After twelve years as a fashion editor for ELLE magazine, Marie Lichtenberg decided to devote herself to her own creations. She first produced a first line of hand-embroidered blouses on the theme of the Kama Sutra. These precious tunics adorned with gold buttons and fine stones brought her closer to her lifelong love. The jewel.

 

 

“I grew up alongside a mother who was a collector of antique jewelry. From childhood, I was seduced by jewelry carrying a story in them. For me, a piece of jewelry is not just a piece of metal adorned with precious stones, a piece of jewelry can be a witness to an era, tell a story or serve as a talisman.

 

By drawing on my Creole roots, for this first jewelry creation, I wanted to give life to a very personal jewel. At the origin of the collection, these large hollowed-out gold chains and their imposing clasps are inspired by jewelry from Martinique, where part of my family is from. Driven by the spirit of transmission, these are rare objects that we pass from mother to daughter, from generation to generation

 

These jewels use the chain as a symbol of liberation from slavery. A strong symbol, which has become over the years an emblem of emancipation and a very strong heritage for me.

 

With this first inspiration in mind, I flew to India. Its ancestral knowledge, its stones, its colors, its spiritual life ... I felt irreparably drawn to it.

The meeting with the 'mauli' was the second trigger for this creative adventure. The 'mauli', this prayer link woven by hand and blessed in the temples of Jaipur, contains within it all the mystical power of India.

 

This little piece of divine fabric supposed to protect the wearer made me realize what jewel I really wanted to create. I wanted to give birth to objects that could materialize love. Passionate, friendly, fraternal love. An object that we offer to people who matter. In our complicated world, who doesn't need a few words of love? I then decorated the barrel with precious stones in order to be able to engrave a few sweet and universal words on it. “Love you to the moon and back”, “I will protect you forever”, “Always”.

 

I had my object. Beautiful materials. Handcrafted craftsmanship. A little bit of history, a piece from elsewhere, and a lot of love. "