Welcome to KADOKÉLÉ – an exclusive, flamboyant jewelry and apparel brand by the visionary designer, Marie-France M Noel. Immerse yourself in her colorful world, where each collection is born from a fusion of poignant hues and boundless artistic passion. Every piece tells a story, celebrating individuality, creativity, and the beauty of bold self-expression.
I started hash-tagging see beauty and find art a while ago on many of my creative contents and instastories as a call to myself to honor beauty when it strikes me and let art be my compass. And in doing so, it has led me to realize that showing both the beauty in many things, small or big and finding art were words of affirmation to myself and inspiration to others.
The great Toni Morrison has said — “I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I think finding, incorporating and then representing beauty is I don’t think we can do without it any more than we can do without dreams or oxygen.”
It was an absolute necessity to bring attention to the beauty of seeing ourselves in this Valentine campaign starring Martine Pierre and Velouse Joseph. Their immense beauty was palpable on set on December 8th. My job was to showcase the depth of their beauty, a job they made easy.
Meet the ever-radiant Martine, the original KADOKÉLÉ woman. A pillar in her community for many years, her list of achievements spans from being a dedicated Day Program Director at Toward Independant Living and Learning, Inc (TILL), a radio personality, a dancer, a singer and the best host.
She has supported KADOKÉLÉ from the beginning. She owns countless of pieces and undoubtedly, the best of my creations. Her agreeing and trusting me to be a part of this campaign is something that I will forever treasure. She does it all with warmth, grace and humor. An all-around powerhouse of beauty.
There is power and beauty in the trail blazed that brings you to where you are exactly meant to be. Meet Velouse Joseph, her story is nothing short of inspiring. She studied dance at the Jean Appolon Expressions' Summer Dance Institute in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from 2013-2018. She also assisted Jean in her hometown of Arcahaie at the organization Hope on a String (HOAS). Velouse joined HOAS as instructional staff, teaching dance to younger students. In 2018, Velouse moved to Massachusetts with family and joined JAE as a professional dancer. She now teaches Haitian Folkloric classes in public schools and with the JAE community.
I dance alongside her on Saturdays at JAE Haitian Folkloric Dance. Watching her dance is a thing of beauty. It feels me with joy to see her blossom. Her relentless pursuit to craft the life she desires embodies who the KADOKÉLÉ woman is.
Both Martine and Velouse beauty, strength and grace is undeniable and inspiring to me. As an artist, my mission is to always show the depth our beauty as women, especially black Caribbean women.
Building this campaign, I knew the perfect soundtrack to capture the essence of this holiday campaign. I envisioned the KADOKÉLÉ fashionistas implacably styled ready to dance the night away. The song was proudly made by my cousin, Paul Jabouin musically known as Delano. His song Flambem’ (All Over Me) sets the tone for a good time.
I had to expand beyond my original vision for this holiday collection campaign. I centered the campaign around two models, one model that I have worked with many times before - and one new model that would have been a dream to work with. But nothing went according to plan. I was down to one model the morning of the shoot, and in the midst of a full panic my sister said to me - why are you looking for a replacement when you are the muse.
While that was the pivot I needed, it did not mean that I have solved all the challenges to execute the campaign. I have a unique point of view as an artist. My sweet spot is behind the scenes, onset, directing, styling and oozing over the perfect shot to sell the product. I worried about who would step in to fill in my shoes, direct me as the muse. I sure cannot direct myself; I don’t have that superpower yet. Luckily, my sister came to my rescue, brought my niece, my favorite hype girl. It was all handled.
Marie Andree modeled KADOKÉLÉ pieces at the Faces of Haiti Boston exhibit in 2018. I loved her energy and aura. We stayed in touched and worked on many projects. Her body of work and distinct sense of style made collaborating on this holiday campaign a seamless continuation of that mutual appreciation.
How it started
Fast forward to today
The holiday collection is the perfect blend of vintage aesthetics with elegant flair, crafting a curation of festive pieces to light up all your holiday gatherings whether hosting your réveillon, meeting friends for drinks or attending a corporate holiday party. We promised you will do it all in style rocking KADOKÉLÉ jewelry.
From sleek silhouettes to statement pieces, this collection offers a variety of pieces to exude classic sophistication, turn heads, no efforts required.
Executing the vision for each collection is an exhilarating journey. This fall collection centers around my love for nature. I see beauty and find art in the many textures, layers of complexity and raw elements found in nature. I meticulously crafted over 20 pieces with elements of live tree bark, preserved moss, jute ribbons harnessed with my signature sustainable materials. I hope that you appreciate the intentionality behind color selection such as khaki, army green, deep ochre and antique gold mimicking the dance of nuances found in nature in the fall season.
The KADOKÉLÉ Fall’ 24 is my best to date. It has been freeing to design jewelry pieces celebrating my greatest love. Discover texture infused into every jewelry piece for the woman who is aligned with nature and her divine power.
10.06.24 | A behind the scenes video shot on my iPhone of model Priscille @priscilleiam embodying strength and rejuvenation that nature can provide. Model wears the DOME EARRINGS in Ochre and moss
The ZILÉ COLLECTION got a few upgrades. These five new designs showcase the sleek curve in a whole new way with hand-painted textures in many sizes for everyday essentials or a few notches to your outfit.
The UPCYCLE COLLECTION has stretched my imaginations. Many pieces stand out on their own with intricate details, crafted with raw wooden disc, live tree bark, jute and rare vintage treasures.
Each piece is truly a piece of art!
Model wears the UPCYLE - OYI EARRINGS (sold out)
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Texture Of Nature is an ode to my greatest source of inspiration. May you shop pieces that evoke your divine power and ignite many conversations passing on that energy.
The holidays looked different growing up in Haiti. Christmas eve was a big celebration with family and friends over special meals, music and decadent creamy cocktail called Krémas. Fabulous outfits were not spared at all - an array of colorful sparkly clothes marked the night as people danced until dawn.
These childhood memories inspired me to create a “Get Ready to Host Your Réveillon in Style” series by styling pieces with our Réveillon Holiday Collection. See the short videos on the KADOKELE Instagram.
I am on outfit inspiration # 12 so far and here is a compilation of what I have worn to date.
