Quality of a Queen – Interview with the founder of Didon Jewellery, Azza Skhiri
Founder of Didon Jewellery, Azza Skhiri discusses being inspired by a legacy
What do the first 30 mins of your day look like, your morning routine? First of all, I do my skin routine, then I practise gratitude, either by meditating or by doing a few yoga poses depending on the mood.
What is at the heart of Didon Jewellery, the DNA? Didon is inspired by Queen Didon and her legacy, an amazing, inspirational woman for modern women today. Didon Jewellery is minimalistic, sleek yet practical and timeless.
How has being based in the Middle East helped or hindered in continuing to grow the brand globally in comparison to other locations you’ve lived? The buildup to launching the brand was in Canada. The first show the brand participated in was in NYC and the production has always been in Dubai. The UAE has always been part of Didon even before moving in here, the market is different and this adds to the beauty of seeing Didon grow steadily and organically.
How do the creative and commercial sides of the business work together and how does your role support this? Didon is a startup so as Founder and Creative Director, I need to wear many hats even though I am more driven by the creative side. Designing and seeing the final piece come to life is fulfilling, what’s even more fulfilling for me is seeing the brand succeed and expand.
Do you feel particularly drawn to either side of the business? More to designing and the manufacturing stage, although I do also love the marketing and communication side.
Tell us about the inspiration for the brand and how the aesthetic emerged? I’m a Tunisian woman, the history of Queen Didon who flew tyranny with her people and landed in new territories through her intelligence is a wellknown one in Tunisia. Queen Didon was able to establish a powerful empire, Carthage, which is still part of our heritage as a Tunisian. I am also passionate about history and combine this with design through Didon Jewellery.
What has been the biggest challenge since launching the brand and how did you overcome it? The journey of a startup is challenging but it’s worth it with every stage achieved and every success gained. I want to empower others to go through the process and I am grateful for every single challenge along the way.
How has social media affected the business and which platform has been most useful? Social media has had a huge impact commercially on brands. Instagram particularly provides the perfect platform to present this dream and it is my personal favourite.
Tell us about your latest collection and how do you carefully select those with a social following to support the brand through such platforms? Didon is celebrating women and empowering them in fulfilling their dreams, I’m thankful for the support of every woman who understands and respects the brand DNA in showcasing and supporting Didon across social media especially.
This is ‘The Gratitude Issue’ – what are you grateful for? I’m grateful for the basics; health, family, living in security, being able to exercise, doing a job that I love and all the support Didon has gained, especially from the women who support me.