Detroit Diamond
JEWELLERY designer BACKGROUND Before making his name as a rapper, Detroit Diamond was working at visual art and writing. As a youngster growing up in Detroit, Michigan, he’d displayed a flair for the arts and earned a place at the state’s Kendall College of Art and Design. But he completed only one semester before setting off in a new direction—hip hop. He recorded four albums in New York and Los Angeles—while also maintaining his passion for art and writing. Diamond moved in 2009 to Hong Kong, where he often performs, and the city’s Cat Street Gallery staged an exhibition of his art in late 2014. Diamond recently published his autobiography, More than Lyrical.
JEWELLERY BREAK Frustrated by the lack of inventiveness and diversity in men’s accessories, Diamond added jewellery designing to his creative pursuits. He has collaborated with Belgian designer Audrey Savransky on a bold but wearable line for her Hong Kong-based brand, AS29. The pieces in his Bridge collection are inspired by cities Diamond has called home at some point—detroit, Los Angeles and New York. While taking cues from the flamboyant style of hip-hop legends Slick Rick and Tupac Shakur, Diamond takes things down a notch, opting for cleaner, more subdued lines to cater to a wider range of jewellery fans.
DESIGN STYLE The thinking behind Diamond’s design philosophy is simple: “Will they remember my work?” For him, a key factor is a quality of timelessness. He eschews trends, aiming to create pieces that can “dance forever.” Detroit Diamond’s first collection for AS29 is hip hop at its core but refined for everyday wear