To say that Nadine Ghosn is not your average fine jewelry designer would be an understatement. Boundless when it comes to creativity, Ghosn's whimsical world of wearable accessories stems from her ability to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. For the revered jewelry designer, inspiration is all around her. By taking everyday mundane objects and turning them into wearable, bejewelled collectibles, Nadine Ghosn sees the world as her playground.
In the history of fashion, the iconic Judith Leiber made turning novelty items into exciting accessories popular. With her eclectic and maximalist perception applied to everyday items like footballs, cupcakes and even French fries, Leiber turned them into clutches that stood out from the crowd. And now, in this present era, Ghosn takes after the legendary designer, paving her own way to becoming the Judith Leiber of fine jewelry. From desk stationeries like paper clips and pencils to gourmet dining utensils and even a delectable burger, nothing is safe from Ghosn's creative mind and everything can become jewelry with the right design and the right stones.
When people think of fine jewelry, there is often a formal connotation associated with the term. With her eponymous brand, Nadine Ghosn aims to change the way luxury accessories are perceived. While the universal youthful nostalgia of fun and whimsy informs her design ethos, the elegance of delicate jewelry is never lost on Ghosn. Appealing to everyone's inner child, her pieces represent the intrigue and excitement brought on by the innocence of everyday objects.
Nadine Ghosn's work has been recognized around the world by some of the biggest fashion aficionados of this generation. Ghosn's famous (and viral) multi-colored hamburger ring received its co-sign from, none other than streetwear icon NIGO, back in 2017. A combination of six rings that can be worn separately and together as a veggie burger, feeds the glutinous appetite in 18K rose gold and 260 stones which include diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites and rubies. Beyoncé also gave Ghosn her stamp of approval when she rocked the widely recognized "Shut Up" ruby earrings. Perhaps one of her most notable works, Ghosn adds to her list of viral accomplishments with two custom pieces for The Boy himself. For those with a keen eye, Ghosn was the creative brain behind the 18-carat dog bone chain that Drake commissioned to celebrate his For All the Dogs album. She also created the 50 carat diamond dog leash chain that the 6God wore in the "First Person Shooter" music video.
In this day and age where a product's trend life is dependent on it virality, Nadine Ghosn has seemingly cracked the code to ensuring that her craftsmanship stays at the forefront of the wearable accessories space. Taking an unconventional spin to the fine jewelry world, each one of Ghosn's pieces tell a story. Whether it feeds off of a memory or connects people through conversation, Ghosn has risen the bar for everyday regalia. In an exclusive conversation with Hypebeast, Nadine Ghosn speaks to how it all began and her plans to grow her brand and reputation globally.
Hypebeast: How did you begin your career as a fine jewelry designer?
Nadine Ghosn: It's really interesting when people ask me what are the things that I gravitate towards. I always say, make the ordinary extraordinary. It's something I always tell myself before I do a collection so that I am reminded to stay in line. I love everyday objects and by wearing them, it enables me to help you to perceive it differently. It might be something you overlook, but by using high-end materials I'm showing the beauty of these everyday pieces that facilitate our life.
What was the defining moment in creating your design ethos "make ordinary products extraordinary?"
It came naturally, to be honest. When I did my first collection, I really thought of things that I gravitate towards. I find that overlooked objects are the ones that really tell a universal story. It's not really things that people have never seen, but it's objects that almost everyone has come across through culture and different lifestyles that are quite relatable. A second theme that I always look towards is bringing out people's inner children. There's a sense of nostalgia that comes up and what I believe in is, as we become adults, we lose sight of the inner child and lose that connection. To me, that inner child represents curiosity, purity and excitement.
You have the iconic burger, of course. How did you come up with this idea and how do you feel about how it has been received over the years?
I feel very touched and happy that the burger has become an icon and it's still relevant today, eight years after I launched my brand. This was one of my first collections and actually one of my first pieces. What's funny is that the concept came to me on a date. I was having a burger and he was having one, too...I realized that everyone has a different customized burger preference and that is something that really brings people together. For me, I have fond childhood memories associated with McDonald's because my treat was getting to eat a Big Mac. There's always a storytelling aspect and positive energy around the burger because it's so relatable.
I came across this concept of stacking jewelry which is something I love to do. It challenged my craftsman to make a stackable ring, which at the time, was unheard of to sell something as a unit that's actually made of multiple pieces.
Was it a manufacturing challenge to create the stackable burger rings?
I have the cheeseburger and veggie burger, which are both interchangeable. The cheeseburger is made of seven layers, all 18 karat gold with you know, diamonds, rubies, tsavorites, yellow sapphires for the mustard...it's all very detailed. The veggie burger one is my award-winning and signature piece. It's six layers and was actually a manufacturing challenge to have them fall into place throughout the process so that they really look like a burger.
Do you have a favorite piece?
It's so funny because everyone asks me this. But I think it's like having kids...I don't have them yet but I can imagine that you love your kids in different ways. For me, the burger really catapulted me into the industry because I remember when I started, it was super competitive. There were a lot of naysayers, but it helped me to pave my own path and have my pieces represent me.
Tell us about your other collections like the "YOUtensils" and LEGOS rings.
I always say every collection is linked to a personal journey. The LEGOS came during a time of COVID were people had things broken down. We were meant to rebuild habits, rebuild relationships, rebuild travel. It's bringing us back to these very objects that we came across as kids that have a positive connotation that sometimes things break down, but you can rebuild them with as sense of color. Each one is made of six carat stones and are so fun and playful. What I love so much is that my clients bring their own sense of meaning to the piece.
As for the YOUtensils collection, it's not abstract and everyone knows what it is. I love food and I think food is such a strong cultural connector and so I always gravitate towards food objects. I think these are the hidden heroes that we see in our everyday life that we don't really value but that helps support us and say a lot.
One of your biggest projects was working with Drake on his For All the Dogs chain. Can you share with us the process of how that came about?
That came very organically. Drake was definitely someone I was manifesting to attract in some way through my work. It was a very touching moment for me when he reached out. It was very serendipitous and basically, he asked me to do something for his new album coming out at the time and it became quite a creative dialogue. He's a very respectful guy -- very creative, very attuned.
Through it all I proposed some things and he loved the idea of the leash because I felt like he was unleashed. It was something I never did, but the creativity behind it was crazy. It's almost three kilos of 18 carat gold. When you look at the chain, it actually features 50 carats of bendable diamonds. It was a full collaborative process.
What can we expect from you down the pipeline?
I'm always quite hush-hush when it comes to my collaborations. But, there are two big collaborations I'm working on. I hope they're a bit unexpected but that it will make sense in hindsight. There's going to be two collaborations with two industry leaders that are unexpected coming up. Stay tuned.
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