Jenna Lyons. Photography courtesy of Mejuri
Noura Sakkijha, co-founder of the fine jewellery brand, talks the company’s International Women’s Day campaign, working with J.Crew royalty and the eternal appeal of elevated basics.
Date February 22, 2022
Mejuri and Jenna Lyons are a match made in minimalist heaven.
Lyons herself was a 2010s tastemaker, and as J. Crew’s president and executive creative director, her personal style was the beating heart of the American retailer until her departure in 2017. Approachable yet sophisticated, Lyons’ wardrobe blurred the lines between casualwear and formalwear (I mean, she wore bejeweled J. Crew pajamas to the 2015 Met Gala!). And over the years, she’s attracted a cult following not unlike that of Mejuri.
Noura Sakkijha co-founded the Canadian brand in 2015 with the idea to create fine jewellery fit for everyday wear. Most importantly, her direct-to-consumer model that targeted women was, then, quite revolutionary. Like Lyons, Sakkijha reimagined the possibilities of her industry. So, it was only a matter of time before two paired up.
Allyson Felix. Photography courtesy of Mejuri
In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8), Mejuri and Jenna Lyons have released a campaign for their collaboration featuring the likes of actress Tommy Dorfman, Olympic athlete Allyson Felix and journalist Noor Tagouri, shot by photographer Cass Bird.
The collection features two new takes of the signet pinky ring, available in an inclusive range of sizes and handcrafted in 14k solid gold and 18k gold vermeil with a beveled edge onyx stone (the Power Pinky Ring in 14k gold is $765, and $150 in vermeil. The extra long chain necklace is $226).
“My father had his family crest on a ring. So did his grandfather. It was something I saw that was very common and It was traditionally worn by men,” Lyons said in a release. “I like the idea that it’s now for anyone and for any woman that can own their story and have their own signature.”
Five dollars per purchase will be donated to the Mejuri Empowerment Fund which launched in June 2020 in support of women and nonbinary people.
“Finding ways to give back to our community and live out this message of empowerment is some of the most important work I do as Mejuri continues to grow. This fund is the living embodiment of the Mejuri mission,” Sakkijha says.
Photography courtesy of Mejuri
FASHION caught up with Sakkijha to talk about working with Jenna Lyons and creating timeless jewellery.
How did this collaboration between Jenna Lyons and Mejuri come to be, and how did you fare working together?
I have been a long time admirer of Jenna; not only is she a style icon for her authentic take on fashion, she works hard to uplift and champion those around her. We featured her in our IWD campaign last year and the whole team loved working with her. We met with her shortly after to discuss how we could take it a step further and co-design a collection. Her passion for design and magnetic energy made the whole process exciting and collaborative. Jenna and I share the same values about creating an impact through high quality pieces and connecting with our communities directly — making her a natural fit for the brand. I am so happy we got the opportunity to work with her again and for this collection to launch.
Photography courtesy of Mejuri
In both of your careers, you and Jenna have found success in presenting collections of elevated, timeless basics. What is the eternal appeal to this style?
The eternal appeal is making every day count with what you wear — fine jewelry should not be reserved only for special occasions which inspires our design aesthetic and approach. We believe in jewelry as an expression of self: that it can mean whatever you want; that you can wear it when you want, buy it when you want, gift it, reward yourself with it and keep it forever. There is something empowering about owning something you can wear and have forever, or even pass along as an heirloom.
Jenna Lyons and Tommy Dorfman. Photography courtesy of Mejuri
How do you hope people feel when wearing this collection?
We love that we’re continuing to rewrite the rules within fine jewelry with these signet rings. With this collection, I hope our community feels that they too can rewrite their script and let their style shine through. The meaning doesn’t have to be serious or sentimental — that is, unless you want it to be!
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