To mark the exclusive UK launch of the unisex jewellery brand, we meet its founders, Anwar Hadid and Yoni Laham
Seven years ago, model Anwar Hadid and musician Yoni Laham met through family friends in LA. After treading their own individual paths in fashion and music, the pair decided to join forces, launching Martyre in 2018. “We had known each other for a while and always knew we wanted to create together,” says Laham. “Jewellery felt like the right place to start because of its timelessness, and we fell in love with the industry once we started.” As an artist, Laham (known to the music world as BRIDGE) is no stranger to creative collaborations, while Hadid grew up surrounded by the fashion industry as the brother of two of the world’s most famous supermodels, Gigi and Bella. It’s no surprise that, when the pair began exploring creative avenues together, a shared passion for accessories began to take shape.
To celebrate the exclusive UK launch at Selfridges of the pair’s timeless jewellery designs – worn by the likes of Dua Lipa, Zayn Malik and Kaia Gerber – we caught up with the childhood friends turned business partners to discuss genderless jewellery, their love of London and their support for Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity.
ANWAR HADID, Co-Founder and Creative Director
“I have always loved jewellery and the value that it holds. When I was growing up, many of my peers were trying their hand in the clothing industry, but no one ventured into jewellery. From a young age, I have always pushed myself to journey through new territories,” says Hadid, who loves how jewellery allows people to express their individuality. “I grew up wearing hoodies for their fit and material, not because they were classified as men’s or women’s – unisex jewellery reflects this new way of thinking and letting people decide for themselves without any judgement.”
From sculpted cherubs to the label’s slogan, ‘Pray for Us’, Martyre plays with motifs centred around faith. The brand’s namesake The Martyre necklace is Hadid’s personal favourite. “To me, the clasped hands represent unity and friendship, which I believe are the building blocks for success and collaboration,” he says. Fifty percent of the proceeds from every purchase via Selfridges of the brand’s The Martyre necklace will be donated to the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. “With everything I create, I always want to tie it back to helping people. We are in a fortunate position to shine light on some amazing foundations and organisations whose sole purpose is to impact the lives of others. Anytime we can bring an awareness to such important causes, we have the responsibility to do so,” says Hadid.
YONI LAHAM (aka BRIDGE), Co-Founder and CEO
“We’re here to make pieces you feel confident in, and as long as you’re enjoying wearing them, we’re happy. Style is style, it doesn’t need to be broken up by gender,” says musician Laham of the pair’s decision to launch a unisex jewellery brand. How has his career as a musician informed his work in the fashion world? “When you make music, you draw inspiration from a pure place, and I think that transcends into the jewellery. The process of making an album and making a product feels similar, in the sense that you throw paint at the canvas and then keep narrowing it down to what you love. You bring a sketch to life, layer by layer, until it’s out in the world, and it’s the same with an album,” says Laham, who flexes his creative muscles by working on both the design and business sides of the brand. “Our slogan, ‘Pray for Us’, is very significant to me – it embraces praying for the people you love, those that need love, and throwing what matters to you most into the universe.”
THE MARTYRE NECKLACE
In support of youth homelessness charity Centrepoint
Fifty per cent of the proceeds from every order of the brand’s namesake The Martyre necklace purchased in-store or online at Selfridges will be donated to the London-based youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. The design features a lettered Martyre pendant at the front and fastens with two clasped hands.
“The clasped hands represent unity and friendship, which I believe are the building blocks for success and collaboration.”
– Anwar Hadid
“Our signature clasped hands stand out above all else for me. We are stronger together. We are weaker divided.” – Yoni Laham
