Look Book

28 www.thejewelrybook.com Z U R I M E S I C A D E S I G N E R P R O F I L E By Brooke Conner Sevenau T h e L' E x p r e s s i o n C o l l e c t i o n b y Z u r i M e s i c a An Expression of Hope Nina Agdal Manufacturing delays caused by a glitch in the hinge mechanism of a 2015 bracelet design turned out to be an incredibly fortunate production delay for Zuri Mesica. Originally conceived as a whimsical conversation piece, the gold and diamond pencil bracelet instead became one of the most meaningful designs Mesica has ever created. During a much needed night off from troubleshooting a technical feature of his latest bracelet, Mesica was enjoying the 2015 Golden Globes with his daughters when the television fl ashed to a protest in the streets of Paris. People had taken to the streets in response to the devastating shootings at the French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015. "Here I was in the midst of perfecting my pencil design when I saw 3 million people marching…and they were car- rying pencils," says Mesica. "They were carrying pencils to symbolize freedom of expression in response to a horrifi c tragedy. They were standing up for our right to tell our story. To say what we want even in the face of oppression or terrorism." This synchronicity brought new mean- ing and importance to Mesica's design. The powerful message about the free- dom of expression became the redefi ning axis upon which he turned his charm- ing bracelet into something much more meaningful. "I wish it didn't happen," says Mesica sadly. "But this message, it was meant to be. Because this message came to me at just the right moment, I was able to turn my jewelry into something more mean- ingful than I originally imagined." The bracelet ended up skyrocket- ing to the center of Mesica's new line, The L'Expression Collection and it has become a symbol that is uniting people across the globe. "People love the idea. They feel part of the idea," says Mesica. Already seen on the wrists of celebrities around the world, the one-of-a-kind, limited edition brace- let in rose, yellow, white and black gold with diamonds will be debuted at the iconic Parisian establishment, Colette, in May 2016. Mesica's choice to have a French retailer launch the line is a fi tting honor to the spirit of the message that came to him from the streets of Paris a year earlier. Celebrity attention on freedom of ex- pression as an important human rights issue has already made the bracelet a hot ticket item. Worn by Jamie Foxx, Cindy Crawford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Katie Holmes, Selena Gomez, Hilary Clinton, Zendaya, Beyonce and Jay-Z, this bracelet is gaining cult status for all the right reasons. The collection, including necklaces and rings, will be sold in select retail- ers across the U.S. as well as in Israel, Japan, China and throughout Europe. A more widely available version of the bracelet made in rubber with white sapphire detail will be available next year. Proceeds of the sales will be donated to Pencils of Promise, a charity devoted to building schools and increasing educational opportunities for children of the developing world. Jewelry is always about a story, and sometimes that story is as impor- tant globally as it is personally. The L'Expression Collection is a symbol of hope and a statement worth sharing. -

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