Cancer battles can never be described. No matter how fighters try to explain it, no one can ever feel what they’re going through. However, when fighters turn into survivors, and survivors turn into motivational speakers, the amount of energy in the air becomes immensely inspiring.
Actress, motivational speaker, and breast cancer survivor, Yasmine Ghaith, was one of those who left an unforgettable mark with her first appearance on Hendy Sabry’s TV series, Halawet El Donia. Today, she makes another statement as she launches her first-ever jewellery line, inspired by her vigorous battle with cancer and chemo scars.
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The special 10-piece collection is entirely made of handcrafted 18k gold sets. The mismatched pieces shed light on the beauty of imperfection. With or without cancer, or any other disease, nobody’s perfect, and that’s something to embrace.
In support of Ghaith’s attempt to celebrate imperfections, superstars are showing off some of YG Pieces' designs on El Gouna Film Festival’s red carpet.
We couldn’t let the opportunity to sit down with Yasmine for a one on one interview slip away. Here’s what she had to say.
1. Were you already in the jewellery design game or did you learn for this project?
No, I’m a self-taught jewellery designer. When I first got inspired, I did a lot of research and asked experts in the field. I also read a lot about jewellery making and how to design jewellery, then I started straight away. It took me two years of planning, learning, and research.
2. Which one is your favourite piece, and what does it represent to you?
My favourite piece is Scarlett. I love them all, to be honest, but Scarlett has a very special place in my heart. I called it Scarlett because it looks exactly like my scar. When I drew it, I knew this was my scar, and this was the trigger to the whole collection.
3. Tell us more about your responsibility as a survivor.
Of course, I have a huge responsibility; being a cancer survivor, people ask me a lot of questions regarding this matter. Sometimes, I feel they see me as an “expert”, so I always make sure I give people my advice based on my experience, not as an expert or a doctor, because I’m not. I'm just someone who went through this experience, and I decided to share my knowledge with everyone because I think it's beneficial.
4. What kept you going throughout your battle?
A lot of factors, one of which is my son, of course. Having a child was the thing that pushed me forward the most. Whenever I look at him, I feel stronger, I feel powerful, I feel like I have something to live for. I took all my strength from him, from my family and friends, the ones who supported me. That’s in addition to my self-will, which is the most important thing because if I didn't have that, nothing else would've helped. Everything else complements our mindset and will. So when I decided to fight back, everything fell in the right place.
5. If you could go back in time and make a change, would you have it any other way?
I think I would change some things, of course, but there are things I wouldn't like to change either. One of those things was the moment I decided I will fight back, the moment I pulled myself up, regaining my confidence and strength.
6. When will your collection be available for purchase, and where will people be able to find it?
It will be available right after GFF. The festival was like a pre-launch for my collection. I started with the videos I produced with my dream team, as I like to call them, which consists of Nesma El Shazly, Stardust’s Founder; Salma El Kashef, the cinematographer; my brother Sherif Ghaith, who was the producer; and other people; it’s a big team. We all worked so hard for this project to see the light. Regarding where will be able people find it [the collection], I’m still working on it. I haven't decided that yet.
7. Are you planning to stay in the jewellery industry? If yes, what’s your next step?
Yes, I’m planning to. This has always been my passion and dream. I’ve always loved fashion and playing around with clothes, jewellery, accessories, and basically everything and anything related to fashion. But I’ve always believed that jewellery, in particular, could either make your outfit stand out or make it tasteless. It’s a very important item. My next step is developing, developing, and developing; I believe that’s the key. Because yes, I might have the talent, I might have some knowledge, but without developing this talent and working hard on it, I wouldn’t move forward. Also, one of my dreams is to be part of Paris Fashion Week, and I’ve already started planning for that.
