I am very proud to call her a friend and this month she has several projects that I would like to pass on to you… one being her CD “The Element of Freedom” and the other being this jewelry collection “The Barber’s Daughter.”  The beautiful jewelry is engraved with poetry, prose and prayer and is gorgeous as well as inspiring.  It is designed by Gisele Theriault.

Alicia says, “I love Gisele’s work. I feel like I’m wearing art. I love how each piece is so individual, beautiful, handcrafted and one of a kind. But, by far my favorite part is the words that are written. They remind me of the things I want to hold onto every day. It feels, in a way, like a shield.”

And true to Alicia’s commitment, this year she has collaborated with her designer Gisele and created a special necklace for the Black Ball Charity event in New York; it was auctioned off raising $25,000 for Keep a Child Alive which helped the evening raise $2.4 million.

I sat down with Alicia and Gisele and asked them to enlighten us about this new venture.

1. How did you two meet?
Gisele:  “Alicia and I met through a friend, Dave Watson, Alicia’s sax player for her world tour 2008 when they came to Toronto.  Ashunta (Alicia’s make-up artist) asked Dave if I could bring my jewelry line to the hotel. She and I had a crazy, strong connection and she thought Alicia would appreciate the work and arranged for a meet at the next day’s concert.” 

2. Alicia, what made you decide this was to be your first non music venture?
I love these pieces on a very deep level. I love the way they are so individual and created with so much divine energy put into them. They are beautiful and speak to the song writer in me by having such meaningful words engraved on them. I believe the world is looking for meaning everywhere they can, and they absolutely can in these barbers daughters pieces!

3. Gisele…. I believe everything happens for a reason….the birth of your son and the death of your father share same day and now this wonderful project?
This line of inscribing words in jewelry to remind us where beauty really lives and how rich we are if we’d open our eyes is the result of persistent dreams.  A dream that was waking up with a voice in my head that was telling me that if I want to reach more people through the healing arts, I should go back to creating jewelry that I knew so well and start engraving poetry, prose and prayer and help people ground into their deeper self through the tough times.  I neglected this dream, sure that I was eating too late at night, until I started waking up in a sweat.  When I gave in and pursued the idea, of course answers came almost as fast as the questions were formulated.

After 1 1/2 years of it and a line gaining momentum, Alicia and I met. Within our communications I offered to create a piece for the Black Ball 2008.  While I was engraving late one night, exhausted, realizing that I’ve grown to hire 2 more people and went from working 12 hr days to 18 hour days, I did the simple math and threw the question up to the Universe/guardians/.. “If I am supposed to reach more people with this work, how? If I hire one more person, I think I’ll be dead.”  Two days later, the day after the Black Ball necklace we created together sold for 25K, we had lunch and Alicia said, “I sooo believe in this work and want to partner with you and help you take it to a global reach.”

Direct answer to my question! Coincidence?

4. Alicia, why Keep a Child Alive… share why this particular organization moved you to action?
Keep a Child Alive speaks to me because I directly saw the effect of the AIDS pandemic in Africa when I went and I believe so much in my co-founder Leigh Blake! I know the people we serve and that they get what they deserve. This movement gives me a more supreme purpose and it’s something I believe in. 

5. Alicia, what would you like to accomplish with the jewelry line?
I would like the WORLD to be effected by the pieces; for people to have an emotional connection with their pieces in such a way that it gives u something positive to hold on to (literally and figuratively!) 

6. The Barber’s shop seems to be an extension of what you both have been doing for a long time…. please explain?
Alicia “‘The Barber Shop’ is traditionally a place you can be yourself, find friends and emerge looking even better than when u came in… I feel the same about the barbers daughters pieces.”

Gisele “‘The Barber Shop’ is the greatest repository of stories. Stories define who we are. When we are willing to drop our story lines that hinder our growth, we can recreate the lives we want to live.”

7. Alicia, during this Christmas 2009… what would like to impart to the universe?
A sense of inspiration, hope, joy, faith and limitlessness.

8. Alicia, do you have a favorite piece?
My favorite piece is somewhere between the barbers daughters dog tags that say “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” that we created specifically for the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball fundraiser this year, and this large beautiful silver cuff that says “I am A superwoman!”

www.thebarbersdaughters.com
www.keepachildalive.org

Alicia Keys and designer Gisele Theriault

Chanel Iman and me.

1. Were you named after me?
I would love to say I was named after such an amazing model, but truth is, I was named after a male cousin named Iman. My mother loved the name and wanted to used it for a boy or girl name when she was pregnant with me.  She had just read the book “COCO” and was inspired to name me Chanel after the great fashion icon.  So was born….. Chanel Iman. Growing up wanting to model… I use to say “Chanel Iman, like the model IMAN”. I’m proud to have your name.

2. What is your fave jeans?
It’s hard to find the perfect jeans, but for me William Rast or Rock & Republic.

3. Who is your fave designer or designers and why?
I have so many fav designers, I love them all for different reasons. Zac Posen has dressed me in some of my favorite looks like the amazing gown I wore at the last Met ball….LOVED. I always look forward to working with John Galliano ….. what a creative designer! I could go on and on about each of them, and in the end I have to say I love them all.

4. Who is your fave photographer or photographers and why?
As a model who loves working with Photographers around the world, its impossible to pick just one or a few that I love. I learn so much from each of them as each brings out a different Chanel Iman in me. I will say, my favorite part of being a model is the experience of working with so many creative photographers.  I love photo shoots.

5. Who is your fave model of all time and why?
When I think of Favorite Models of all times, I have to think of those who have had struggles to become who they are in this industry. Knowing what struggles are (as I have had a few of my own) I am inspired and grateful that many paved the way for me.  You Iman, Beverly Johnson, Tyra Banks, Naomi and Alec are an inspiration to young girls around the world.   I also have to say Kate Moss who has had her own struggles and overcame them. I love you all.

6. Among your contemporaries who is your fave model and why?
I’m not really a person who has favorites when it comes to people who are close to me. There are many models I love seeing when I’m working, but there are those that I consider my friends and we receive each other like family.  Just to mention a few and not in any order, Doutzen, Jourdan, Karlie, Hillary, Agnes, Coco, Jessica, Marina….. the list goes on. My best friend is a model and room mate, Heidy Allende.

7. What is your beauty essential?
My beauty essential is simply clean skin and hair.

8. You travel a lot… what is your fave luggage?
I’ve heard some horror stories about stolen item from luggage during travel. I take and check my most raggedy bag so that the outer value won’t determine the inner value of what I’ve packed. However, my carry on is my ole faithful Louis Vuitton.

9. New York, Paris or Milan…. which is your fave city and why?
After NY during the fashion tour London, Milan and Paris, I look forward to Paris the most. Paris because I’m most at home there. Also because it means fashion week is almost over and I get to go home.

10. What was your first major cover? who shot it? any personal story behind it?
My first major cover was Vogue. Anna Wintour selected 10 girls naming them the World’s Next Top Models shot by Steven Meisel. I was the youngest (16) and the only minority…  In fact the third African American to ever grace the cover of Vogue. I know there were other Blacks, IMAN, Naomi, I think Alec and Liya.  But only three African Americans….. Beverly Johnson, Tyra Banks and Chanel Iman.

11. The Met/Model as a Muse…. what was the highlight of the evening for you?
The Met Ball always makes me feel like I have arrived! To be in the presence of such an prestigious group is just amazing to me. To be in the mist of the worlds most creative fashion people is a night never to forget.

12. What is on your iPod?
Beyonce, Mary J. and Madonna.

13. We know models eat. What is your fave food?
I love to eat.  Everyone knows I love soul food and have a weakness for sweets. I eat all of the time. Lately, I’ve been cooking at home. I’m learning the art of cooking and really enjoying my own family recipes in my own kitchen.

14. Guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is the spa. I say guilty because when I am submerged at the spa, I know there are those that will never experience the feeling of such an awesome luxury.

15. Describe your perfect day.
My perfect day is somewhere on a beach front or by the pool at a resort. A perfect day can also be at home in LA, in my car, visiting my family and friends.

Want to see more? Watch the behind the scenes video of People Magazine 35th anniversary shoot with me and Chanel Iman on Modelinia.