I met Raphaele few years ago when she was just arriving at the creative direction of jewelry house De Beers, and I find her again seven years later, still in London, but doing her own jewel label now! Raphaele is the quintessential Parisian woman: very chic, very refined, with an innate and indisputable elegance. And her jewels are like her, delicate, thin, filled with humor. Her best seller? The OMG (Oh my God!) ring, in red enamel and paved with diamonds on the side. And let me assure that when you first see that ring, you want it on your finger right away! Fun and sophisticated at the same time. Her other pieces – hoop earrings, studs, rings – all play around with diamonds, her favorite material, but diamonds that have been twisted and refreshed, to make desirable everyday pieces. Dover Street Market didn’t do wrong when they spotted Raphaele’s pieces and launched her collection earlier this year. (For the New Yorkers, the launch at Dover Street Market NY on Lexington Avenue will be this Thursday).
So here I am, by a sunny December morning, in Raphaele’s Notting Hill living room, to photograph her lying down on her Murakami rug! Oh my God, I love my job so much !