DANA ARBIB and FARAH MALIK | A PEACE TREATY

Gold Plated Brass Remi Spiked Cuff Bracelet

Today we travel to two destinations.  Our first stop is the North African country Libya where we sojourn to the historic town Dirj.  An annual art festival, known as the Dirj Tourist Festival for Arts and Heritage, is a highlight. 

Now we travel to the town of Chitral, located in Pakistan.  Rich with history Chitral is known for its majestic architecture that includes the Palace of Mehtar, and the Jami Mosque.  

Today’s feature is the jewelry design team of Libyan Dana Arbib and Pakistani Farah Malik.

Many independent jewelry designers use their brand as a springboard to raise social consciousness.  

For instance, brands like Lori Bonn Design (USA), and Singaporean Choo Yilin implement recycled metals while Ute Decker (Germany) opts for Fairtrade metals.

Likewise, Arbib and Malik’s New York-based, six-year-old brand, A Peace Treaty, aligns itself with preserving time-honored craftsmanship “that would otherwise be forgotten,” and using recycled materials.

The two women met in Rome during the nuptials of Arbib’s brother where they exchanged phone numbers.  When Malik returned to New York she contacted Arbib at which time they learned they “shared a love of fashion design and a desire to uplift age-old, handmade customs.” 

Their objective was to create seasonal designs reflecting specific cultural motifs and techniques.  Drawing style inspiration from the Art Deco period, ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations, ritual emblems, and Japanese textiles the brand highlights an aesthetic of exotic sophistication.

24K Gold Plated Brass UKRU Inlaid Bone Bib Necklace
with African Buffalo Bone

Brass covered with yellow or rose gold is the canvas for bold cuff bracelets, demure pendant necklaces, cocktail rings and statement necklaces. 

Enameling details and lush gemstones like turquoise and lapis provide wonderful color accents.  To date the duo has enlisted the know-how of craftsmen from ten countries to produce not only their jewelry collections but also their scarf collection.

“Our search for artisan groups is dictated by a specific technique we want to include.  We well research regions where that specific craft is part of the local tradition,” explains Arbib. 

“We like to use traditional techniques in new ways and that is a process.  We ask our artisans to push their boundaries but Farah and I have to be flexible because every design we envision is not possible due to technical issues.  However, many fantastic pieces have come about because the artisans found creative ways to address technical limitations.”

Malik and Arbib’s ambition has not gone unnoticed.  The CFDA recently selected them to be a part of its 2014-2016 Fashion Incubator program that assists in the development of New York-based designers.

“Ultimately our goal is to create employment for skilled artisans working in places of socio-political strife.  We want to elevate their products to the level of high design for an exclusive and international audience.”

24K Gold Plated Brass Freyja
Open Cocktail Ring with Acurite Malachite

2015 Jewelry Trend Alert:  Arbib and Malik’s stunning, affordable fashion jewelry line covers many style trends this year: bold, metal cuffs; lots of yellow gold; vintage-inspired silhouettes; and statement necklaces.  How does that grab you?