Monaco wink at the Lucky Brand Leïa K. Monaco Woman

09/09/2021

Monaco wink at the Lucky Brand Leïa K.

The jewelry brand Leïa K. signifies a designer unlike any other. Leïa Khalaf was a globetrotting jurist who chose to become a jewelry designer by following her innate passion. She is a proud mother of three, balancing motherhood with work. Her life experience is deeply linked to her production. East and West are mixed to create an original bohemian style.

Leïa’s personality is strong and passionate as illustrated by the quotations in her IG account https://www.instagram.com/leia__k/ : “ the greater your storm – the brighter your rainbow”. She is a Lebanese in love with her country. She founded her brand in 2013 when she was still working as a lawyer. But her creative dream was more expansive and against all odds she was determined to fulfill it.

Leïa Khalaf

Her education was international: born in Senegal, she lived in Lebanon, then went to France where she graduated in Law and perfected her studies with several internships. After her marriage, she lived in Switzerland. However, in 2011 she came back to Lebanon, her beloved country. Two years later she decided to follow her passion for jewelry which she has cultivated from childhood.

When on August 4, 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut

exploded, causing many casualties and leaving thousands of people homeless, Leïa engaged herself in being helpful through her art. She created a bracelet with the Lebanese map on it and an evil eye for protection and donated all the proceeds ($10,800.) to several reliable NGOs in Lebanon. She often engages in campaigns to help people in need, giving all the proceeds from sales to a cause close to her heart. She truly believes that she can use her art to raise awareness about special matters such as congenital heart disease, autism, hunger etc. Leia is deeply committed to her country and is engaged in donations for Lebanese Red Cross, Offre Joie, Braveheart and other charity organizations.

Lebanon is currently in a desperate condition: fuel is scarce, the currency has collapsed causing inflation to skyrocket, and more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Much of Lebanon relies on private generators and the fuel shortages have left many people and institutions with just two hours of electricity a day. I can define Leïa as a modern heroine: during our necessarily short exchange of messages due to her lack of electricity, she told me: “We are having an unprecedented crisis in Lebanon. It is terrible, the situation is unusual and implausible. We don’t have electricity and drugs; the hospitals are likely to close. No more fuel for cars and the queues for buying necessary things are endless. Covid is the least of concerns for many Lebanese today”. Nevertheless, Leia is a brave and positive woman and decided to open her boutique in Rue du Liban in Beirut while many businesses are shutting down.

Her jewels are colorful and carefully handcrafted. Leïa follows her dream – a world of peace and beauty. Her jewels are talismans of good fortune, bringing us inside an Oriental world of symbolic porte-bonheur. The nazar, a word deriving from Arabic meaning “sight”, is an eye-shaped amulet believed to protect against the evil eye. The khamsa means ‘five’ in Arabic. It is the shape of a hand that serves as an amulet bringing ‘good luck’ or baraka (blessings) to the wearer, warding off all harm. The African cowrie is a shell. Hearts, moon, sun and many more symbols are present in her creations.

She is a connoisseur of colors: she knows how to combine them in a harmonious way. She also loves contrasts. This is what makes Leïa-k special and different from other brands. The stones used for Leïa K.’s creations are found around the world. The models are then created and produced in workshops in Lebanon. Some stones are even secretly kept for 20 years in a box, the designer waiting for the best moment, for inspiration, to find an idea that will allow her to take them out and best incorporate them into one of her necklaces and bracelets. All Leïa’s creations are made in 18 carats gold. Leïa’s creations are refined, chic and can be worn everyday because they are easy to use: the little secret behind the brand is that every piece can be complemented by another one.

I am happy to have the opportunity to present some of her pieces that I am sure will enchant my readers. I also invite my audience to buy her jewels on https://www.leia-k.com. You will buy beautiful jewelry and contribute to a great cause.