Khiry’s creator, Jameel Mohammed, was overjoyed to receive the Tiffany & Co. Jewelry Design Award on Fifth Avenue for the first time. The Council of Fashion Designers of America partnered with Tiffany & Co. to promote up-and-coming artists who are dedicated to diversity. Mohammed and nine other participants took part in a program that included talks, one-on-one coaching, and visits to Tiffany’s Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop and The Landmark.
Mohammed stated in an interview with prominent fashion magazine Vogue, “To see what it really takes to bring someone from the window through to the in-store experience, or the online store, and make sure that they actually have a unified and beautiful experience throughout, seeing all the people at the company who were doing that on a day-to-day basis and talking with them, that was all such invaluable advice and expertise.”
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While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Mohammed, a previous CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominee, started his afro-futurist business Khiry. Meg The Stallion and Michelle Obama are among the celebs who have worn his creations. He will get $50,000 as part of his reward, along with a paid fellowship in the design department of Tiffany & Co. for a year.
He stated, “You never know with these things—it’s such an emotional process. Sometimes I think I might have it in the bag and then they’re like, ‘Girl…no!’ But I’m surprised tonight. I wanted it so badly and it felt so right, but that sometimes just leads to greater disappointment. I tried to just put one foot in front of the other and apply what I learned into the final presentation.”
Actress-turned-model Bethann Hardison congratulated him. There were also noteworthy guests such as Jessica Wang, Hannah Bronfman, Tina Leung, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Peter Marino, as well as participants Angie Marei, David Perry, Ian Delucca, Hi Vu, Maggi Simpkins, Malyia McNaughton, Marvin Linares, Pamela Zamore, and Symoné Currie.
Looking back on his adventure, Mohammed remembered, “I remember watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s when I was sketching all the time. I was looking at Givenchy and seeing all this beauty, thinking to myself, ‘How can I be part of that world?’ I went to boarding school in New England. And all I wanted was to one day go south to New York so I could show them what I got!”
