The Force Behind Misahara
Misahara is synonymous with craftsmanship, yet also so much more. It is an ethical brand devoted to helping women find their unique style—expressing emotion through jewelry. In this interview, founder Lepa Galeb-Roskopp shares the inspiration behind her masterpieces with us.
What is Misahara’s vision, as a jewelry brand?
The vision of our brand is that jewelry is part of your journey, representing a story that follows you through life. The designs come to life through my inspirations around the world. We create jewelry that is more than an accessory, it expresses emotion… thus our tagline “How does your jewelry make you feel?”
Why is it so important to you that people are able to express their personalities through the jewelry they wear?
Misahara jewelry is more than a piece you put on when you get dressed everyday… it evokes an emotion, reminds you of your journey, and is a way to express yourself.
Besides being able to express their personalities, what do you want people to feel when they wear the jewelry you design?
I want people to feel love, heightened emotion, peace, clarity, respect, empowered – the fine details of life.
What inspired you to establish your own brand?
All the jewelry I saw looked the same to me – so I ended up taking my pieces and editing them with a local goldsmith to make them personal and unique to my style. After years of doing this, I finally found the courage to go out and create my own brand for women who have the standard pieces but want to express themselves in a different way with Misahara.
What is the most fascinating thing to you when it comes to jewelry design?
The start to finish, and watching my ideas come to life. From a simple concept for a collection to the final product – it brings me pure joy.
Besides founding your jewelry brand, you also started a foundation to help children in need. How has the True Cause Foundation impacted your work?
The idea behind the True Cause Foundation came from personal experience. After going to South Africa with my family and Misahara brand ambassadors, a lot of whom are international athletes, we witnessed many children in need. We decided to do a series of sports competitions to raise money for the Thembini School. We surfed, biked, organized volleyball games — the enthusiasm we faced by simply being true to what we love the most, seemed an easy task that was bringing so much to the children. From this [experience] the Foundation was born. We work to support organizations around the world with charity events, and I have designed various pieces that support the amazing causes through a portion of the sales proceeds.
You have a deep connection to the sea, does that still inspire you to create new pieces? If yes, how?
Oh yes it does! I have the deepest respect for the Sea – its power and depth and beauty – it is bigger than all of us. I have many pieces/collections inspired by the Adriatic Sea, specifically, and they emulate the waves and light that bounces off the water with the use of beautiful faceted gemstones.
What is one lesson that you have learned during your travels that still comes to your mind when you make jewelry?
Follow my gut – how I see the world is through my eyes – when I experience other cultures and see how other people live and think, that inspires me. The pieces I create are from my perspective and tell the story of my inspiration.
Do you have a favorite piece in the collections you have created throughout the years?
I love all of the collections – probably the most meaningful to me is the Drina Collection – the Drina is a winding river in Serbia, thus the name of the collection and the snake motif. It is a raw interpretation of mother nature and reminds me of my journey spending summers in the ex-Yugoslavia.
What plans do you have that you’d like our readers to be knowledgeable of? Any new collections launching or events taking place?
Misahara is evolving with the changing world and the ongoing pandemic – we have really taken off with our e-commerce and encourage everyone to visit and shop on our website. We love and will always maintain our partnerships with Ferrari, Gemfields, and beautiful retailers around the country. Get ready because in the coming months we are launching three new collections that offer something for everyone. Two of them are a reimagined version of our Serengeti and Mosaic Ice Collections from last year. The third is something totally new for us that I think our customers will love.
Jewelry is a statement of your personal brand, and Misahara focuses on articulating who you are. To find out more about how you can express your emotions and your unique self through the elegance of their jewelry, visit https://misahara.com/.