Designer Profile

Siki of Somalia was born in Paris, daughter of a Somalian diplomat and an Ethiopian princess, a direct descendant of the Menelik dynasty of Abyssinia. Her childhood was privileged, but liberal in outlook, she was taught about injustice and the principles of democracy.

Siki likes to mix and match. From the Souk of Marrakech to Istanbul, Lamu or Venice, she has a knack for mixing up the most unlikely combinations, with unexpected results.

The jewelry in her shop is hung on lamps, or drips out of vases: insect brooches are framed like paintings, earrings become landscapes, rings resemble still life. "Creating jewelry is about creating pleasure," she says. "It begins as a vision: a shape, a form, a stone. Then, it comes to life".

Daring and flaring, her pieces are not for the faint hearted.