The Japanese brand AHKAH is entering the Parisian retail market with a simultaneous launch at three locations—Bon Marché, Printemps, and La Samaritaine—featuring a collection whose centerpiece is set with 207 VVS-grade diamonds in 18-karat yellow gold. The choice of these three department stores, which span three arrondissements and cater to three distinct customer bases, speaks to the ambition of this launch.
The Radiant Chandelier, a single earring sold individually, embodies AHKAH’s design philosophy: a circle that wraps around the earlobe, set with a pavé of VVS diamonds in 18-karat gold. The decision to sell it individually—rather than as a pair—is part of a design philosophy the brand has been developing for several seasons: the deliberate layering of pieces rather than a prescribed set.
The “Elements Floating” line, whose ” Radiant Chandelier ” is the signature piece, is based on the principle of material contrasts: a platinum band set with diamonds combined with two yellow gold bands. While this combination is not new in contemporary jewelry, the decision to make it the central theme of an entire collection—featuring a ring, necklace, clip, and single buckle—gives it a consistent aesthetic that few jewelry houses maintain from one piece to the next.
Technical details
The VVS (Very Very Slightly Included) grade refers to diamonds whose inclusions are visible only at 10x magnification under a binocular loupe. Given that there are 207 stones in a tight pavé setting, maintaining this grade requires rigorous selection prior to setting—information that is not documented in the file.
Katie Hillier, creative director since July 2020, studied at the University of Westminster before working at several luxury fashion houses as a designer and then as a creative director. Her split residence between London and New York places AHKAH within an English-speaking artistic landscape that is distinct from its origins—the brand was founded in Tokyo. This Tokyo–London–New York triangle, with Paris as a new retail hub, maps out a geographical landscape that is of interest not so much for its stores as for what it reveals about a strategy of gradual international expansion.
High-end Japanese jewelry remains underrepresented in Parisian retail. AHKAH is not Mikimoto—it has neither cultured pearls nor a century-old heritage to draw upon. The brand takes a different approach: foreign artistic direction, a layered aesthetic drawn more from fashion than from traditional jewelry-making, and entry into the French market through department stores rather than a standalone boutique. This distribution strategy speaks as much to the brand’s cautious expansion as it does to its confidence in its pieces.
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