Khiry Partners With J.Crew for Jewelry Capsule

His new collection for J.Crew marks a full-circle moment for Khiry founder Jameel Mohammed, who says a high school visit to one of the clothing brand’s stores helped set his career into motion.

That shopping trip with his aunt Sharon—a fashion icon unto herself, according to Mohammed—introduced the future designer to the idea of “dressing artfully” and inspired him to go into fashion.

He would later move to New York City and start working in jewelry, creating his Afrofuturist brand Khiry to bring elements of the African diaspora into the luxury fashion space.

The Khiry x J.Crew collection is available starting today at select J.Crew stores and online, with its six pieces priced at $49.50 for the two-talon ring or earrings with black enamel; $89.50 for earrings or a necklace with pavé crystal; and $128 and $178 for the two-talon cuff in two sizes.

The six pieces in the Khiry x J.Crew capsule collection 

Mohammed says the J.Crew capsule reinforces his belief, learned from his family, that people can achieve anything with grace and intention. The collaboration’s multimedia promotional campaign was conceived and shot by Mohammed with J.Crew’s support, and incorporates original sculpture, drawing, photography, and video scored by his own musical compositions.

As a brand, Khiry is built around themes of preciousness and legacy, Mohammed says. Jewelry is passed down through generations, becoming a family record of sorts, so his goal is to design something that plays a significant role in people’s lives.

Earlier this year, Mohammed received the first-ever the Tiffany x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award. He is also a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund alumnus. (Khiry, his middle name, is Swahili for extremes in fortune and health.)

Khiry x J.Crew’s two-talon necklace with sculptural pavé crystal pendant has an adjustable-length leather cord ($89.50).

Mohammed had been hinting at the J.Crew partnership on his social media platforms for a few weeks, and he was thrilled to see (and show off) the final products.

The Khiry x J.Crew collection’s unique silhouette— bulbous on one side but tapering to a point— represents the idea that in Black life, and for people in general, there are times of fullness as well as times of scarcity. It’s the concept of softness balanced with toughness, Mohammed says.

A statement piece within the capsule is the large two-talon cuff, a sculptural bracelet that highlights Khiry’s signature clean lines but in an oversize shape.

The dimensional style of Khiry x J.Crew’s leather cord necklace with a crystal orb reflects Mohammed’s attempt to balance hard and soft, minimalist against maximalist, he says.

Top: Khiry founder Jameel Mohammed teamed with J.Crew for a six-piece capsule collection, including this large cuff. (Photos courtesy of Khiry and J.Crew)