Article: Foyal: Where Architecture Becomes Adornment
Foyal: Where Architecture Becomes Adornment
A new collection by MoAnA LUU, inspired by the heart of Fort-de-France
In the bustling heart of Fort-de-France, nestled between palm-lined streets and the rhythm of the Caribbean Sea, stands a building that has long watched over the city the Schœlcher Library. To locals, the city is lovingly called Foyal, a Creole nickname as warm and familiar as the tropical breeze. To MoAnA LUU, it’s home and the place where her design journey quietly began.
As a child growing up in Martinique, MoAnA walked past the iconic library every day on her way through La Savane. Its intricate architecture, bold letters, and rich symbolism left a lasting imprint on her imagination. Decades later, those very details became the foundation for her newest fine jewelry collection: Foyal.
The Story Behind the Collection
The Foyal collection transforms the bold architectural letters that grace the entrance of the Schœlcher Library into sculptural gold amulets each one a wearable tribute to heritage, self-expression, and Creole soul. Built in Paris in the late 1800s and shipped piece-by-piece to Martinique, the library is a symbol of resilience, multiculturalism, and empowerment. Its purpose was to provide access to knowledge for all especially for newly emancipated people. Today, its façade still bears the inscription “République Française,” a reminder of the ideals it represents.
“Born and raised in this vibrant city, I passed by this building every day. Its bold typography and layered design left a permanent mark on my creative journey. This collection is a tribute to Creole culture and the richness of Caribbean architecture, to the symbols that first sparked my imagination. To the heart of Fort-de-France, lovingly called Foyal. To my home.” MoAnA LUU
Design Details That Tell a Story
Each charm in the Foyal collection is a four-sided gold bead, with a bold, vintage-inspired silhouette and adorned with delicate leaf motifs symbolizing growth and nature. The beads also incorporate the house’s signature rattan webbing, where form and function meet craftsmanship and culture.
Strung on a woven chain, the charms are designed to be worn as a single bold initial or combined to spell out a name, a mantra, or a message. The result: a modern heirloom, both playful and powerful, rooted in Creole identity and crafted for storytelling.
A Tribute to Identity
In every way, Foyal is about connection to place, to language, to personal history. It invites each wearer to participate in the narrative, to carry a piece of Fort-de-France with them, wherever they go.
It is a collection born from memory, shaped by architecture, and finished with meaning. And most of all, it’s an invitation: to spell your story in gold.
