- Title: Palestinian designer Dima Rashid talks jewellery and sparkling design
- Date: 30th January 2017
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JANUARY 29, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS GENERAL VIEWS OF CAIRO CAIRO, EGYPT (JANUARY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN DESIGNER, DIMA RASHID'S SHOWROOM VARIOUS OF DIMA RASHID'S JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY RASHID SEATED AT DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN JEWELLERY DESIGNER, DIMA RASHID, SAYING: "They were filming with Gisele the super model, the stylists and fashion editors who were walking in and out of the office saw the accessories and started picking out pieces. They picked several things, some of which Gisele wore on the cover, and it made it on the cover, and later she asked to buy the piece for herself. This was the most critical week of my life." EMPLOYEES AT WORKSHOP CRAFTSMAN MAKING NECKLACE VARIOUS OF CRAFTSMAN WITH NECKLACE EMPLOYEES AT WORKSHOP EARRING SEEN IN HAND OF CRAFTSMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN JEWELLERY DESIGNER, DIMA RASHID, SAYING: "At the time there was only Azza Fahmy who is one of the pioneers in jewellery design with precious stones, and she's made her mark. But, my idea was to bring special stones, stones that to me have much greater value than diamonds and gold. So the concept was new, that you buy something that has value in the design and stones, not something with traditional monetary value." VARIOUS OF RASHID AT HER DESK VARIOUS OF RASHID'S JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF RASHID ASSEMBLING NECKLACES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN JEWELLERY DESIGNER, DIMA RASHID, SAYING: "Of course we can make it. And I wish we had more support for talent in our Arab countries. True, there are some countries that give support, but it depends on the circumstances of the country. These talented forces exist, and the very minimum is to support them locally. I believe that even if a country doesn't have the monetary or educational capabilities needed to support designers, they should at least have programmes where people can get to know them, and they should have exhibitions for them, even if they're inside the country. Other than this, they need exposure, and this takes time." VARIOUS OF RASHID'S JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY CAIRO, EGYPT (JANUARY 29, 2017) (REUTERS) VIEW OF NILE RIVER
- Embargoed: 13th February 2017 12:09
- Keywords: Egypt Palestinian fashion jewellery Dima Rashid Vogue Vanity Fair
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Fashion
- Reuters ID: LVA001619T1ZP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:When Dima Rashid walked into a Parisian restaurant in 2005, she never expected it to be the beginning of a successful career in jewellery design.
Rashid was spotted wearing one of her handmade earrings by the then-Editor in Chief of Harper's Bazaar and Marie Claire Europe, Natasha Fraser, who approached the Kuwaiti-born Palestinian designer while she was at dinner with her family.
The next day, during a small showcase in Rashid's hotel room, Fraser set up a meeting between Rashid and the head of retail at British store Harvey Nichols.
Two weeks and not much sleep later, Rashid was in London with an entire collection which would then be sold at the luxury department store.
That same day, Rashid presented her jewellery to seven other retail stores in the British capital.
Her last stop was a meeting with Vogue's accessories director, Carol Wolton, which she contacted on a whim, after having found her number listed in the magazine.
"They were filming with Gisele the super model, the stylists and fashion editors who were walking in and out of the office saw the accessories and started picking out pieces. They picked several things, some of which Gisele wore on the cover, and it made it on the cover, and later she asked to buy the piece for herself. This was the most critical week of my life," Dima told Reuters, while sitting at her stylishly-furnished studio in the heart of Cairo.
The supermodel was one of Rashid's first famous customers.
In the following years, Rashid's jewellery has adorned celebrities such as actress Vanessa Williams, supermodel Heidi Klum, and television star Oprah Winfrey.
The events of that week in London turned what started out as a hobby into a potential business venture, at a time when female Arab designers were few.
"At the time there was only Azza Fahmy who is one of the pioneers in jewellery design with precious stones, and she's made her mark. But, my idea was to bring special stone, stones that to me have much greater value than diamonds and gold. So the concept was new, that you buy something that has value in the design and stones, not something with traditional monetary value," Rashid said.
Today, her collection is displayed at several department stores across Europe and the Middle East, and can be seen on the likes of supermodel Gigi Hadid, and Jordan's Queen Rania.
Rashid emigrated to Egypt with her family after the first Palestinian Intifada and launched her business a few years later.
But she faced a slight decline in local sales after Egypt's revolution of 2011, which hit the economy.
Rashid believes her success has been mainly based on sheer luck, but the designer now plans to set a strategic marketing plan to cement her presence in the international market.
Her jewellery retails between $300 to $10,000 and has made it to the runways of both Paris and London Fashion Weeks.
With Arab talent on the rise, Rashid says more support is needed.
"Even if a country doesn't have the monetary or educational capabilities needed to support designers, they should at least have programmes where people can get to know them, and they should have exhibitions for them, even if they're inside the country. Other than this, they need exposure, and this takes time," she said.
Egyptian fashion brands such as Temraza and accessory designers Okhtein, as well as Lebanese designer Alaa Najd are among the region's rising stars, making their mark on the international style scene. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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