Lady LUX

The Parisian jewelry brand has been synonymous with over-the-top, impeccably detailed, gorgeous couture jewelry since its inception in 2007. Once linked to model Audrey Marnay, the brand made the front pages of foreign dailies, which named her the designer of the line. The real name behind the brand, Sarah Besnainou, takes the mixup in stride and believes any publicity is good in the beginning. She told WWD, “The press was more into her because she does have a name.” The two are still chummy and Marnay occasionally drops by the design offices to give some guidance. Besnainou might not be a runway model, but she’s no rookie in the business. A former Dior intern, a chance enrollment at a Gemological institute changed her career path forever. “My parents let me go there as long as I was also in school. So I picked the school that was closest to the [Dior] offices.”

It turns out that she picked the right medium because the French designer definitely has a knack for it. Browsing Eternamé‘s web site is, for a fashion-forward woman, the equivalent of wondering though the most wonderful of candy stores. Actually, with jewels of every shape, color and size, the comparison isn’t far off.

Where does Besnainou get the name? Well, the story is actually quite personal. After a charity gala spent with a former fiancé, Besnainou engraved the word Eternamé into her jewelry, which means “make me eternal” in Greek to remember the night with him. It began with a pair of sapphire earrings and a gold cuff, and is now a collection that includes ready-to-wear, couture and haute couture. Her ready-to-wear collection features simple drop earrings, amethysts or red agates offset by diamonds, and long necklaces, with gold hearts and smoky topaz drops. Within each collection are groups, there are 11 in couture alone, that separate styles into mini-collections. Her haute couture line, which boasts styles upwards of 150,000€, allows customers to custom make their designs.

Eternamé plans to enter the American market this fall. For more information, visit their web site at Etername.fr, which is available in French and English.

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