Even as a little girl, Karma Salman loved jewelry, and then one day, her passion became a profession. Last December, she presented her first collection as part of Rabih Kayrouz’s Christmas exhibition. Named Akana (warrior in Turkish), the series showcases fine jewelry inspired by ancient civilizations, but adapted for contemporary women.
The jovial designer couldn't believe her eyes when, last September, Rabih Kayrouz asked her to showcase her jewelry in his boutique for the holiday season. The designer likes to showcase his favorites. She then had only a few months to create her first collection: "I told myself I was going to make jewelry that I would like to wear myself, and that would be very adaptable to a contemporary woman," she says.
Combining gold and diamonds in clean lines, her necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings become one with the woman who wears them. Karma Salman plays with skin, alternately hidden and revealed: “For me, the skin is an integral part of the jewelry, it’s not just a support.” Her time at the Beaux-Arts at the LAU in Beirut gave her a taste for exploring cultures and arts throughout history. A journey through time that inspires her creations. The name of her collection, Akana, means warrior in Turkish. A word that could define her and that she wishes to pass on to the women, “or men” who wear her jewelry: “I want them to feel stronger. It’s a piece of jewelry but also a kind of protection,” she assures.
Even as a child, Karma was passionate about these body ornaments, which she considered an integral part of culture: “At birth, we receive a piece of jewelry, when we lose a tooth. At graduation, engagements, and weddings, we receive another piece of jewelry.” She spent all her pocket money on accessories and trinkets, and later on vintage jewelry. But to take the plunge and make it her career… there was only one way to discover it, Karma got to work. Trained in jewelry design at the Gemological Institute of America in London in 2013, she explained that she had no favorite materials and let herself be guided by the things around her: “Ethnic jewelry, vintage jewelry, buildings (old and modern), ornaments, fabrics. It starts with an idea. I research it meticulously, I study it to make sure it could be translated onto paper. Then I transform it into a drawing, and finally I execute it. Geometric and architectural shapes are the
forms that inspire me the most.
Karma’s creations are available exclusively at Rabih Kayrouz.
