Where are you based?
My life is divided between Mexico City, Paris, and Los Angeles. I spend almost equal amounts of time in each, and all three feel like home to me in different ways. I grew up between Mexico and Paris, so moving between cultures, languages, and countries has always been part of my identity. Perhaps because of that, I never developed a strong attachment to one particular place. I feel at home wherever I can create, spend time with the people I love, and find beauty in everyday life.
What took you to Los Angeles?
Los Angeles initially came into my life through my husband's work and later through my children's education.
At the time, we felt the United States offered wonderful opportunities for them, so we built a life there. We returned to Mexico for a period, but eventually settled again in Los Angeles until our children completed their studies. That said, we have always been a very nomadic family. Moving between countries never felt unusual to us because that was already the rhythm of my childhood. Living between cultures has shaped both my life and my creative vision.
Tell us about your life journey and creating Colette.
I often say that jewellery chose me; I did not choose jewellery. As far back as I can remember, stones, jewellery, and objects of beauty have occupied my thoughts and my hands. My fascination with gemstones began when I was a child. I was endlessly curious about their colours, their light, their origins, and the stories they seemed to carry inside them. That fascination eventually became Colette.
This year marks thirty years of the brand, and in many ways my newest collection, Anise, celebrates that journey. It is composed of gemstones I have collected throughout my entire career—stones that waited years, sometimes decades, for the right moment to become jewellery. For me, jewellery is never simply decorative. It is emotional. It carries memory, meaning, protection, love, and identity. That belief has guided every piece I have created over the last three decades.
Was it a childhood dream to be a jewellery designer?
Absolutely. I cannot remember a time when I wanted to be anything else. As a little girl, I would collect fragments of geodes and gemstones my mother had gathered over the years. I would peel the copper wires from old telephone cables and wrap the stones by hand, creating my first pieces of jewellery.
My father loved cars and kept a workshop full of tools. I would disappear into that space and experiment for hours. I even discovered that a little automotive oil made the stones look brighter and more alive. Looking back, those tiny creations were probably the very beginning of Colette.
How was starting this business for you? Any advice?
Starting a business is never easy, especially in a field that combines creativity, craftsmanship, production, finance, and entrepreneurship. There are beautiful moments, but there are also difficult moments that test your determination. My advice is simple: be persistent. Be willing to learn continuously. Be humble enough to study your craft and disciplined enough to master it. Jewellery is not only about creativity. It requires technical knowledge, gemology, manufacturing, sourcing, design, and an understanding of people. The more you understand every step of the process, the stronger your foundation becomes. Most importantly, do not give up when things become difficult. Success usually belongs to the people who continue when everyone else stops.
What have been the key turning points in your life?
The first was growing up between Mexico and Paris, which taught me to see the world through different lenses and appreciate different cultures. The second was founding Colette and deciding to build a business around something I genuinely loved.
"Living between cultures has shaped both my life and my creative vision."
Another important turning point was becoming a mother. Motherhood changed my priorities and taught me lessons about responsibility, patience, and unconditional love that no business ever could. And now, becoming a grandmother has opened an entirely new chapter. It has reminded me that success is meaningful, but relationships are what truly endure.
Life mottos? Any role models?
My guiding principle has always been simple: create with purpose, live with curiosity, and never stop learning. I have always been drawn to women who possessed both strength and individuality—who remained deeply themselves regardless of circumstance. Frida Kahlo is one of them. Beyond her artistic genius, I admire her extraordinary ability to transform adversity into beauty. She lived through profound physical and emotional pain, yet created a body of work that continues to resonate across generations. There is tremendous courage in that.
"I feel at home wherever I can create, spend time with the people I love, and find beauty in everyday life."
Queen Elizabeth II is another. What fascinates me is her unwavering sense of duty. For more than seventy years, she carried the weight of an institution larger than herself with remarkable discipline, composure, and consistency. In a world that celebrates reinvention, there is something deeply admirable about a person who understands her mission and fulfills it with grace.
I also greatly admire Carmen Busquets. She represents a modern kind of visionary—someone who understands creativity, entrepreneurship, technology, and culture simultaneously. She has consistently recognised possibilities before others could see them, and I find that incredibly inspiring. Ultimately, I admire people who create. Whether they are artists, entrepreneurs, or leaders, what interests me most is the courage to bring an idea into existence and remain faithful to it.
"Success usually belongs to the people who continue when everyone else stops."
How do you define luxury? What is your luxury?
Luxury, to me, has very little to do with possessions. It is the ability to slow down enough to fully inhabit a moment. Some of my most luxurious moments would seem surprisingly simple to others: an excellent coffee in Paris; an evening bath in complete silence; a long walk by the ocean; the feeling of sunlight on my skin; reading uninterrupted for an afternoon.
Luxury is also being able to spend time with the people I love. Playing with my granddaughter, listening to my children tell stories, sitting around a table and laughing about nothing in particular.
One of my greatest luxuries is travel. Not the destination itself, but the space between destinations. I adore long-haul flights. For ten uninterrupted hours, nobody needs anything from me. I do not connect to Wi-Fi. I read, write, think, dream, and simply exist. In today's world, uninterrupted solitude is one of the rarest luxuries imaginable.
The older I become, the more I realise that true luxury is softness: a comfortable bed with beautiful linen sheets, peace of mind, meaningful conversations, good health, and the freedom to choose how you spend your time.
What is on your Christmas wishlist?
If I could choose anything, I would spend my days wandering through antique markets and hidden fairs in Rome, Paris, London, or Seville, searching for forgotten treasures and beautiful objects with stories to tell. I have always loved treasure hunting. I collect antique hand-painted medals and devotional objects, partly because they inspire my jewellery, but also because they connect me to the lives and craftsmanship of those who came before us. Nothing excites me more than discovering a piece that has been quietly waiting for someone to appreciate it again. In many ways, my Christmas wishlist is simply more opportunities to explore, learn, and discover.
How is life in your expat home?
Mexico, Paris, and Los Angeles are not temporary destinations for me; they are all home. Each one contains a complete life, a complete rhythm, and a complete version of myself. I have never felt uprooted because I do not believe home belongs to a single geography. Home is where I am. Moving between worlds became natural very early in life. It taught me to adapt, to observe, and to find familiarity in different places. I often describe myself as chameleonic. I move easily between cultures because I genuinely enjoy understanding them. I never arrive somewhere feeling like an outsider looking in. I arrive curious, engaged, and ready to belong.
Expat or a local?
If I had to choose, I would say local. I feel local everywhere. The world has always felt larger than borders to me, and I have been fortunate enough to build a life that reflects that belief. Whether I am in Mexico City, Paris, Los Angeles, or somewhere entirely new, I immerse myself in the culture, the people, the traditions, and the everyday rituals that make a place unique.
Perhaps that is the greatest gift of living between cultures: you learn that belonging is not necessarily about where you were born. It is about curiosity, openness, and connection.