Panos Melekkis leaves a lasting impression at Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show
The 55th edition of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show concluded on a high note, showcasing a dazzling spectrum of global design talent. Among the standout names was Panos Melekkis, whose debut of two distinctive jewellery collections captured attention for their artistry, emotional depth, and refined craftsmanship.
The acclaimed designer introduced the Geo Collection, inspired by architectural elegance and structural form. Characterised by clean lines and bold silhouettes, the pieces are a tribute to strength and simplicity — designed for those who appreciate precision and modernity. In contrast, the Candy Collection offered a burst of colour and playfulness. Featuring pastel tones and bold enamel detailing, the collection embraces femininity and joy, bringing a contemporary spirit to timeless luxury.
Both collections reflect Melekkis's design philosophy: jewellery should not only adorn, but also tell a story — one that carries emotional resonance and is crafted to endure across generations. Known for creating heirloom-quality pieces, his work speaks to clients who value not just aesthetics, but meaning, individuality, and legacy.
With an atelier based in Dubai Design District, the brand has quickly become part of the UAE's vibrant luxury ecosystem. The region's deep appreciation for craftsmanship, personalisation, and artistic authenticity makes it a natural home for Melekkis's creations. His participation in the Sharjah show served not only as a platform to unveil new work but also as a strategic moment to engage directly with collectors, industry professionals, and future collaborators.
While design trends influence colour palettes and materials, Melekkis remains committed to timeless expression over transient fashion. His collections bridge tradition with innovation, offering pieces that are both visually striking and rooted in artisanal integrity.
Beyond immediate sales, the show offered valuable long-term growth potential. According to industry observers, the fine jewellery market in the Gulf is shifting toward bespoke and emotionally driven purchases — particularly among younger buyers seeking uniqueness and authenticity. Melekkis's focus on storytelling, ethical production, and enduring design positions him strongly within this evolving landscape.
As the industry moves toward more personalised and purpose-led luxury, Panos Melekkis's work stands out for its ability to connect deeply with its wearers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
13 minutes ago
- The National
'It's not just a big selfie': Inside the unexpected revival of old-school painted portraits
It was, concedes Claudia Fisher, a lot of money to spend. 'I'd never spent that kind of money on something before,' says the American creative director of women's tailoring brand Belle Brummell. 'But I have something unique that gives me a lot of joy, and I have supported the art form and that's important.' Indeed, Fisher's Dh98,000 outlay went to having her portrait painted by celebrated portraitist Paul Brason, who counts leading industrialists, academics and the British royal family's late Prince Philip among his subjects. 'I just loved the way he could render fabric so exquisitely, giving his paintings an old master quality, even if the painting now just hangs in my house,' says Fisher. 'It's fun to say 'hi' to it once in a while.' Fisher is not alone. Both the Portrait Society of America and the UK's Royal Society of Portrait Painters – the two most august institutions of portrait painting, which not only promote portraiture, but also operate commissioning services that connect artists and subjects – report healthy demand. If one might worry that the smartphone age – which has made the constant taking of pictures almost compulsive – would kill off portrait painting, it seems the reverse is the case. 'Portraiture is quite a big business within the art world, really, even if it is often portrayed as being rather traditional, in the sense of being concerned with old ideas of beauty in art,' says Anthony Connolly, president of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. 'And while a lot of institutions still commission portraits – the church, military, academia, corporations, heads of state and so on – portraiture is changing dramatically from the idea that it's an elitist thing to do. Now, it's more just a culture of people painting people.' Connolly argues that while a portrait is definitely a luxury item, for a one-off work by a highly skilled individual, and for something that will last generations, it can nonetheless represent very good value, 'especially if you put it in the context of another bespoke item, the likes of a Savile Row suit '. Besides, portrait painters run the gamut as much in their price – from as little as Dh2,000 to much, much more – as they do in their style. Dubai artist Suzi Nassif, for example, creates portraits in surrealistic, sometimes cubist styles, with her subjects expressed more through unexpected colours and symbolism than an accurate likeness. 'They're imaginative portraits, more as I see them and not necessarily as the subjects might see themselves,' says Nassif, who, once she has got to know her subject, prefers to then work from memory. 'The power of the portrait is to examine the psyche behind the mask, and to do that I think it makes sense to use all the creative tools available to the painter.' Certainly, while for an artist who prefers to work in person, a portrait might require the sitter to give perhaps two to three hours of their time, maybe four or five times over several months, it's also increasingly commonplace for artists to work in part or entirely from photographs. For example, artist Columbus Onuoha, who also lives in Dubai, is recognised for his photorealistic portraits in oil paint. Digital photography actually helps him zoom in on the precise details that make his portraits so arresting. It also allows him to tackle the work as inspiration strikes rather than be beholden to the sitter's schedule. Far from being put off by having their image rendered in exquisitely unforgiving detail, 'clients love the honesty of the results, the transparency', reckons Onuoha. 'Though, occasionally, people of a certain age want to be represented as a little younger than they are. But a portrait should be a record of a time of life. I tell my subjects to be proud of the age they are, though I sometimes do a self-portrait to remind myself how it feels.' And how does being intimately examined, and then represented in paint, feel? Connolly, who is currently having his own portrait painted, suggests that far from being a discomforting experience 'it's very convivial, intimate without being salacious and almost like a kind of meditation. You feel like you're part of the painting process even though, of course, you're not painting the portrait.' Yet surely just having a photograph taken – even one by a professional – is faster and simpler? Yes, Onuoha agrees, but that is to miss the point of why people want to be painted. He argues that, while social media has certainly helped him to build a career, it's the very ubiquity of digital images – and the way they have democratised portraiture – that encourages many of his clients to want 'something that's handmade, tangible, and that puts them at the centre of an artistic process', he says. 'These people also tend to love art. They want to be involved.' But others go further, arguing that a painted portrait simply catches what a photograph never can. As Christine Egnoski, chief executive of the Portrait Society of America, suggests, it reveals the qualities of a person unseen by a snap, 'offering the viewer a more real sense of the person's presence, as well as the artist's own expression. An artist adds the feeling of the person.' It explains why, she argues, 10 million people queue to look at the Mona Lisa each year, and the enduring appeal of the portrait in art, both before and since the advent of photography. Frances Bell, portrait painter and recent winner of the Portrait Society of America's prestigious Draper Grand Prize, puts it another way. 'A painted portrait has something of the thrum of life about it, something transcendent – there's so much life on the canvas that it can feel like a window on another, sometimes historic world,' she says. 'The artist is trying to work out who that person is – their mannerisms, how they hold themselves and so on – so the result understands something deeper than a photo can. It's not just a big selfie, but is very personal, which is why it's very important that a sitter pick the right painter for them.' It's also why, she suggests, people so often turn to this special means of representing someone not out of vanity, but to mark a special moment in their life – an important anniversary, for example, or, as more than one of Bell's clients have done, to celebrate getting over a major illness. And why, so often, it's not the sitter who commissions the portrait for themselves, but a partner or family member. Sure, the result may never be hung in a gallery or a museum, but what better way to celebrate and immortalise an individual life than in paint?
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Dave Chappelle roasts Trump, Israel-Iran conflict and DJ Khaled's silence: 'This isn't how it works, champ'
Dave Chappelle roasted Donald Trump's handling of the Israel-Iran conflict during his show in Abu Dhabi on Friday night. Travelling to the Gulf days after a ceasefire went into effect, the American comedian made light of the US President's unpredictability during his performance at a sold-out Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season. 'Trump – I don't know about this guy. I can't tell if he's going to do good or not,' Chapelle said, adding: 'What a week you guys must have had over here in the Middle East.' The 51-year-old entertainer also brought up the US President's Saturday Truth Social post announcing the air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. 'Trump wrote that 'we did a meticulously perfect attack. We have disabled their nuclear facility.' And then at the end of the post he said, 'and now is the time for peace!' Word? I don't think that's how this works, champ,' Chappelle said. The comedian also made reference to the March security scandal surrounding US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared attack plans on the Houthis through his Signal account. 'Trump bombed Iran, in an attack that was carefully planned on WhatsApp,' Chapelle said. Chappelle made light of growing concerns in the US regarding the ongoing regional conflict, saying: 'Everybody in America is scared. It's not good when Bible places are in the news. That means it might be the end of times. And if it is, you know what? I had a good run.' When an audience member yelled out the name of Palestinian-American musician DJ Khaled, the comedian questioned why the DJ has remained silent on the ongoing war in Gaza. 'DJ Khaled, let me tell you something. For a Palestinian, this man is awfully quiet right now. And as a Palestinian, how could you be that quiet right now? And why are you so fat? People are starving. He's the only fat Palestinian on earth right now,' Chappelle joked. Chappelle has been outspoken about the suffering of Palestinians ever since the Israel-Gaza war began. Last year, during his show in Abu Dhabi, he described Israel's actions in Gaza as ' genocide ' to cheers from the audience. He's tempered his criticism of Trump since his re-election, urging the American leader to have empathy for the people of Palestine during his January appearance on Saturday Night Live. And while he did not comment directly on Palestine in his latest UAE performance, he did end by making his stance on the matter clear. 'Now that I'm a big powerful voice in America, I've learnt that I have to be careful. I can get in some kind of trouble and they'll try to extort me and put words in my mouth so that I come out here and lie to you,' Chappelle said. 'So if that ever happens, we need a phrase. It has to be something that I would never say. So that if I say it, you know not to listen to anything I say after that. You ready? The phrase is: I stand with Israel.' Abu Dhabi Comedy Season 2025 is set to conclude next month with US comedian Bill Burr's performance on July 12.
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Beyond the Bottom Line: How UAE Companies Can Turn Tax Compliance into Competitive Advantage
This column focuses on different treatments of tax law. If you are in a certain industry, what is the correct timing when invoicing? What information is mandatory on supplier invoices? You can continue to ask questions of this nature up to and including internal document management and compulsory filing with external parties. By way of consequences, inevitably it is the stick, not the carrot, that delivers the greatest response. It is important to understand what penalties can be applied and the sum value of interest on those. This is because it is typically at a later time that problems are discovered. Focusing on the carrot, let us reframe this as a positive business proposition. It is a useful exercise to revisit, line by line, component by component, your profit-and-loss statement to see if contributing elements are optimised. One part often overlooked is tax. Not just corporate tax, but VAT – and depending on your business activities – excise and customs duties. You can tell a lot about a chief executive's leadership by what draws their attention first. 'Sales is vanity, profit is sanity and cash flow is reality.' In uncertain times this adage is never more true. Let's start with sales. From an organisational viewpoint, the location of sales should cause you to consider having a separate entity for non-Gulf business. Depending on what and where you do it, this business might be exempt from corporate tax. At the very least, you can elect to sit outside the UAE's VAT system having satisfied the relevant authorities that you comply with their conditions. What would be lost in reclaimable VAT would be counterbalanced by not having to comply with rules of treatment for client and supplier invoices. Add to that reporting and the potential for disruptive external audits to normal internal operations. Let us add another layer. As more rules are introduced to a tax regime, it requires more effort to manage the increased difficulty. Several regimes that are adding new or amending existing rules, often tugging operational practices in different directions, require an alternative management approach. The worst outcome is when the rules of one tax regime are permitted to dictate the actions of another and do so incorrectly. For example, I've worked with people who, for years, thought that VAT did not apply to their revenue. These businesses will discover that the people to whom they are filing their annual corporate tax return, detailing their revenue, are the same as those they are not reporting their VAT related revenue to. If this is the position you find yourself in, admit the error. The relevant authorities will work with you to correct matters. Yes, with penalties, but having dealt with and settled your dues, the issue is considered resolved and everyone moves on. The above are examples of what you might find when you review your sales processes. It's not a comprehensive list. Let us move on to cost of goods and services. Does your business track the profitability of each piece of work it does at a consolidated level? For a corporate tax perspective, you are interested in whether any of your suppliers are related or connected parties. This means understanding the different parties that make up your supply chain. While you are looking at that, take a look at your margins. While we are talking about transfer pricing, what happens when a related party is not a direct supplier, but instead supplies one who is. Do the same rules of proving that transactions are being carried out at arm's length apply? I do not know. It's possible that a business might be unaware that it's happening. Given ignorance is no defence in law, that might not be sufficient, should it be discovered. Would the value of such business matter? A one-off transaction of value verses multiple micro transactions. Given the breadth of what constitutes a related party in the UAE, it might be easier than you think to find your organisation in this position.
