Why Nadine Hammoud & Cherine Rocks is on a roll

There are many great examples of mother-daughter teams making their mark in a range of arenas — and the Dubai-based duo behind “NC Rocks” is no exception.
Nadine Hammoud and her daughter Cherine Altobaishi founded their contemporary jewelry line in 2014. 
Hammoud was always drawn to jewelry and accessories thanks to her own mother. 
“I grew up watching my very glamorous mother design as well as custom-make her own creations and in so doing, being able to show her visions at the same time. I just loved that her jewelry was original, and that pureness stayed with me,” she says. 
Jewelry design really means a great deal to her because she believes that a piece of jewelry defines a woman’s persona in a big way. 
“There is always a thought and a process that takes place or plays a pivotal role before acquiring a piece of jewelry. After all, it’s a timeless means of expression,” she says.
Asked whether she went to any prestigious design school to learn the craft of jewelry making, Altobaishi says with no sign of regret: “My mother and I do not have a formal training in jewelry design. She has always been an intuitive artist, whether it was painting, interiors, fashion and jewelry. We are both very creative and enjoy sketching and coming up with our very own ideas that we then translate into aesthetically live designs.”
The constant search for uniqueness, essential to jewelry designs, is very much at the core of NC Rocks. Its designs are bold and make great use of color. 
“Our enamel work is extremely delicate and time-consuming, however it’s very unique to what’s out there in the marketplace,” Altobaishi says.
On the other hand, the mother admits that although their love is for contemporary, clean and modern forms, one can still see a hint of the Art Deco era.
“All I can hope for is that our product remains a concrete representation of these two different worlds we take pride in,” Hammoud says.
Their stunning designs are minimalistic but replete with fresh expressions of their Arabic heritage through symbols and beliefs that are translated with color connotations, such as the blue tones of charms used to ward off the evil eye, and with signs that represent values they live by, such as strength and virtue. 
In Altobaishi’s words, jewelry is a form of self-expression and, therefore, it differs from one woman to another. 
“Women often look for something unique, something beautiful that will make them stand out as well as complete their individual looks,” she says.
The captivating pieces are clearly aimed at women who exude confidence and boldness.
“They can go from wearing one statement piece that will define their looks to layering as many pieces as they want to and still own it,” Hammoud says. 
Her daughter concurs: “We don’t necessarily believe that less is more and the beauty of our line is that you can go from one to another. The NC Rocks women don’t follow trends, but instead believe in timeless elegance and versatility.”
Another important point that Altobaishi makes relates to today’s world, where Arab women are very trendy and have developed a wider sense of style. The West also has more awareness of the Middle Eastern fashion potential through the designers that are leaving an imprint on the world. 

Inspiration for the soul
Art is Hammoud’s biggest inspiration: paintings, sculptures, colors and nature. In her case, these are constantly etched in her mind and heart.
“I love to visit vintage markets wherever I am in the world. I get lost in them and it gives me a buzz to be in that old world that no longer exists. This fixation started when I was very young, growing up in London,” she says.
Altobaishi’s inspiration lies in everything that she feels connected to, like the places she has been to, the colors they represent, nature, buildings, memories that have to do with a certain time and place.
“My mother and I love to get lost in art books and our home is filled with them,” she says.
NC Rocks’ sources for precious gemstones are as far afield as Thailand, while its diamonds come from Antwerp, Belgium.
“However, most of our pieces focus on enamel, which was a major element used in jewelry in the late 1930s and 40s. What we’ve done is incorporate stones into that and modernize the concept of Art Deco,” they say. 
NC Rocks items are currently stocked in Sauce Rocks Dubai, a beautiful jewelry concept store that embraces modern brands like theirs.
“Other than that, our clients include many of our friends from across the region, including royals from Saudi Arabia, and locals from Bahrain and Dubai,” Hammoud says. 

Aiming to go global
Creativity is widely appreciated, particularly in jewelry, and reaps benefits when made known. Showcasing fine jewelry creations in big exhibitions is of great importance.
“Exposure is very important in this business and exhibitions give you that platform to network at international scale. We’ve taken part in the Couture Show in Las Vegas and plan to showcase in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and, of course, our home, Saudi Arabia,” Altobaishi says.
The Middle East has emerged as a big fashion hub, so it cannot be sidelined. 
As the mother-daughter team explains, “it’s a very important market and we do come from this region and are proud of it. We believe that NC Rocks has the potential to stand out in the Middle Eastern market, in the sense that it’s easy to wear and comes across as versatile jewelry that focuses more on art and design than on the number of carats and stones used in a piece.” 
The two consider celebrity endorsement as an integral part of their growing popularity.
“It definitely makes a difference to have our name acknowledged in the celebrity world, as it establishes us more as a brand. One of our pieces was worn by a celebrity at the Emmy Awards in Hollywood, which was a proud moment for NC Rocks, and we look forward to many more,” Altobaishi says.
Since the dawn of antiquity, people have expressed their identity through symbols that represent who they are and what they stand for. 
The latest NC Rocks collection draws inspiration from ancient civilizations “whose identities transcend what we wear – be it shields and armor that journeyed through ancient Greece and Byzantium or symbols that celebrate the majestic values of strength, freedom and virtue”. 
As the brand gets noticed far and wide, the mother-daughter pair has great plans in the pipeline in order to make it more universal.
“We are planning some trunk shows in our region as well as in London in December. We also plan on introducing e-commerce to our website very soon so that our customers can have an easy and enjoyable experience while purchasing their favorite pieces. Besides, we look forward to collaborations in the future, as well as to expanding our marketplace globally,” Altobaishi says. 
The beauty of NC Rocks seeks to transcend generational boundaries and garner universal appeal.
“The same piece can be worn by my friends and generation as easily as my mother’s,” Altobaishi says. “I think it can’t get better than this.”

source: Arabnews