Hassan Bounkit, a native of Morocco, began his career studying fashion design in Florence, Italy. After finishing his studies, he worked for couture houses Ferragamo and Marella Ferrera. In 1989, he moved to New York and worked for Nicole Miller and Arnold Scaasi, among others. Always drawn to jewelry, Bounkit launched his own extensive line in 2006. Both elegant and exotic with vibrant color combinations and unusual settings, Hassan attributes his style to his Mediterranean background, ancient Moroccan design and a deep love of nature. He deftly mixes sunset hues with woods, turquoise with jeweled rondells, and crystal beads with organically cut colored stones. Many of his bold stone bracelets, necklaces and earrings feature sensationally gigantic stones making them power pieces paying homage to those power cuffs worn by the stars of the 1940’s. They are the perfect blending of modern architectural jewelry with a splash of Art Deco boldness. The collections instantly caught the attention of fashion editors and celebrities including; Oprah, Iman, Salma Hayek, Nina Garcia, Natasha Henstridge, and Lily Collins. Bounkit’s pieces have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Allure, Essence, Glamour, Town & Country, InStyle, O Magazine in addition to NBC’S “The Today Show”, “The Oprah Winfrey Show", and “Gossip Girl”. He creates three complete collections each year in his New York City atelier where the jewelry is made to his specifications and all by hand.