It began, as all unforgettable Parisian nights do, with the Eiffel Tower shimmering like a lattice of perfectly cut diamonds—its golden glow dancing through the grand windows of Valérie Messika’s private Parisian apartment, where Vogue100 gathered for an evening of high jewelry and haute indulgence.
High above the Messika boutique on the Champs-Élysées—accessed via a discreet entrance and the chicest of security protocols—guests ascended to the inner sanctum of Valérie Messika’s world: a neoclassical retreat equal parts office and salon, where her creativity takes flight. It was here that Messika and her husband, Messika CEO Jean-Baptiste Sassine, welcomed guests with champagne flutes in hand and the City of Light twinkling below. The daughter of a diamond industry legend, Messika has rewritten the rules of high jewelry for the modern woman—designing diamonds meant to be worn effortlessly, even with a T-shirt.
Between glasses of bubbly and breathtaking views, new friendships were forged and fashion week anecdotes exchanged. Emily Cheong and Messika made plans for a future coffee rendezvous, while Gloria Zhu and Edouard Schneider swapped highlights from the week’s whirlwind shows. A descent down the maison’s sweeping spiral staircase led guests to Messika’s high jewelry atelier, where artisans transform diamonds into wearable works of art. Lilia Zeldis fell under the spell of the house’s couture-inspired collar necklace, a showstopper featuring a 10.03-carat oval-cut fancy light yellow diamond encircled by 2,422 snow-set diamonds—worn throughout the evening to the admiration (and perhaps envy) of all.
Dinner, set beneath the flicker of 200 candles, offered a momentary reprieve from diamonds as Michelin-starred chef Akrame Benallal served a decadent menu. First came a caviar-laced potato velouté, followed by a rich black truffle risotto, and a classic veal and wild mushroom entrée. Dessert—an apple candied with rose petals, gleaming like a jewel—proved impossible to resist.
As the night stretched luxuriously late, champagne glasses were topped off, diamonds admired anew, and petits fours passed to prolong the evening’s magic. When guests finally made their farewells, the Eiffel Tower began its final twinkling ballet—an exquisite finale to a night destined to linger in memory.
