Beirut is a wild forest where creative talents of all kinds continue to rise; introducing freshness through their daring new ideas while defying the odds of Lebanon’s current situation. 

Stephanie Cachard is one of the famous Lebanese women filled with a subtle mix of unique talent and quiet strength.
As a jewelry designer, she recently launched “Little Dots” and “Flore” two lines inspired by the small dots punctuating the Levantine alphabet.

The minimalist forms freed by Stephanie’s delightful touch, gently come to rest in balance as white doves on a string. They then seem to dance to the tinting sounds of her silver and golden rings, earrings and bracelets.

Lozenges, squares and dotted lines appear as tributes to the Arabic calligraphy. Alone or in company they expand and reach out, only to meet again later as mythical lovers reunited in time. Stephanie was initiated by her father since her childhood to the craft of noble metals.

KAMSYN was invited to meet her in the heart of her studio in Gemmayzeh where she successfully returned to her childhood passion after a rich career in the field of advertising. Today Stephanie has chosen to focus on the Essential. She approaches her art as a Zen master  prunes his bonsai trees: with subtlety, minimalism and poetry.
Removing matter to bring back the Light.

In her Atelier overlooking the splendid facades of two traditional buildings in Beirut, her creations sparkle as the blue Suns of the Levant shine high in the Sky.

How did you discover your passion for jewelry design ?

As a child, my parents who are jewelers contributed a lot to shaping my tastes. They were able to convey to me their love for their craft, which today has become mine.

In your creations, you are inspired by Arabic calligraphy. How do you integrate it your creations ? Do you experiment a lot?  What materials are you attracted to the most?

I chose calligraphy as a starting point to familiarize myself with the structure of the letters of his special alphabet. It is this exercise that allowed me to extract the essential elements that have become the modules of my jewelry.
I work mainly solid silver and 18K gold, with a slight preference for the brushed yellow gold.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve overcome since your debut?

I always had jewelry in mind, but I thought it was important to explore new mediums. So I chose to study Graphic Design at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA). Only after my studies it seemed natural to go back to the source. The challenge was therefore to turn away from a path that seemed too obvious.

Who are your creations destined to ? Where can they be found ?

My jewelry is modular and it is this playful aspect that caught my clients interest. They are available at my workshop: Gemmayzeh, Gouraud Street.

Women are ?

A concentrate of emotions.

What are your current and future projects?

I am currently working on a new collection, and the development of an e-shop which I hope will be soon available online.

Your approach is minimalistic, what attracts you to this particular style ?

Refocusing on the essential.

www.stephaniecachard.com April 2016.

Originally published in l’Officiel Levant