MoAnA Luu, founder of Manluu, says winning the Jewelry Designer Award from Fashion Trust U.S. recognizes her commitment to showcasing her French West Indian heritage and the culture of her native region.
Luu was presented with her award at an April 9 ceremony in Los Angeles by actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, who recently received a Gem Award for her jewelry style.
“The Fashion Trust U.S. jewelry award is the highest recognition of my personal mission at Manluu,” Luu tells JCK. “More than just an award, this is a celebration of Creole culture, of women building businesses. It recognizes the hard work of many generations that started on my island, Martinique.”
Fashion Trust U.S. created the awards to celebrate promising talents in various fashion sectors, including jewelry, ready-to-wear, and accessories. Luu says there were more than 600 applicants for the award she won and she was one of four finalists.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” says Luu. “My goal was to share my Creole culture and tell people about what’s I’m doing now and what I hope to achieve, which is a new vision of Creole jewelry.”
She notes that her mission as a jewelry designer is to push traditional methods to a new level, use innovative techniques, and work with master craftspeople to add Creole luxury to jewelry boxes worldwide. At Manluu, which she founded in New York City in 2021, Luu designs jewelry with materials and patterns, such as braided rattan, central to her culture.
Luu says she felt frozen when her name was announced at the Fashion Trust Awards and like she was moving through a dream when she accepted the prize. In her acceptance speech, Luu talked about how she learned to trust her intuition, which has guided her through her entrepreneurship journey.
“It was an incredible experience and one that I know will help build a larger community around Manluu,” says Luu. “It’s great to know that I’m not alone in this and I will be in rooms with talented people who want us to succeed in fashion and move us forward.”
She is currently developing her next collection and writing a book about Creole jewelry, digging in deeper through trips to the region to interview people, learn traditional techniques, and collect as well as photograph Creole jewelry. She hopes to finish the manuscript later this year.
“I feel like a detective,” Luu says. “I spent four weeks in Martinique in January, visiting museums, talking to families. The most beautiful pieces are held by families, so that means searching for them and learning about their collections.”
As a Fashion Trust awardee, Luu will receive financial grants and mentorships covering topics such as budget, strategy, digital commerce, merchandising, and general business support.
Another jewelry designer, Ashley Harris of Don’t Let Disco, received Fashion Trust’s Inclusivity Award (sponsored by Shop with Google) this year. Other winners at the April 9 event included Charles Harbison of Harbison Studio, for ready-to-wear, and Esha Soni, in the accessories category. The Graduate of the Year award, which spotlights emerging talent fresh out of fashion school, was given to Tamil Arable, and the Sustainability Award was presented to Batsheva Hay.
Fashion Trust U.S. award applicants must be working as a designer for two to seven years and submit information about how they’d like to further develop their business. Applications for the next cohort will open in June 2024.
Top: MoAnA Luu with her Jewelry Designer Award at the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards in L.A. earlier this month. (Photos courtesy of Fashion Trust U.S.; ceremony images courtesy of Stefanie Keenan for Getty)
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