What does Black liberation appear like by the lens of luxurious? At Tiffany & Co.’s Lenox Sq., Kellie Bowman gave it kind, sparkle, and goal.
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Juneteenth celebrates Black liberation, and this occasion outlined Black freedom of expression by way of superb jewellery. Typically, many could really feel unwelcome to browse costly luxurious jewellery manufacturers. That’s simply what Kellie Bowman, daughter of the late Dr. Sebi, needed to reveal in her non-public Tiffany & Co.’s Lenox Sq. occasion in Atlanta. However this wasn’t simply one other model occasion; it was a reclamation. Named “Trendy Session,” it was a curated area to be true to your self.
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Jewellery lovers are very accustomed to Tiffany Blue! So it actually was an honor to get together in luxurious. Hosted by Kellie Bowman, wellness advocate and daughter of the late holistic healer Dr. Sebi, the occasion blended class with essence. The Tiffany & Co. ground was stuffed with laughter and therapeutic vitality as Black women and men have been adorned in diamonds they didn’t have to purchase to strive on. Friends have been welcomed with limitless champagne, luxe hospitality, and the sounds of reside string renditions carried out by Atlanta native and violinist Jasmin Rhia. Rhia is a classically educated musician who started taking part in at age 10 and attended Florida Worldwide College on a music scholarship. Rhia elevated the room with soulful interpretations of Black music—reminding everybody that even in probably the most polished areas, Black tradition units the tone.
In a robust mid-event speech, Bowman informed the origin story of her connection to Tiffany & Co.:
“After I was a pre-teen, I’d stroll by the Tiffany retailer in New York with my father. In the future, he grabbed my arm and stated, ‘We’re stepping into.’ He informed me, ‘You’re the prize on this room. There’s nothing unattainable for you.’”
That second, she recalled, was sealed by a retailer affiliate who wrapped a Tiffany ribbon round her finger—marking her presence as sacred.
“That was 5 a long time in the past and I noticed it wasn’t the jewellery, it was my character I used to be constructing,” she stated. “And Tiffany was a giant a part of that.”
Luxurious Meets Liberation: A New Imaginative and prescient of Black Wellness
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Throughout our one-on-one interview, Bowman emphasised the significance of illustration inside luxurious areas.
“Having girls are available right here and make this your closet—your jewellery field for a day—was overwhelming to me,” she informed BOSSIP. “It’s about therapeutic. That freedom to only strive issues on with out shopping for a factor is essential.”
Because the CEO of Sebi’s Daughters, Bowman continues her father’s holistic wellness mission, bridging generational well being with psychological readability.
“This—what you’re viewing—is my mindset since I used to be 12,” she defined. “Me being balanced has extra to do with what I’m pondering, after which it transcends to what I’m consuming—and that turns into my reality. Something will be modified with that. You possibly can change your weight-reduction plan. You possibly can change life expertise. You possibly can flip a tragedy into one thing constructive. It’s all about the way you see it.”
Meet the Makers: Sporting Tales, Not Simply Stones
At Tiffany & Co., every bit of knickknack tells a narrative—and through this Juneteenth celebration, I acquired to put on one in all my very own.Paloma White, a shopper advisor with a radiant spirit, helped information me by the gathering. She slipped a pendant round my neck and shared its sudden historical past:
“You’re really carrying the white gold lock pendant,” she informed me. “What’s beautiful about this pendant—it’s really based mostly off an archival brooch {that a} husband gave to his spouse, and he inscribed ‘In Religion and Love’ on it. So it’s a stupendous piece, type of about being unique and locked in collectively.”
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Her heat and information added an emotional layer to the second—it wasn’t simply concerning the steel or the value tag. It was about that means.
Later, Ren Fennell, workforce supervisor on the Lenox location, took my private fashion into consideration in a method that made me really feel particularly seen. She seen the assertion pendant I had on after I arrived and thoughtfully chosen a chunk from their assortment that aligned with my daring, expressive style—whereas elevating it by Tiffany’s timeless design language.
“The primary piece that you just tried on was the T1 necklace,” Ren defined. “It’s representing countless prospects. It’s in a white gold steel with individually set pavé diamonds.”
That spotlight to who I already was—and the way I confirmed up—reworked the expertise from easy styling to considerate affirmation. It wasn’t about altering me. It was about highlighting my current mild. Then got here a really memorable dialog with Harold Gainer, a grasp engraver who’s labored with Tiffany & Co. because the age of 18.
Now 64 and based mostly out of New York, Harold shared the artwork and persistence behind his craft.
“I’m a grasp engraver and I work on the flagship in New York,” he stated. “I take pleasure in this work as a result of it’s showcasing the distinctive artistry of engraving, the place individuals can get one thing customized. The time is determined by the piece—some designs I can end, like a reputation on the jewellery, in a day. However others could take months.”
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His calm supply and seasoned knowledge mirrored the deep craftsmanship that always goes unnoticed behind the shimmer of luxurious. He wasn’t simply carving names—he was preserving legacy by element.
“For instance, my most difficult piece was a trophy I made for the New York Yacht Membership of the globe,” he added. “I made certain so as to add a lot of particulars—you already know, of the continents—in order that took me some months. However it was lovely work. I adore it.”
That was the vitality of the day—intentional, layered, and deeply human. Each clasp, curve, and carat carried a narrative. Whether or not it was a lock symbolizing unity, a knot representing connection, or {hardware} embodying resilience, Tiffany’s design language turned jewellery into one thing extra: a mirrored image of who we’re.
In that second—draped in diamonds, surrounded by legacy—I didn’t really feel like I used to be simply making an attempt issues on. I felt like I used to be moving into my very own.
Contained in the Collaboration: Dionicia Beck & the Imaginative and prescient of Illustration
The girl who helped make the occasion attainable, Dionicia Beck, serves as the shop director of Tiffany & Co. at Lenox Sq.. Her personal journey with the corporate spans almost 20 years.
“I’ve been making an attempt to get a Juneteenth occasion. Like, why wouldn’t we? Like, we’re in Atlanta!”
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She inspired attendees to suppose deeply concerning the symbolism within the jewellery:
“While you take a look at these lovely jewellery collections, they’re not simply jewellery… While you consider a lock, what do you suppose? You consider safety. While you consider Tiffany Knot, you consider togetherness. You consider a bond. While you consider {Hardware}, you consider resilience.”
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To finish the occasion, she supplied a toast in Bowman’s honor with champagne and firm branded chocolate. In her message, she left the group with a problem:
“Discover your Tiffany’s.”
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Belonging, No matter Price range
From Bowman’s embrace to the employees’s attentiveness, and the swish reside music within the background, I felt like I had a seat on the desk, even when I didn’t swipe a card. This Juneteenth, we weren’t simply celebrating freedom—we have been making an attempt it on.