WORLD'S APART: together with Lika Behar

WRITTEN BY: HOLLIANN CONKLIN & LIKA BEHAR

On an icy morning in the heart of Kansas City, I slipped into my office chair to prepare questions for Turkish designer and business owner Lika Behar. As I considered what to ask, I thought about how her unique pieces bridge the gap between old-world and current-day design, how they cross between a culture built on thousands of years of tradition and the modern shift of the new millennia, and of what Lika’s line represents for the women who adorn it. Less than an hour later, from sunny Manhattan, Lika sent her first round of replies in a conversation that showcases the essence of both the brand and the artist who defines it.

THIS IS LIKA BEHAR...

Lika’s formative years were spent in one of the world’s largest cities. Ranked number 15 globally, Istanbul has played a critical role in the story of our collective past. It’s the city of a thousand lives, former host to Roman chariot races, center of the Orthodox Christian civilization, and hub for the development of artistic achievement; It’s the space where the past meets the future, the East meets the West, and vibrant culture comes to life.

H: What first drew you into the world of jewelry design?

L: I grew up where Asia meets Europe, in a city that is the cradle of Ancient Civilizations. My dad was a jeweler and had a store in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. As a little girl, visiting him there with my mom (who is also a jewelry lover) is one of my fondest childhood memories. As a teenager, if I had a free afternoon, I would always head back to the Bazaar and wander around. I now live in New York City and consider my artistic voices to be a fusion of Ancient Greek classicism and Modern Urban Style, a mesh of Asia and Europe; a bit of yin and a bit of yang. I am super lucky that I can breathe my art and soul into the pieces that I create. I try on every piece and tweak it until I feel good about it before it can be shown.

H: What does jewelry mean to you?

L: It is an ethereal connection, so much deeper than clothing. It might be adornment, but it is also a way to connect with your inner self. It can mean love and memories; it can be a piece that gives you confidence or it can be a piece that gives you confidence or one you simply enjoy and love for what it is. We acquire jewelry not because we need it; but because we have to have it.

Nearly 42% of all businesses are currently owned by female entrepreneurs, an impressive feat considering the fact that women were only granted the right to vote in the United States in 1920. Ten years later (the same year that Constantinople became known as Istanbul) Turkey granted women the same right. Nearly 100 years since, women now represent slightly less than half of ownership in small businesses across the globe.

H: As a child, did you always envision yourself building a legacy of entrepreneurship?

L: I was always discouraged from working, let alone becoming an entrepreneur! I thought I was dreaming the impossible dream, but ended up following those dreams when I came here to America by myself at age 18 and created my own brand. I am working on building a very strong team of artisans and designers who are young and talented to imbue my design sense in a way that can take it to the next generation while staying true to my brand identity. I am learning something new every day, because jewelry knowledge is infinite, and building a strong team to support my work. I never think any of my designs are perfect, I always try to do better. I need to make today better than yesterday; and that drives me to work very hard.

H: What do you hope the women who connect with your pieces will feel when wearing them?

L: By nature, I am a very friendly and warm person and being authentic and having effortless style is important to me. I hope women take my jewelry and mix and match it with what they might already own; and hence imbue their own lifestyle into it. The woman who wears my pieces is self-confident; loves art, travel, and museums. She is interested in history and has her own independent style.

Amid creating an empire of her own that showcases the community in which she grew up, Lika honors the community in which she currently lives by sponsoring mammograms for underinsured and uninsured women in New York City and by feeding homebound elderly citizens through Citymeals on Wheels. She connects with our global community through the Gem Legacy, encouraging ethical gen sourcing in Africa and by supporting artisanal mining and elementary schools in Tanzania. Hers is a legacy of hope, a vision for a stronger future, and of connecting beautiful, handcrafted works of art with the thousands of women who wear it, each working to create their own stories.