In the wake of the pivotal moment following the tragic murder of George Floyd and the subsequent global Black Lives Matter protests, a spotlight was cast on racial inequities and injustices. This led to a concerted effort within the fashion and design communities to reevaluate and rectify their stance on diversity.
Initiatives like the Fifteen Percent Pledge, the CFDA Impact: Black in Fashion Council, and Harlem’s Fashion Row emerged to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) design entrepreneurs. The fine jewelry industry also rallied behind this cause. In collaboration with De Beers, the annual Couture fine jewelry show in Las Vegas introduced its Diversity Action Council, or Couture DAC for short, in 2020. The primary objective of this initiative was to pair young BIPOC designers with established jewelers for mentorship and provide business and sourcing-focused workshops. To celebrate the latest group of jewelry creatives supported by DAC, De Beers and Couture organized a dinner event in New York.
Eric Ford, a precious jewelry buyer at Neiman Marcus and a DAC board member, welcomed guests to the Chelsea Hotel dinner. He introduced Sally Morrison, De Beers’ PR director for natural diamonds and a prominent figure in the jewelry industry. Morrison shared the driving force behind De Beers’ involvement in this initiative, emphasizing their commitment to making a positive impact.
De Beers’ engagement with DAC also led to initiatives such as the #BlackisBrilliant partnership with RAD Red Carpet Advocacy. This collaboration involved financing BIPOC designers to create award-worthy pieces, which were then styled by celebrity stylists for red carpet appearances. De Beers also collaborated with Blue Nile on the Ten/Ten project, featuring ten designers who each crafted an engagement ring available on the e-commerce site.
Morrison highlighted a historical challenge in the jewelry industry, where entry often required being born into the trade or having access to substantial capital. She emphasized that aspiring designers needed resources and materials to create fine jewelry collections and that these barriers were even more significant for designers of color. To address these inequities, De Beers aimed to provide materials to support the creation of collections and foster relationships in the market.
Lorraine West, a jeweler who experienced firsthand the positive impact of DAC on her business, attested to its transformative effect. She explained how participating in DAC opened doors to a broader audience and provided insights into competing in the designer fine jewelry market. West was paired with jeweler Zoë Chicco, marking the beginning of her journey in the industry.
Gannon Brousseau, the executive vice president of luxury, design, and creative of Emerald, the group behind the Couture tradeshow, explained the process of pairing emerging designers with established ones. It involved considering aesthetics, skill sets, and shared artistic perspectives, ensuring that mentors and mentees spoke a similar creative language.
The event also celebrated BIPOC graphic design, with designer Toga Cox being recognized for designing visuals for the #BlackisBrilliant campaign and Radiance collection. De Beers revealed that Cox had been selected to revive the ‘Seize the Day’ campaign, a component of the iconic ‘A Diamond is Forever’ De Beers campaign, emphasizing the positive impact of diversity on creative work.
The second Couture DAC cohort included talented designers like Alexia Connellan, Ama McKinley (Ilium Wing), Bliss Lau, Casey Perez, Hiba Husayni (Zhan-Z), Opeyemi Omojola (Octave Jewelry), Sasha Flynn (Adore-Adorn), and Jules Kim (Bijules), who served as the group’s mentee liaison.
The event showcased the power of collaboration, mentorship, and diversity in the fine jewelry industry, paving the way for greater inclusivity and innovation.
