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At the center of French designer Veronique Manchharam’s world is a simple desire: to make things that feel good to wear. Not just luxurious or beautiful—though her pieces are certainly both—but pieces that sit lightly on the body and tell stories of faraway places, vivid botanicals, and the women who wear them. That instinct has carried her across continents, inspired over three decades of design, and now, it’s brought her demi-fine jewelry label Bohème SG to Manila.
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The French-born, Dubai-bred, and India-forged founder of Bohème SG has been designing for over 30 years, but it was a personal quest for lighter earrings in sweltering India that sparked her jewelry line. “I couldn’t wear the earrings I had—they were too heavy. So, I made my own.”
Manchharam recently introduced her brand with a three-day trunk show at Comme Çi. The boutique became a garden of gleaming pearls, palm-shaped silhouettes, and floral motifs rendered in recycled brass and colorful stones.
Crafted Across Continents
Bohème SG’s story began in Dubai, where a young Veronique, newly arrived, couldn’t find clothes she liked—so she made her own. “I designed my clothes, my kids’ clothes, and I started from there,” she shares. That DIY instinct would carry her across continents: to Thailand, where she first encountered the world of stones; then India, where jewelry became her language of expression; and now Singapore, where she’s based and continues to grow her brand.
What began as personal problem-solving evolved into a full-fledged label, now stocked in over 40 shops worldwide—from Russia and Eastern Europe to China, Indonesia, and France. While the locations shift, her muse remains constant: nature. “My design aesthetic is about representing nature—flowers, animals, organic shapes,” she explains. “It’s for free-spirited, bold women.”
Each Bohème SG collection is a passport in metal and stone: pearls for the Middle East, orchids and bright gems for Southeast Asia, zebra prints and earth tones for Africa. Her clients, she notes, are as varied as the landscapes that inspire her—“20 to 70 years old, South American, Lebanese, Asian, French… I’m very lucky.”
A Tropical Affair in Manila
The decision to bring Bohème SG to the Philippines came as naturally as the coral, pearl, and leaf-like motifs in her collection. “I’m always drawn to tropical countries,” Veronique says. “Those collections—orchids, palm trees, bright stones—they always sell best.” There’s a clear alignment between her muse and Manila’s setting.
The collections also offered a glimpse into her ethos of mindful making. “I use recycled brass—because it can be reused endlessly,” she explains. “The pearls and stones are mostly sourced within India, to reduce our carbon footprint. Even the packaging—we stopped using the shiny boxes. It didn’t match the spirit of the brand.”
Other than sustainability, Bohème SG is also quietly philanthropic. Past collections have raised funds for children’s education in Africa. “Fashion is subtle,” she says. “Everyone should do their small part.”
Jewelry From Everywhere
Based in Singapore and deeply inspired by it, Manchharam’s past collections have explored the island’s tropical palette. But she’s already setting her sights on new ground: “My next collection will be Brazil. But I’m already thinking of the Philippines.” What might that look like? “I’d need to explore more,” she muses. “Maybe go to a museum, see what’s traditional. I know I’d use bright colors—orange, yellow, green, and blue like the sea.
Whether it’s through sampaguita-inspired forms or textures borrowed from coral, the idea of a Philippine collection feels almost inevitable. When it does arrive, it’ll take the natural world and reimagine it into a vibrant presence, one that bears the imprint of sea winds, tropical blooms, and a life well-traveled.
BOHÈME SG is available at Comme Ci, R2 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati
Photos courtesy of SHAUNA JAY POPPLE
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