The jewellery world, though long focused on catering to the tastes of women, has historically been dominated by men. Today, however, a new era is emerging, dazzling its way into the ateliers of the most prestigious maisons, as a wave of remarkable women redefine luxury and craftsmanship.
Leading this transformation are Stéphanie Sivrière of Piaget, Claire Choisne of Boucheron, and, closer to home, Medhanie Sena, Director at H. Sena Jewellery—three creative directors infusing haute joaillerie with fresh perspectives, innovation, and personal narratives.
Take a peek into their respective worlds and discover what drives them.
Claire Choisne, Creative director at Boucheron
Jewellery has long been a symbol of power, identity, and self-expression. How do you see Boucheron’s new Histoire de Style 2025 collection reflecting the strength and independence of modern women?
In recent years, we’ve noticed an evolution in the way women look at and wear jewellery. Beyond the quality of the stones and the craftsmanship, they want to offer themselves a piece that has a history and convey an emotion. At Boucheron, we conceive jewellery as delicate and bold works of art, and not as a product designed for a specific target. We want it to invite contemplation and to go beyond its materiality.
Besides, the different portés of our pieces allow women who wear it to express themselves in many contemporary ways. They want pieces they can wear every day, for different occasions. At Boucheron, we aim to propose pieces that come out of their safes—this is why we always propose statement pieces that are transformable. Multiwear pieces have become a signature of your work at Boucheron.
How did you push the boundaries of transformability in this collection?
Indeed, for the 28 pieces [in the new Untamed Nature collection], [there are] 116 possibilities of multiwear. I wanted to show a nature that is invading the body, so we had to think about original multiwear, like plants invading the shoulder and chest, insects landing on the back, flowers growing out of the hair.
In this collection, plants and insects interact together, and each finds its place naturally, in the same way as in natural ecosystems. I decided to put humans in the background to let nature take back its rights, wherever it has to. That is why I chose to create original multiwear designs, to symbolically show the vitality of nature, blurring the lines between the human form and its surrounding ecosystem.
After over a decade at Boucheron, how has your approach to reinterpreting heritage evolved?
The balance between heritage and innovation has always been in Boucheron’s DNA. In January, for my Histoire de Style collections, I always draw inspiration from the archives, and I choose the themes I love: Art Deco (Like a Queen, 2023) Couture (Power of Couture, 2024), or Nature (Untamed Nature, 2025) for example. This year, I am really thrilled to unveil this collection because nature is a theme dear to my heart, as it was to Frédéric Boucheron. I always try to reinterpret the pieces in a contemporary way, whether it is the design, the way of wearing or the message.
As a woman leading one of the most prestigious high jewellery maisons, what does International Women’s Day mean to you?
At Boucheron, where 71 per cent of employees are women, we believe that gender diversity, in all fields, is essential and enriches our vision of the world. I am very proud, alongside our CEO Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, to lead this extraordinary maison, where we celebrate women every day!
Medhanie Sena, Director at H. Sena Jewellery
H. Sena Jewellery is known for its unique blend of boldness and refinement, and your collections feel both timeless and avant-garde. How would you describe the signature style of your brand?
H. Sena is about jewellery that makes you feel something. It’s bold, but elegant. I design for the woman who walks into a room with quiet confidence, who knows that true luxury is not about excess but about expression. Our pieces are meant to be worn, to be lived in, to become part of your story. That’s what makes them timeless.
Many of your pieces have an almost architectural quality. Do you draw inspiration from disciplines outside of jewellery, such as sculpture or fashion?
Absolutely. Inspiration is everywhere, in architecture, art, nature, even the way fabric moves in the wind. But more than anything, I think about the woman who will wear the piece. Jewellery is not just something you put on—it becomes a part of you. I imagine how a bracelet catches the light as she lifts a glass, the quiet comfort of a ring beneath her fingertips as she traces its edges during a meeting. It should feel natural and effortless, like it was always meant to be hers.
What does it mean to you to be the third-generation leader of H. Sena, a company with over a century of history?
It’s emotional for me. I grew up watching my family create jewellery—not just pieces of diamonds, gemstones and gold, but keepsakes that carried love, legacy, and history. To be the one carrying that forward is humbling. But I also know that women today are different. We don’t just inherit jewellery, we choose it for ourselves. We redefine what tradition looks like. My role is not just to preserve the past but it’s to make sure our jewellery continues to mean something to the modern woman, to her journey, to her sense of self.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a jewellery entrepreneur?
That jewellery is never just about the jewellery. It’s about emotion. A woman doesn’t buy a ring just because it’s beautiful. She buys it because it represents something: a milestone, a promise to herself, a gift to her child, a reminder of who she is. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the most cherished pieces aren’t always the most extravagant ones. They’re the ones that mean something.
In a time where women are redefining success on their own terms, what does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is freedom. The freedom to choose, to create, to define my own path. Women today are breaking every rule in career, relationships, motherhood, ambition, none of it looks the way it did even a decade ago. And that’s exciting. Success is not about meeting someone else’s expectations, it’s about deciding what truly fulfils you and going after it.
Stéphanie Sivrière, Design director at Piaget
Having started as a jewellery artisan, how does your background influence the way you approach watch design, especially when combining intricate jewellery techniques with horology?
I think I wouldn’t be able to do this job without my past life behind the workshop. When you design a high jewellery piece, you need to not only design something striking but immediately anticipate the wearability, the weight, the transformability. Same with a watch—at Piaget, the technical part is important, but so is the design. There is a lot of back and forth that happens between my team and the workshop, and often, we’re the ones finding the solutions for them because we have this vision as well.
If you tell me [that a design] is impossible? Let’s prove to each other that it truly is. This is what happened with Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) tourbillon as well—we managed to create not just the thinnest tourbillon in the world, but also one that is very elegant in gold and blue hues.
Piaget is known for creating pieces that are as much about artistry as they are about functionality. How do you navigate the balance between artistry and the technical demands of watchmaking?
You never create from scratch, there are always constraints which will help define your starting point. Then you create around it. Actually, the more complicated it gets, the better the design. If I take the example of the AUC tourbillon again, it meant redesigning all the elements, the screws, the bridges et cetera to make the watch both beautiful and technical. It’s a lot of work but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Watches, like jewellery, are often seen as a form of self-expression in fashion.
How do you approach the idea of a watch as both a functional object and a style statement?
Absolutely, and this is the core of the Piaget DNA: “Always better than necessary”. I think one of the examples that I’m the most proud of is the Swinging Sautoir from 2024 in beads of turquoise and malachite. Stunning design, but also a transformative one where the head of the watch can be put on a watch strap to be worn on the wrist. Anything is possible as long as you picture it. I always say that our creations must always answer to two words: emotion and surprise. You’ve mentioned in the past that art plays a big role in your design process.
Are there specific artists, art movements, or even cultural references that inform your creations?
I’m an artist myself, I paint as soon as I arrive at home, it’s mandatory for me. I love tons of artists and so many different things. But here, I’m thinking about my most favourite sculptors: from Brancusi to Ugo Rondodine to Prune Noury.
Given your extensive experience in both jewellery and watch design, how would you describe your personal style?
Very eclectic and effortless at the same time. I never think twice.
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