The Innovation by Valérie Messika

Diamonds + Sport. Messika + Adidas. An enormous challenge and a huge success. Where did the idea come from?
What are the project’s pros and cons? I'm always trying to do different things and to break the codes and I go where people least expect it. I really wanted to surprise and get people talking about me with this second show and I think I managed it! The idea of having my models wear Adidas clothes was obviously not to encourage women to wear high jewelry at the gym, but to show that, in order to feel in step with your time, jewelry can always be "cool", at any moment, even when worn to enhance an outfit. All this has been a new opportunity for me to draw attention to my aim to break predefined codes and change the idea that people have of high jewelry’s role. It’s part of Messika’s revolutionary identity. I think that putting high jewelry on the catwalk as the main protagonist of the show, with super models such as Naomi Campbell, is a sign of a great innovator.

How did the jewelry world react?
It was an honor to see my pieces resting on the skin and bodies of the models. It's the consecration of a huge amount of work with my teams and a source of enormous pride for all of us. The show was received very well by the press, friends of the brand and clients. I think everyone was impressed, especially when Noami Campbell came on at the end wearing the Akh-Ba-Ka set, the most incredible set I have ever made since Messika was founded in 2005. This project marks the beginning of a new era for the company, confirms our status and legitimizes Messika’s place in the world of high jewelry.

What should a jeweler do today to innovate without losing his or her own identity?
My father always told me never to copy others and I think that's the most important thing. Stay true to yourself.

What does "being innovative" mean in your opinion?
I am a person who has always followed my instinct in all Messika projects. I work closely with the jewelers and we make a great team. It is essential for me to always push the boundaries of fine and high jewelry and to never stop thinking outside the box. To be a trendsetter.

And what was your biggest challenge in jewelry...
My biggest challenge was to make my jewelry and high jewelry collections both comfortable and playful. The Skinny concept, invented in 2009, was one of biggest innovations we made, a diamond tattoo that arose from a desire to turn the diamond necklace into a timeless staple in a woman’s wardrobe. It features unparalleled suppleness. The diamond strands are "elastic” due to a concealed arrangement of nano-springs within the gold. The jewelry twists, coils and bends but always returns to its original shape, without ever breaking. Chokers, bracelets and cuffs benefit most from this flexibility and the Skinny technology ensures the greatest comfort. And I’m proud to say that this concept has profoundly changed jewelry.