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The Fashion Prize High Jewelry Finalists’ Real-Life Muses…

Nadine Ghosn SS18 look book

As we wait patiently for the winner of the 2017 DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize high jewelry design category to be announced, we’ve taken an insider tour of the finalists’ ateliers, SS18 look book, and now, the places, people, and things that inspire them. Below, Nadine Ghosn, Nourah Al Faisal (Nuun Jewels), and Gafla Jewellery‘s Hamad bin Shaiban, Abdulla BelJafla, and Bushra bint Darwish reveal their real-life muses behind their Spring 2018 collections.

NADINE GHOSN
By Nadine Ghosn

“As a brand we do not have a particular muse. Instead, creative, bold individuals inspire us. The diverse and eclectic group of people that can be found walking the streets of Hong Kong and New York, or designers like Karl Lagerfeld and NIGO all inspire us. Multicultural, multidimensional, multigenerational. Variety and diversity is key to inspiration – keeping an open mind and spirit.
Influencers and designers who accurately align with our style and outlook include Leandra Medine from Man Repeller, and Mira Mikati. Their humor, lightness, and unique perspective are inspirations.
For this particular Sushi collection, my inspiration came from Sushi Saito. Saito san is one of the only sushi chefs in Japan with three Michelin stars. I spent eight years in Japan so have a true appreciation of the culture as well as the food, dedication, and meticulousness.”

GAFLA JEWELLERY
By Hamad bin Shaiban, Abdulla BelJafla, and Bushra bint Darwish

Courtesy of Gafla Jewellery

“It’s our beloved Emirates. Her elegance and heritage has always been a source of inspiration – from the beautiful culture to the rich diversity. Her strength and unity has constantly amazed us. Her rich stories inspire every collection at Gafla. She evokes our creativity to life. It’s a blessing growing up here and being part of the flourishing community. Our vision is to immortalize and share these stories with the world through our intricately crafted and timeless pieces.”

NUUN JEWELS
By Nourah Al Faisal

Courtesy of Nuun Jewels

“I think like most designers, jewelry or otherwise, my first muse was – and probably will always be – my mother. She has always loved and collected jewelry and has extremely discerning taste. If my mother liked it, then I was on the right track. To this day she is my toughest critic as well as my biggest support. As the years have progressed, I have been inspired by the young women I meet every day, young Arab women who are breaking boundaries every day in so many different ways. I hope I am designing jewelry that is transcultural, that represents a woman who is confident and sure of what she wants, and has a strong sense of identity.”

Read This Next: See the Fashion Prize High Jewelry Finalists’ Spring 2018 Collections

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