Daphnée Karen Floréal on her line “Bijou Lakay”

All women know jewelry—the final touch of an outfit—has to be carefully selected. Just like a cake topper, a piece of jewelry shows your personality. Daphnée Karen Floréal is the founder of her own line of jewelry, Bijou Lakay. The uniqueness of her pieces draws inspiration from geometrical forms and famous personalities. To encourage decentralization, each piece is made from bullhorn sourced from different farms from around the country.

Daphnée is a spontaneous individual and lover of beautiful things. Her goal is to create better jewelry everyday, never letting the customers leave her mind. Her passion for jewelry goes beyond her full time job and leads her to always focus on style, comfort and quality. Professional women find Bijou Lakay jewelry to be versatile; worn at work or adorned for a night out, you will stand out beautifully.

“When things go wrong, I create a piece, and when things are great, I create even more,” says the designer who started to make her first pieces while still at university. Even though designing is like oxygen to Daphnée, she creates time to have her hair done, go to the gym, read a book and go on dates with her boyfriend, even though her day doesn’t end before midnight. Read on, as the native Haitian tells us a little bit more about her line.

Why the brand name “Bijou Lakay”?

It was my mother’s suggestion. I was looking for a Creole brand name. I sell jewelry that is called “bijou in Haiti.” The word “Lakay” means in our mother language, from Haiti, from our earth.

We all know how hard it is for a young designer to emerge. What would be your advice to a young designer like you?

Never give up, always remind yourself of your real goal in life. Consider that every step in life should be an experience for you.

Bijou Lakay participated in many fairs, in Haiti as well as outside of Haiti. Tell us about the experience and the foreigner’s response to your designs.

Always good and enriching. The experience is positive and the foreigners love my design. Naturally, I select some pieces depending on the public.

Do you have a favorite piece in your collection? And why?

For my 2012 collection, my favorite piece is the circles necklace. The combination of different circles of different sizes proves that people can always innovate just by ordering small pieces in different ways.

Women in Production 2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

From May 5-6, the second edition of Women in Production—an international trade fair featuring Haiti’s top women entrepreneurs and artisans—was held in Miami Beach, FL. The fair took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center to launch Haitian Heritage Month.

Beautifully gowned in a printed dress and royal blue jacket, First Lady Sophia Martelly of the Republic of Haiti encouraged the audience during her public address to invest in mothers and women entrepreneurs of Haiti. Sitting next to Pierre Saliba (President of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida), Matti Herera Bower (Mayor of Miami Beach), and Katherine Fernandez Rundle (State Attorney), Her Excellency Mme. Martelly cut the ribbon to kick off this year’s Women In Production. The Haitian national anthem followed shortly thereafter. Fashion designer Elmire Desrouleaux played Catherine Flon sewing the Haitian flag as the anthem was performed.

Sixty exhibitors took part in the event to celebrate Haitian creativity and cultural expression. A wide variety of products were showcased, from alcoholic beverages to hot sauces, clothing, handbags, jewelry, and paintings, to name just a few.

Serge Gay Pottery was the booth to visit for home décor. Masks, sculptures, pots, frames will give your house a refined look while keeping a Haitian authenticity.

Madichon Sauce, awarded Best Booth Display, carries its name very well. Their hot sauce is amazingly good. Se koupe dwèt!

Bijou Lakay was offering bullhorn jewelry. Her designs reflected Haitian culture and she played with different textures, even loofah! Daphnée Karen Floréal was very innovative this year with her unique pieces.

Maelle Creations presented Opulence, which is a line made to flatter every woman’s curve. The Haitian style embroidery on the vests and jackets, the oversize pocket or simply the contrasting ribbon made the designs look sophisticated.

Collections Xaragua was very popular for its crossbody bags and clutches. The woven straw (commonly called latanier in Haiti) added the Haitian authenticity to a trendy purse that will make you stand out.

Miss Haiti Caribbean Beauty with Nadege Beauvil Presidente of Femmes en Democratie

It was very pleasant to see Miss Haiti Caribbean Beauty 2012, Cassy Edmond, visiting each booth and taking the time to introduce herself and chat a bit with every exhibitor. International model and youth ambassador, Nayeli Fanfan, who has done a lot for the Haitian community, was also among the visitors. Her support was proven by each additional shopping bag she would carry as she walked around.

Many exhibitors shared the opinion of targeting a more diverse clientele. “The customers were mainly Haitians. Women In Production should also aim for buyers from boutiques and art galleries,” says Daphnée from Bijou Lakay. Although the customer traffic was significantly less than last year, Women In Production successfully provided a platform for Haitian women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products.

–Nora David, BrandHaiti