Every issue, GRAZIA USA highlights Game Changers, who inspire, educate, and celebrate individuality, beauty, and style. Meet Valérie Messika, the founder of the French jewelry brand, Messika, who began her line by filling a gap in the market with a more youthful take on diamond jewelry. Today, her designs have been featured in their very own Paris Fashion Week runway shows.
My love of diamonds all began during childhood because my father is a diamond dealer. I grew up surrounded by diamonds because he often came home with them. I used to play with diamonds without any mountings and would put them in the middle of my fingers and try to envision it was a ring. I joined my father in the design and trading business and I traveled all over the world. I was 23, 24 years old and I saw at that time that there was no brand that corresponded to my age and also to my taste. I was very, very tired about hearing that diamonds were forever. I understood that there was an empty place for a brand that could be quite affordable starting from 500 Euro to 5,000 Euro and be something that was quite cool, young and fresh. This was my original goal when I launched Messika. I wanted to compete with shoe or bag brands — places where people shopped to buy things for themselves. I started very spontaneously without making any big studies. I made very simple jewelry to simply pay tribute to the beauty of the diamonds.
Growth didn’t happen overnight. I started small and the more I gained confidence in myself, the more the brand matured. When I decided to go into high jewelry pieces, I wanted to give exactly the same cool, sexy vibes and create trendy pieces that you can wear. It was a change at that time to speak about diamonds in this way. I have been very lucky since launching in 2005 to be surrounded by people who complete me in terms of managing, sales, commercial parts and financial parts. So I think that’s the most important part of running a business because you cannot do everything on your own. I was very lucky because I still have the same team from the very beginning — and one of them has since become my husband.
One moment over the years that I’m really proud of is when Beyoncé wore my jewelry. Almost 10 years ago, she fell in love with one of our rings. The brand was not, of course, at this huge stage yet and for me she embodies so many values that I really adore. Another proud moment was when I celebrated the Move collection in 2017 by launching a co-design limited-edition collection with Gigi Hadid. She embodies the coolness of the brand. Plus it was a huge success. We want to reach the young generation organically, so it was the perfect match.
We’ve gone on to stage fashion shows, which is a very tricky exercise. Instead of putting jewelry in a showcase, I want them to live, I want clients to feel the way it fits. It was very risky. I was very afraid, to be honest, but I said I have to push myself. We even got Naomi Campbell to walk this year. She was not supposed to come and two days before she said, “Okay, why not? I can come earlier and I would love to close the show.”
Next up is focusing on extending the brand all over the world. The Asia market is doing very well. I really would like to expand more in America, which is the market I love so much. And we have been worn by so many American women. I was very, very lucky to also be worn on the red carpet, which is just amazing. You never know what’s next, maybe one day a watch. I love to create so I can do many different things.
As a way to give back, I created the MESSIKA CARE(s) collection, which provides aid to the women and children of Lebanon. Proceeds from every purchase is donated to CARE NGO, an organization that provides special support to the most disadvantaged people in Lebanon who are experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
When I need to recharge when I’m working in Paris, I go to my country home and I just try to quit [work] as much as I can to play with my girls, play tennis, and connect with nature. My daughters are still at the age that it’s priceless because they have a lot of innocence at 11 and 9. I want them to see that their parents are very passionate about what they’re doing and very dedicated to their work because in life nothing can happen without work.
— As told to Colleen Kratofil
Read GRAZIA USA’s Winter issue featuring cover star Lizzy Caplan:
