FADWA
Her Designer jewellery speaks for her

A faint hint of blue crystals wink from beneath a black beady veil- 'That's called "Behind the Abaya",' says Fadwa, part-time secretary and past-time jewellery maker. "I always see a peep of blue or pink sticking out of the Abaya" (the black garb of the Arab women). "That's where I got my inspiration from," explains Fadwa. Fadwa, a Palestinian, born in Libya and brought up in London works essentially with beads- " precious beads, glass beads, wooden beads, plastic beads…any beads," she says, by way of explanation. And if she does not find the right beads, "I simply go ahead and make my own," she reveals. The end result - exquisite chokers; the progeny of an East-West mix, shrouded in femininity and mystery, yet bold and unblushing.

Beads of different colours and sizes from all over the world- Canada, USA, England, Turkey, Jordan, Dubai, India and France are brought together to recreate a secret passion, a forgotten dream, a scene inspired by nature, an exotic culture or even just light squinting through a drop of oil.

"I love working with beads. I have a passion for them," Fadwa explains, "because each bead is like a container. Each one contains a history and has a story to tell. Just look at the way the holes in a bead are drilled," she says, pointing to a bead, " and you can easily find out about the culture that made them."

When asked where she sources her beads from, Fadwa replies, " I buy my beads from all over. I don't care where I get my beads from. What really matters is the colour and the quality". She travels extensively in her quest for the right beads. "I look for the right colour, quality and size. Colours are important. They are harmony. I put the beads on a tray and for days on end, I just look at them," mentally trying to assemble them in different ways before she hits the right note.

But extensive travel and an aesthetic instinct are not enough, Fadwa agrees. Someone has to have triggered the process. "My mum," she says, without a thought. "She opened my eyes to everything. She is my inspiration. She is the one who always gave those extra creative touches to our childhood home and taught me to see beauty in the things around me."

In the wake of that early maternal influence, Fadwa's creative energies found aesthetic expression chiefly in elegant chokers and earrings. Semi-precious stones, Venetian hand-painted glass beads, lamp beads, multi-faceted crystals and other beads- none of these are spared in her attempt to give the "Moraira", "Dunes in the Sun ", "Fruits of Fall", "India's Heat" or a "Pomegranate Dance" an aesthetic rendering.

She calls these chokers "happy pieces". "I work only when I'm happy and I make happy pieces so that the women who wear them will also be happy," Fadwa confides. These chokers and earrings, ranging from Dhs. 400/- to 1400/- displayed during the March "'98 Fashion Week" in Dubai, certainly made a lot of women who purchased them very happy. Fadwa's designer jewellery is available for sale.

For more information on how to purchase, please contact Fadwa, Tel No: 050 6583847, or better still, visit her site.