Casablanca-based Youssra Nichane, the designer behind Dihyan jewelry is in Paris this couture week to showcase her collection of handmade Moroccan jewelry to press, buyers, and VIPs. One woman she perhaps didn’t expect to meet was Kim Kardashian. Nichane recounts that the impromptu meeting occurred at Hotel Costes when Kardashian arrived with her daughter North West and entourage. Nichane shares that they crossed paths in the burgundy velvet walls of the Costes corridors when Kardashian commented on her gold-plated Alsans earrings.
Photo: Dihya
“I told her of the artisanal work behind Dihyan,” starts Nichane. “Woman artisans in the Medina in Fes make all the pieces by hand. It was a brief conversation,” she recounts, “But she was so gentle and expressed that she understood the hard work required to launch a brand and to keep going.”
Photo: Dihya
Nichane launched her brand Dihyan in 2020, with co-founder and friend Nicole Lopez-Penha immediately after the first lockdown. Following her intuition, innate talent, and passion, she broke free from pre-conceived societal and patriarchal notions for her future, paving the way for women after her to follow their dreams. “Dihya is the name of the Berber warrior queen who fought for her land. In Amazigh, Dihya also means “beautiful gazelle.” It’s the symbol of the beautiful, strong woman. During confinement, I realized how short life is—and decided to leave my old life to make a new one, around my passion. Today there is no feeling more gratifying than to do what I love.”
