Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Ohana
Anwar Hadid loves jewellery. He loves it so much that he believes that it should be worn by everyone. So now, Hadid and his friends Yoni Laham and Ryan Benson have made the concept a reality with Martyre, which brands itself as the label “redefining unisex jewelry.” Standouts in the debut collection include tiny hoop earrings with dangling baby angels, and a bracelet dotted with the adorable faces of cherubs, its clasp two interlocking hands. Necklaces, like the Caleb, are crafted simply with a sleek, semi-double strand. Another, called the Sinner, comes replete with a religious pendant and chiseled with the phrase “Every sinner dies a saint.” Pieces range from about £75 for a simple ring to approximately £440 for a chain with a nickel-size pendant (14-karat gold and rose gold versions are “price upon request”).
In the Martyre campaign, Hadid flexes his modeling chops alongside Georgia Fowler and Abdulaye Niang, looking longingly at the camera with a brooding stare while a neck full of layered chains hangs against his chest. His arms are laden with bracelets; his fingers stacked with rings; his ears pierced with a cluster of glittering hoops.
Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Ohana
Hadid and Laham, who met through mutual friends years ago, took time to incubate and perfect the jewelry designs over two years before the official launch last month. “Everyone around us was taking their creative ideas and bringing them to fruition,” says Laham. “We knew that we wanted to do the same thing. We looked around at what we wore and what was being done and saw that there was a void in jewelry and accessories.” Hadid recalls two pieces in particular that shaped his love of jewellery, including one belonging to his sister Bella, a necklace that had angels, two swords, and manuscripts. (“I think it was old Chrome Hearts,” he says.) The other, a vintage treasure he discovered a few years ago. “I am so drawn to vintage pieces,” he says. “I went to this old vintage warehouse store and found this necklace with three stones connected by one piece of melted silver.”
Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Ohana
While Martyre has all the ingredients for social media success—Instagram gold, so to speak—Hadid and Laham hope their pieces will become keepsakes with long-lasting personal meaning, especially for male jewelry lovers. “I feel like right now it is the moment for people to be themselves and not be constricted by being so masculine,” says Hadid. And for guys who want to master the art of man jewelry? Hadid offers up heartfelt advice. “Start with something simple. People appreciate having opinions and individuality,” says Hadid. “You have to remember that in a world where people are scared to be themselves, that [individuality] is actually what people appreciate.”
This article was originally published on Vogue.com
