Flair Magazine Dima’s Fine Jewelry
Ever since I first spotted her work a few years ago, I’ve been in love with Dima Rashid’s jewelry. Her brand is synonymous with luxury and art, having been worn by some of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities and those who appreciate her perfect pieces. For this issue, I was lucky enough to meet this brilliant woman, who filled me in on how it all started, the trials and tribulations she’s been through, as well as what we’ll be seeing in her upcoming collection.
By Hend Seif El Din
A few years ago, I started seeing your evil eye charms everywhere; it was the piece everyone wanted to own. In my world, that’s how your brand started, or is it not? Have you always been into jewelry?
I actually studied psychology and political science, with no plans of creating jewelry, but I’ve always loved jewelry! I used to go to our family jeweler and ask him to create pieces for me based on my design, which I think a lot of people do nowadays.
When I was 13, 14 my family moved to Toronto, and there I started collecting different stones. My father collects stones as well.
By stones I assume you’re referring to semi-precious and precious stones.
Yes! Amethyst, Topaz, you name it! Till today I love going with him, or later on alone, to shops just to look at stones. I was very much into stones. We’d go to Mexico for example, and they’d tell me what the country’s favorite stone was, and I’d get one. I like colors.
So how did you get into jewelry making?
When I started it was without the actual intention; it was coincidence! A friend of mine was pregnant and had to be bedridden throughout her pregnancy. I went to visit her once, and of course she was bored out of her mind. To help ease her boredom, I decided to get her one of those kits that have beads and wires for her to make fun jewelry; since I was traveling to London I figured that’ll be a good way for her to pass the time and entertain herself. I really used to enjoy adding beads to vintage bags, and jeans for example.
I went to London and on the last day decided to go get Rania the kit I promised her. I got to the store at 10 AM until they kicked me out at 7 PM. I went inside and they had a small study group learning how to work with wires. I decided to stay and listen. I bought her the kit, and bought a stock for myself, including wires, books and CDs. It looked very interesting, so I was constantly interrupting the class with questions. I ended up going back several times to that place because it truly has the best books!
After that day, and for years later, you’d only see me with my tray and my wires and tweezers; I started learning how to create jewelry. I would do, undo and redo a piece several times.
And this was all you teaching yourself?
Yes, through the books I had and through research online. I didn’t attend any courses.
You clearly had the talent already!
I liked it! Back then I liked it but it wasn’t a passion, yet. The passion started when I finished my first piece. It was very exciting, but I didn’t have the patience for it.
What about the molding and the casting? Did you know how to do those as well
No, I didn’t. I needed a jeweler, so I went to the jeweler I used to deal with and asked him to create the things I needed. He started doing the skeletons and I would go double-check them and modify them. Of course it took some time till he understood what I wanted and how I wanted it to look. So I used to modify everything at first.
So when did you create enough pieces to call your first collection?
Within three months I had 60 pieces. After that London trip I went back to a store there that I used to buy from, and I got some really nice stones from there. When I got back I started working on my first, small collection. Meanwhile, I’d be wearing a piece I designed and a friend would see it and ask for it…so that’s how it started selling.
When I was done with my small collection, I held a trunk show at my house.
I’m assuming it sold out!
It did but that experience was so harsh! I’m the worst salesperson! Even now, when a client walks in my team asks me to go inside, because I’m brutally honest! If a client tries on a piece I don’t like I’ll tell her that I don’t like it, instead of just selling it to her. It was bad because I had to discuss money, and I’m not good at that at all! At that point I decided I wasn’t going to turn my jewelry into a business and would only create pieces for family members and close friends.
So what made you change your mind?
I was in Paris with my mom and my kids having dinner one night, and this woman approached me asking me about the jewelry I was wearing. Then she asked where I sell my pieces, and since I didn’t, she asked if she could come over to the hotel the next morning to see the pieces I had with me. The next morning she came at 7 AM and chose five, six pieces and put them aside. She then told me that she’ll come back at 5 PM to pick them up.
Who was she?
She had left her card, and it turns out that it was the Editor in Chief of Harper’s Bazaar! I couldn’t believe it! I figured she wouldn’t come back, but she did!
So what happened next?
She told me that she really liked my designs and that I should stock somewhere. Then she asked what my favorite store was, and at the time it was Erickson Beamon, so she actually called the owner telling her that she should see my pieces! So I told her to give me two weeks to design new pieces because I barely had anything with me.
I assume you worked non-stop once you got back!
I was working 19 hours a day! I taught one of the women who work for my mother as well and we ended up creating 80 pieces during those two weeks. I dropped four sizes since the day I started working; it was unbelievable!
What happened when you went back to London?
I met with the Erickson Beamon owner again and she really liked the pieces. So I told her to place an order and that I’d deliver in two weeks. Then I went to all of the stores I like in London, including Harvey Nichols; seven stores in total. I would knock on the door, introduce myself, and ask them if they wanted to see my things. They must’ve thought that I was crazy! Everywhere I went that day they placed an order. So I decided to call Vogue’s Jewelry Editor. I introduced myself and asked if she wanted to see my pieces; clearly she wasn’t too welcoming, but then I said “I got into seven stores in London today, so you might be interested.” So we set an appointment for the next day.
Her assistants and junior editors took my pieces to a shoot; Gisele Bündchen was wearing one of my designs on the cover!
When did you start selling in the States?
A few months after that, I had sent a friend of mine in New York pictures of my designs; she was friends with someone at Barney’s New York and sent them my pictures. They called me up and wanted to meet me, so I flew to New York. From then on I was thinking of new stores, then more celebrities, you know how it goes.
At the time we also didn’t have many jewelry designers in Egypt. Over the years, however, a lot of copycats popped up, trying to do what you do. What’s your take on that?
I actually have a lot of friends that I personally teach, and I don’t mind that at all. I did however come across someone who copies my pieces down to every detail! This specific person is even selling to shops. I really don’t mind teaching people, even if they copy. I don’t mind that someone gets inspired by a piece and creates something similar, but what I do mind is someone reproducing my exact design!
This is all the technical aspect of Dima Jewelry; what about the artistic part? The creative thought process. How can you come up with all these designs and keep things fresh?
In the beginning it was much easier, because you have so much to give. Your mind overflows with ideas; now it’s more difficult because in my recorded files, there are about 40,000 pieces! Name it, I’ve done it! I wasn’t thinking of whether or not the pieces would sell, I would just design whatever I wanted, which of course wasn’t the smartest thing to do. But with time, I learned a lot. Also, some of the stores would train me, like Neiman Marcus for example, who would teach me how to create pieces that would sell. But to be honest, I always used to stick to what I wanted to do in the end. Most of the time, the pieces I would do with full freedom, would sell the best. You also learn to design according to the seasons, as well as to cater to a specific market, because each market, whether it’s the Egyptian, European or American market, they’re all different. I also learned a lot from the Harvey Nichols owner, she’s the one who took me around and introduced me to the people who cut the stones for me now. I started with good, clean material; very high quality of course in order to be accepted abroad; quality control is key there!
You don’t sell in the States anymore, right?
I stopped selling in the States because getting the package there on time was hell! It wasn’t worth it after a while, but for a period of time it was great because we had presence there.
Are you thinking of expanding to anywhere else?
Not at the moment, but I definitely wouldn’t say no to good locations; maybe actually the Japanese and Chinese markets; they’re interesting because I’ve never done that. They’re completely different!
So you’d have to design collections especially for them?
I don’t mind that! I sometimes design collections for specific people, such as Queen Rania. I don’t mind the challenge…I like it!
Other than possible expansion, what else are you thinking of?
I’m thinking of maybe creating a men’s line.
That would be very interesting! It’s also severely lacking in Egypt.
Tell me about your latest collection. Since you now design by season, I’m assuming the Spring/Summer collection is in the making.
The last collection was all black; white diamonds on black rhodium. That was very pretty but also a bit too edgy; a lot of ear cuffs, long rings…designs like that. For the new collection, which isn’t completely done yet, there’s a lot of greens mainly jade, and a lot of carvings. 40 percent of the collection is composed of charm necklaces. For the charm necklaces we’re doing two things; something that I’ve never done before, which is I’m sourcing out real antique charms, mixing them with my normal charms, and turning those into layers. All real antique charms, not reproductions.
Dima’s Fine Jewelry
