While the room bustles with frantic movement and an entanglement of noises, her posture remains unchanged; with her back hunched in a protective method, her eyes squinted in concentration and her fingers moving rapidly amid shades of stones and masses of chains.
For more than a decade, her name has been associated with timeless hammered coins of gold and drops of elaborate colours.
The Egypt-based jewellery designer discovered her passion for precious stones right before deciding to shower women of the Middle East and the world with her signature designs.
Her personalised diamond eyes went from being a regional must have to being on the covers of international fashion magazines. Meanwhile, her colourful extravaganza has named her the Middle-East’s guru of precious stones.
Dima Rashid is widely known for starting various trends in the market as well as inspiring numerous copycats. Accordingly, it was no surprise to witness a new change in her aesthetic. For the FW17/18 season, the designer bid farewell to her signature gold chain, only to welcome a new design. Furthermore, she has also showcased statement experiments with gold solely, and without forgetting to celebrate the New Year with a rainbow of her special design.
Daily News Egypt sat with the designer at her new showroom to talk about the new season, precious stones, and staying authentic regardless of digital copycats.
Tell us about the main inspiration behind the FW17/18 collection. I wanted to design a glamorous collection that you can dress up in splendidness for the Red Carpet. In parallel, you can also dress it down tastefully for a fancy dinner or night out.
On the other hand, I also wanted to make sure that we have the daily kind of pieces that you would never want to take off. We created a 30-piece collection, which elegantly combines all of the above in two stories; the ‘All-gold’ and the ‘Timeless Stones.’
Which stones did you depend on for this collection?
In addition to our signature timeless selection of precious stones, which you will always find in a Dima creation, we followed the global fall’18 trend forecast when it came to colours and stones for this collection. Deep blues, reds, and dark emerald shades are evidently dominant in several of the designs.
Which piece is your personal favourite?
They all are favourites. Each piece and stone has a special place in my heart. A lot of passion and soul are invested in every piece, so what is there to not love. The Mix and Match pieces though are always the ones that I gravitate towards first.
As a precious-stones expert, which stone(s) would you name as a must have for every woman?
It really depends on the character of each woman I am dressing. Every woman has her stone, one that expresses who she is. Some of my clients collect a certain stone in every design and keep coming back for more. Mine for instance is Opal; I love its depth and multi-coloured nature, which combines the colours of all of my favourite stones.
What is the one piece of jewellery that every woman needs to own?
A gold hoop, something in blue or Turquoise, and something antique.
Which stone would you name the ultimate New Year gift?
Emeralds or Rubies definitely, combined with 18K gold. They represent the essence of holidays.
How would you define the Dima woman?
A refined, fun, and fabulous woman; a jewellery collector, who appreciates art and understands the value of stones.
In terms of aesthetic, what are the main common elements between your jewellery and the new showroom?
Gold, timelessness, femininity, and creativity.
In the age of social media, how can a designer remain original?
In the digital age, while it is good to stay up to date with every trend, it is also equally important to stay true to your own identity. This is what is guaranteed to make you stand out.
How do you deal with the increasing number of copycats?
In the jewellery and fashion industry, copying is an unfortunate fact. However, you will always be differentiated by staying ahead in terms of creativity and quality. A discerning woman can always tell the difference.
What is the main obstacle(s) that you currently face as a jewellery designer?
I would not say they are obstacles; I would say they are opportunities disguised in the face of challenges that always push you to go forward. In terms of design, staying ahead in the research and design game is something we have been placing a lot of focus on and will continue to do so in 2018.
From a business aspect, creativity when it comes to branding, building long-term partnerships and continuing to connect personally with our clients are goals that remain as equally important to us.
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