Afrishionista Label Spotlight: La Diosa

By Chioma Chinweoke

Photo credits: La Diosa

One true fashion accessory you can count on isn’t your shoes nor your gele, but your jewelry! Face2Face Africa fashion readers, let me introduce to you the new Afrishionista Label, La Diosa.

Mark my words: It will be the fashion brand to watch for years to come! Today’s modern women are on the go, and they need a statement piece that’ll elevate their outfit to pure sophistication, and La Diosa provides just that, with all the glitz and glam that doesn’t break the bank!

La Diosa, a successful London-based jewelry label, has quickly become a fashion brand name that boasts of stunning pieces of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind necklaces produced by rare, semi-precious gemstones.

The road to success for La Diosa occurred during an inspirational trip to Mexico’s Mayan Aztec ruins, where founders, Natasha Faith (Ugandan) and Semhal Zeimkal (Ethiopian-Nigerian), were amazed by the unique precious gemstones they discovered there. Not only were Faith and Zeimkal inspired by the semi-precious gemstones they saw on their fateful trip; but the name of their jewelry line, La Diosa, was also lifted from the Latin dialect, which translates to “The Goddess.”

La Diosa's recent major breakthrough came through a Royal family connection, thanks to an introduction to Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, at the 2010 Prince's Trust event at Buckingham Palace. However, this successful relationship didn't get nearly as much global buzz until Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, personally thanked the duo for creating a hand-crafted, limited-edition, topaz and silver pendant called “The Honey-Moon,” which was offered to her as a wedding gift. Kate was "touched" by the silver and topaz pendant, which in turn elevated the fame and status of La Diosa in the world jewelry design.

So it came as no surprise that on red carpet at the 2011 Oscars, Celine Dion, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Hudson were photographed wearing La Diosa's breathtaking designs. And it wasn't long before London's elite Hatton Garden began selling their wholesale goods.

These major accomplishments, including being a finalist at 2010 UK Jewellery Awards, along with being featured in Vogue, has pushed La Diosa's founders to continue to use their multicultural background and passion for design to produce unique necklaces inspired by the Mayan Aztec ruins.

With that, it’s easy to see why La Diosa is our pick for the Afrishionista Label Spotlight. To this day, the creative masterminds of La Diosa have produced exquisite jewelry that has attracted the likes of contemporary women and celebrity businesswomen. F2FA Fashion salutes La Diosa for continuing to restore Africa’s image through their unique, handcrafted jewelry label!

Two quotes from Faith and Zeimkal lifted from their biography page on their website best summarize La Diosa’s mission:

“Beauty inspires me. It has no boundaries and requires no explanation, it simply speaks for itself – like La Diosa jewelry,” Faith noted.

“La Diosa jewelry evokes empowerment. Jewelry is not simply an accessory to be admired, but rather an extension of your personality,” remarked Zeimkal.

Visit their official website www.ladiosa.co.uk/store/ to start shopping!

The Afrishionista Label Spotlight is a new series featured on F2FA Fashion. Submit your favorite Afrishionista Label candidates to us at ieditor@f2fafrica.com, if you know some stylish and sophisticated fashion labels you’d like to be featured on the series.