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As I walk in the flagship [Messika](https://www.messika.com/us_en) store, I’m greeted with smiles, macarons and diamonds. Immediately I felt that I had entered a world of femininity and style. The pieces are beautiful and delicate, yet powerful. Messika is an iconic jewelry brand worn by celebrities like Rhianna, Penelope Cruz, and even Serena Williams during her training session. Valerie Messika, founder of the brand, created the trend of “everyday diamonds.” Much of Valérie’s inspiration comes from art, playing with a Calder sculpture in her father's office, absorbing from his collection various details of line, movement, color, composition, which have shaped her overall sense of form and proportion. I got the opportunity to chat with Valarie and try on some of the most gorgeous pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen.
**Why did you choose LA for your flagship store?**
We are a family business so we are very intuitive and organic on how we do our business. We met a partner here in Los Angeles called Westime. They are very strong in the jewelry and watch industry. They work with Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet. They are also strong with red carpets in Hollywood so we decided it would be a good idea to open our first flagship store here.
**What do you hope the new store will bring to the brand?**
I’m so excited because I can smell that the Americans in this area love jewelry. But they want something easy to wear, cool and light. This is the Messika philosophy; bringing a coolness to wearing jewelry that is very fine and delicate. The workmanship and quality of the diamond is the top, but it’s cool. You can enjoy it and wear it everyday or on a big occasion. You can mix it with a casual or sophisticated style.
**What was it like having Kate Moss as a muse?**
The moment I launched my brand 15 years ago I knew she was my muse and inspiration. She's really iconic for me. She embodies femininity, fashion and style. When I launched my brand and the philosophy I wanted to break the traditional code of jewelry. It was made for big occasions, but I wanted to make it apart of fashion and style. That’s why women like Kate Moss are so strong for me.
**How would you explain the woman in the street wearing Messika?**
The strength of Messika is that the women wearing it range from 18 to 70 years old. I love when I see different types of women wearing it with different styles. It’s not that we are putting a logo on the woman. We can see the personality and the style they embody with the pieces. It’s not about how rich or strong you are. It’s about the feeling and attitude that you have with your own style. It gives you self-confidence.
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