Introducing Martine Ali, NYC's Queen of Jewellery
by James Nuttney
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COVER PHOTO: Dress GUCCI, Headpiece and jewelry MARTINE ALI, Sunglasses and shoes MARTINE’S OWN - Credits - HIGHSNOBIETY / BIJAN SOSNOWSKI
Introducing Martine Ali the silver queen of NYC.
Martine Ali is one of New Yorks biggest jewellery designers who specialises in silver over other metals, “Gold feel far too precious, and oftentimes it’s done very delicately”, “Silver just has this universal ability to appeal to different people in different ways” She says in an article written by Chris Erik Thomas for HIGHSNOBIETY.
Martine Ali started her brand “Martine Ali” in 2010, designing all types of jewellery from bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and pendants. Each piece is designed so that it’s worn differently by each person, modular and reconceptualized by the wearer is a good way to put it. Her work carries an essence of experimentation and is an example of a beautifully creative process.
Ali’s work has attracted the attention of many creatives and celebrities in the industry, including the likes of Kendrick Lamar, who wore Ali’s work during the entirety of his DAMN tour. The Compton born artist even donned a bold silver chocker chain for the 2018 Grammy awards, though her reaches stretch beyond Kendrick Lamar. Her brand has assembled a list of clientele such as Rihanna, Bad Bunny, SZA and Lady Gaga, asserting her position as NYC’s baddie and queen of jewellery.
Despite securing an impressive list of A-list celebs, Martine Ali has something for everyone. Pieces can reach upward of $2,000 for something such as a crossbody bag made from sterling silver chains, though some more accessible pieces which still carry the “Martine Ali” beauty are priced as low as $150.
Top ARIES, Jacket ADIDAS Y-3, Pants DOOR, Sunglasses BONNIE CLYDE, Jewelry MARTINE ALI, Shoes MIDORIKAWA X SUICOKE - HIGHSNOBIETY / BIJAN SOSNOWSKI
Her journey and love for jewellery began during her childhood, she says in an interview with HIGHSNOBIETY “My mom was one of those moms that had a shopping addiction problem”, trips to the antique store and shopping with her mother crafted Ali’s curiosity and passion for jewellery and more specifically silver jewellery.
Examples of her early work were handcrafted jewellery made from piles of beads which she made for her mom to wear. Eventually she began to sell her pieces at her moms work place where “grown women would fight over my necklaces”. Years later she got the attention of DKNY’s fashion editor Jane Chung and later secured a job with DKNY and Ali was tasked with creating jewellery to accompany runway looks. This gig elevated Ali to push herself on what she can do with jewellery, leading her to dive head first into the craft learning everything she could so she could diversify her process. From here Martine Ali has only been reaching higher to cement her position in the jewellery game.
As herself and the brand continue to grow Ali’s experimentation continues to flourish and take the brand to new pockets of creativity. Maintaining the ethos that the brand should be accessible to everyone. In our words here at VOL.2 the brand celebrates individuality and is for those who seek to break the limits in what they do.
Check out more here through Martine Ali’s website and Instagram:
Website: https://www.martineali.com/
Insta: @martineali