DUBAI: From sporting countless trinkets by US-Egyptian designer Jacquie Aiche to showing off a Nefertiti charm necklace by FoundRae fine jewelry, US actress Vanessa Hudgens is proving to be a fan of Middle East-inspired accessories.
Hudgens is a loyal client of Jacquie Aiche and has been seen boasting the part-Egyptian part- Indigenous American designer’s creations on a number of red carpets, as well as in numerous paparazzi shots.
Most recently, the actress showed off Aiche’s Diamond Shaker Finger Bracelet at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend. Just one week before that, she attended actress Sarah Hyland’s bachelorette party in Mexico wearing the Los Angeles-based label’s Double Pyramid Triangle Ring in Smokey Topaz.
The designer is no stranger to celebrity fans. In fact, her latest collection was marketed with a campaign fronted by US model and socialite Sofia Richie.
Inspired by “Mother Earth,” the designer, who was born to an Egyptian father and an Indigenous American mother, explained that the new collection celebrates the creative energy drawn from new beginnings.
“It seems as if everything around us is going through an incredible period of rebirth and transformation, so I wanted to honor this sense of renewal, and the beautiful, wild nature it carries,” she told Arab News in a recent interview.
For Aiche, jewelry is “everything” — it is much more than just adornment. “It speaks to the soul. It is a form of self-expression, a way of deep healing and a talisman of personal meaning,” she explained.
The designer’s main goal with her brand, she said, is to create pieces that carry “special, transformative energy” that brighten up her customers. I want to spread the love I feel daily,” she said.
Aiche launched her eponymous label from her garage in 2008.
She has since amassed an impressive celebrity client list that includes Hailey Bieber, Usher, Rihanna, Jada Pinkett Smith, Blake Lively and Hudgens.
The “High School Musical” star seems to have an affinity for all things Middle Eastern and was recently spotted wearing a charm necklace with an image of Ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.
The Vintage Queen Nefertiti Charm in Yellow Gold hails from US brand FoundRae, which was co-founded by Murat Bugdaycay and Beth Hutchens.
Each piece is based on a lexicon of symbols from different cultures and time periods and Hudgens' trinket of choice features an image of the Ancient Egyptian queen and an evil eye symbol, which is commonly found in many Middle Eastern cultures.
