For her latest collaboration with Kendall Jenner, Valérie Messika talks about her inspiration for the shoot, the collections featured, and her favourite moments from the experience for the 2023 campaign.
This year, you’ve imagined a modern-day road movie with Kendall as a mysterious, hypnotic Hollywood actress. Why did you make this choice?
VALÉRIE MESSIKA (VM): This campaign is a new journey that allowed me to explore different sources of inspiration and move towards something more cinematic. We had the idea to play with the themes of great American classics.
In the Palm Springs desert, Kendall plays the leading role: a heroine who is both mysterious and retro-modern. It was also a way to pay homage to the region she comes from: California, a place particularly dear to her heart, and where she grew up and still lives. Kendall is very attached to California, and so naturally I wanted the shoot to be dedicated to her world, influenced by the West Coast.
Why did you choose to work with Kendall again?
VM: It was love at first sight working with Kendall last year. I honestly adored our collaboration and wanted to repeat the experience without hesitation. Kendall perfectly embodies the values of our Jewelry and High Jewelry Maison: assured and assumed femininity. She’s a woman of style, perfectly in keeping with her time, who inspires a whole new generation — a generation that’s also perfectly mirrored in our Maison’s designs.
In this campaign, the desert wilderness contrasts with the sparkle of latex, gold and diamond jewelry. Tell us about your stylistic choices?
VM: I love the contrast between desert and the gold and diamond jewelry. I like how the raw natural material sits in contrast with brilliant, precious gems. The ultra-glossy latex outfits worn by Kendall perfectly follow the body’s curves, a flawless analogy for our designs. At Messika, we design luxury jewelry like diamond tattoos. For me, it is essential that each piece be designed in a very ergonomic way, always looking for comfortable wear and a second skin feel. The all-latex styling in each outfit gives the shoot a retro-futuristic edge, while showcasing our jewelry’s flexibility and movement.
What role does diamond jewelry play in this timeless universe?
VM: There’s a sort of magic that works with the pieces in this world. Kendall comes across as a very strong heroine: the creator of her destiny, sure of herself and her position. There’s something enchanting about her power and style.
Which jewelry collections are you featuring in this campaign?
VM: Beyond our iconic pieces, there are three diamond jewelry collections that particularly stand out: D-Vibes, So Move, and Move Link. D-Vibes is a jewelry collection that puts a spin on the famous diamond necklace. We have designed these pieces as jewels for the skin, hugging the body’s every contour. The two new sets in the campaign are the So Move and Move Link jewelry collections. In these designs, we’ve reinterpreted the Maison’s great classic, the Move. We wanted to lean into an excess of shapes and lines — an XXL design — and play with chunky gold and angular edges. Our iconic design is in its prime, only growing in status.
