in marketing. Then, I studied jewelry design in London. Since I was a little girl, I had a passion for jewelry and always wanted to have my own brand. Every time we had an occasion—like a wedding—our mom would lend us jewelry that we would have to return once the party was over. It really upset us that we would have to give the pieces back. Our mom would come to our rooms to collect them and make sure that they were safe. In particular, I loved a set from Bulgari—a vintage colorful necklace with flowers.
DANIA: I loved a white gold choker necklace that was set with diamonds; I wore it often. Our dad used to travel a lot and he would buy us gifts from all over the world. Our mom has pieces from India, Brazil; different kinds of jewelry from everywhere, along with sets from reputed high jewelry brands.
ON TRANSITIONING FROM A CONSUMER TO A DESIGNER
MARIAM: My dad always told me that no matter what I wanted to do, I needed to study. I remember that he told us that fashion is not an easy industry. But when I told my parents that I wanted to go to London to study at the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), they both supported me. That was a big step.
ON PRODUCTION
KAMUSHKI: We get all our stones from Hong Kong, and we produced the pieces in Singapore; but now, we are producing in Dubai. Singapore is mostly a woman’s world, but here in Dubai, we work with a lot of men. They do take us seriously and sometimes they give us their input, but they don’t force it on us.
ON LEARNING FROM THE EARLY MISTAKES
It’s certainly good to work for someone first before starting your own jewelry brand. This is something we didn’t do and we really wish that we had worked for a big jewelry firm or even a small atelier to see how things work before getting into it ourselves. We started the business with no experience. However, over time, one learns, and ultimately, we’ll always have each other. So, when there are bad times, we push one another. Because of the nature of the industry, you really need to think about the costs of production—because everything costs money and it adds up. You need to do your research and you have to talk to a lot of people and find a good supplier who will understand your vision. If you have passion, you’ll always find a way.
Kamushki is stocked at the Luxury Arcade in Abu Dhabi; Sauce Rocks in Dubai; and Browns in London.
