by Yousra Samir
How was Dana Jewelry born?
Dana Jewelry was born four years ago, when my dear
sister Dana and I decided to turn our jewellery designs into reality. We started by making rings and we could not stop. All our friends were crazy about
them and our first customer bought fourteen rings, just in one purchase, can
you imagine that? Then we realized that what was happening was real and we loved it; every piece has a
lot of laughs, many stories and also tears behind it, the whole process it's so
emotional. That is why Dana Jewelry
is so important to me, I express my love for my sister, for my family, for my
life, through my jewelry, everything I make is with love and it makes you
feel marvelous gorgeous and empowered.
What made you decide to bring Dana Jewelry to Doha?
Dana Jewelry is an important part of my life and it
goes with me wherever I go. I'm pretty sure that Qatar will be the cradle of
fashion soon - Qataris are amazingly fashionable and with exquisite taste and
also there are lots of artists, fashion designers, jewellers, photographers, and fashion bloggers, all willing to give to this society what it demands in
fashion. I can see the potential, the talent of the young entrepreneurs and of
course I'm willing to be part of this fashion revolution. Doha is my destination today, though I have the
intention of spreading my art throughout the world.
How has the reception of customers in Qatar been to your pieces
so far?
Just wonderful! After one year I have lots of fabulous
customers who are also my dear friends. I would like to take this opportunity
to thank them all for their support “THANK YOU”. I am sure I will meet more and more people who will
love my jewelry as much as I do.
Have you always been creative?
Yes! Since I was a little girl I was already
interested in jewelry, I used to play with beads and make jewelry for my dolls
and for me. I love dancing, singing and I am also a writer by passion: I started my blog “So, cheap and chic?” which reveals all of Doha's fashion secrets.
You use many different types of semi-precious stones and beads in your
designs, including Austrian Swarovski crystals, Swarovski crystal pearls,
freshwater pearls, glass pearls, and Japanese glass seed beads. Where do you
source them from?
I find them mostly in Southeast Asia and the Middle
East; some of them are brought directly from Austria! But I'm always in search
of new materials and new sources.
What is amazing about your designs is that they look chunky and heavy
but when you put them on they are very light. How do you achieve this effect.
Well, part of the design came from my background as
engineer (and that’s another story) I’m just applying structural engineering to
my creations J
That's an interesting design concept! How do you go about choosing a theme for each collection?
So far I already I have all my ideas for my collections in my mind; I am
just bringing them one by one and enhancing them with my inspiration.
Where do you find artistic inspiration?
Everywhere! I observe the people, personalities, emotions, music, color; I also look at simple things that I like. A walk at the beautiful Doha
corniche inspires me too.
Has the design process taken you on many travels and if yes, to where?
I love to travel to Asia for inspiration - Singapore
and its trendy society, or Hong Kong with its iconic harbor; but for my new
collection I needed to reconnect with my Latin roots so I went to Venezuela and
Miami Beach.
On average, how long does it take
to hand-make each piece?
Well, I have pieces that can be done in few hours, but
there are others like in my new collection that take much longer. I am a perfectionist
and I always look for the right balance on each design that is why it is difficult to give you a precise amount of time.
Tell us about your upcoming collection.
I just can tell that my new collection is just amazing
and I love it!. It will definitely make you sparkle. The Swarovski
crystals will be the centre of the attention, and different shapes will be
portrayed.
Finally, what kind of future do
you envision for Dana Jewelry?
I see my jewelry worn by many different women across the world, something really especial that defines, energizes, and makes them feel
extraordinary. I see Dana Jewelry working hard, helping others, and
our first cause is using my network to help create awareness about Autism in
Qatar. 1 out of every 150 children worldwide is diagnosed with this social dysfunction.
I am a co-founder of "Out of sync network" for
parents with kids with special needs.That’s why “Being fashionable and helping others is
priceless” will always be my quote.
Dana Jewelry can be
viewed at private exhibitions or trunk shows.
