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

Noah Mushimiyimana from Rwanda was chosen by Keep a Child Alive to be given the opportunity of a lifetime! Noah lives in Rwanda and had a dream… to make an album so that he can help children living with HIV/AIDS in his country. Alicia Keys took him to American Idol and sang making his dream come true. He showed all of us that living with HIV doesn’t have to stop you from reaching for the stars. Help Keep a Child Alive by donating… www.keepachildalive.org.

With my daughter Zulekha. Photo by Markus Klinko and Indrani

I am extremely proud that my daughter Zulekha has posed with me for Keep a Child Alive to celebrate mothers and raise funds for them. Read what my daughter wrote and, please, help us and donate!

The Black Ball 2008 with David and singer Adele

Just like the past 3 years, Alicia Keys and I co-hosted our annual fundraiser for Keep a Child Alive. Globally, 33 million live with HIV, 67% of them live in Africa Globally there are 2 million children under age infected and 90% live in Africa. Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans Congratulations to all this year’s recipients: Jackie Branfield.. founder/Director of Opration Bobbi Bear, Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol, and Queen Latifah. You can make an immediate $5 donation to KCA by text-messaging “ALIVE” to 90999. Do your part. Spread the love.

With Gwen Stefani and Bowie

CONDE NAST/BLACK BALL for KEEP A CHILD ALIVE Once again we were the hit of the town as Alicia Keys and I co-hosted our annual fundraiser Black Ball for Keep a Child Alive and this year we honored Bono, Nick Redding for S.A.F.E. and Dr. Pasquine for their tireless work on AIDS in Africa. The concert was amazing! Alicia Keys and her band rocked the joint in this case the Hammerstein Ballroom with performances by Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow and the amazing Kathleen Battle! The afterparty was just as hot! As Amy Sacco rebuild her famous Bungalow 8 on the 7th floor of the building! I presented the award to Bono who at the end knelt by my feet and called me the true African Queen! Thank you all for the support and don’t forget to donate towards Keep a Child Alive

Being photographed by Helena Christensen

MARIE CLAIRE/SUPERMODEL HEROES What gets supermodels out of bed in the morning these days? Charities! That”s what. Thank you, Marie Claire’s august issue for showcasing an exclusive portfolio of your favorite supermodels (including me!) sporting the season”s new denim and photographed by supermodel and my dear friend Helena Christensen. Of course, my chosen charity is Keep a child alive. Signed limited edition of these will be auctioned off for all the participating supermodel charities…check www.marieclaire.com for behind the scene of this shoot.

At Serge Normant Salon

SERGE NORMANT AT JOHN FRIEDA My dear friend hair guru to the stars, Serge Normant, who also tirelessly donated his time and expertise and love for our entire campaign of I AM AFRICAN for Keep a Child Alive opened his salon at the ever fashionable Meatpacking District in New York. The event was hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Barking, 2 ladies who definitely know when they meet a great hairdresser. But the thing about Serge is that everyone loves him because he is so NOT pretentious and all he wants is the “woman” to shine and look beautiful. And that he does INDEED!

With presenter Isaac Mizrahi

OUT/100 AWARDS I have been chosen as one of OUT 100… this event celebrates yearly 100 men and women who rocked 2006! I was awarded for the Humanitarian of the Year Award for my work for Keep a Child Alive (www.keepachildalive.org) and the other awards were to Michael Kors, Anne Hathaway, Rufus Wainwright and John Cameron Mitchell. My dear friend Isaac Mizrahi presented the award to me at Capitale in NY. I was Queen of Queens for that night! I was humbled by the support.

With designer Valentino

THE BLACK BALL GALA Nov 9th was our main annual fundraiser, The Black Ball, at the Hammerstein Ballroom and both Alicia Keys and i co-hosted this year. “I can’t wait,” said actress Anne Hathaway, in anticipation of a rare live set by my husband David. “I think he’s so sexy, but i shouldn’t say that too loudly, since I’m sitting at Iman’ table!” Honey, you can say it!! We had one hell of a turn out from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ( a week before their wedding!” Damon Dash, Rachel Roy, Russell Simmons. Kimora Lee Simmons, Ed Norton, Jeffrey Wright and our MC Wanda Sykes. Rousing performances by Angelique Kidjo, Damian Marley but the highlight of the evening was the duet of Changes of Bowie with Alicia Keys, it brought the house down. To find out more about how to help www.keepachildalive.org

With husband David Bowie

GLAMOUR WOMAN OF THE YEAR What a year it has been so far! I was awarded one of Glamour’s Woman of the Year for my humanitarian work for AIDS in Africa. I was given the “model citizen” award and it was a very moving and inspiring evening. “Iman would have made history as a supermodel alone,” says friend and Keep a Child Alive global ambassador Alicia Keys, “but she is channelling her boundless passion into an issue that needs all the visibility it can get.” Please, donate to www.keepachildalive.org