Meet Anahera Patel | Founder & CEO Anapa Jewelry

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anahera Patel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anahera, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
More than just a jewel, Anapa Jewelry honors earth’s natural treasures. Designed with intention, Anapa seeks to preserve and perpetuate native tropical cultures, keeping them alive through every handcrafted piece. I created Anapa in order to give back to a place that has my heart, my second home, the islands of Tahiti. Tahitians are such giving people, they share their culture, art, food, land, and their ocean with the world. I have been a dancer of Ori Tahiti my entire life, and because of this, I have visited and even lived in Tahiti over the years. During this time, the Tahitian people have so generously shared their land and culture with me, and the entire world. It’s not just the overwater bungalows that makes this place special, its the colorful, welcoming nature of the island and their native people. After all the love and generosity this beautiful place has given me, I knew it would be part of my mission to give back to them. Each collection has given me the opportunity to do this, through collaborations with local artists like Manu Farrarons, or our most recent launch, our Whale Hoops, in which 10% of all profits will go towards ocean preservation organizations in Tahiti who are doing important work to save our oceans and sea life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Anapa means “to shine, sparkle or flash” in the Tahitian language. And although this seems like an obvious name for a jewelry company, the meaning goes much deeper for me. Like many of us, the year 2020 shifted my world view greatly. Life as an entrepreneur and artist had been fun and exciting, and as many entrepreneurs do, I have a notebook filled with ideas. But after reflecting on life and the state of the world, I wanted to create something with true meaning and purpose and shine light on the beautiful things on our planet.

We live in an age where everything is accessible, and while that’s generally a good thing, I believe it is creating pollution, in all sense of the word. Not only are there too many generic products in the market, but our world is saturated with content, for the sake of content. I wanted to approach Anapa differently, similar to slow fashion, by creating meaningful pieces of art in small batches. Every piece of this new venture was carefully thought out, executed and created, in order to bring meaningful art into the world, instead of a random, mass produced product. For those of you who know me, I have a deep love for Polynesian culture and all things tropical. Part of my life mission is to showcase the beautiful places and cultures of the world that are often too small to see on a map, and also uplift the artists from these beautiful places through thoughtful collaborations.

Contrary to what Instagram and Tik Tok creators may lead you to believe, being an entrepreneur is not easy, and never a smooth ride. When the world shut down in 2020, my entertainment business, Mohea Entertainment, seemingly became non existent over night. As an entrepreneur, you have to remain calm and figure out the next steps. Like many entrepreneurs who were in similar situations like me, I knew I had to pivot. Yes, pivot, the buzz word of 2021! I had a book of business ideas I’ve written down over time, but I faced a personal dilemma. Did I want to create a generic new business where I could sell cheaply made products to random customers? Or did I want to challenge myself and create something of substance, to connect with a community of like minded clientele? At this stage in my entrepreneurial journey, the answer was clear, the world did not need more garbage- physical, digital or otherwise.

I approached my a long time friend, world renowned tattoo artist Manu Farrarons and shared my idea and mission. Over the years, we had discussed many potential collaborations, but nothing felt right. Much like a tattoo, both of us wanted to create something that was long lasting, high quality, and significant to the wearer. We worked for months, drawing, conceptualizing and realizing the designs of our first collection. Each piece has significant symbolism.

When I created Anapa, I made a mission to give back. After three successful launches with my collaboration with Manu, including necklaces, earrings and our innovative infinity bracelet, many people wondered what was next. As an entrepreneur, I try to plan out the year in advance, but as an artist, I never really know when inspiration will strike! I visit Tahiti two to three times a year, in order to directly work with artists in Tahiti. It was during a trip last year when a friend of ours took us out on his boat for day in the ocean and to possibly encounter some sea life. My friend Olivier Betremieux is not only a veterinarian, but he is an advocate for the ocean and sea life, and what I like to call, an animal “whisperer.” With his knowledge of animals and free diving expertise, he noticed a mama and baby whale. We approached carefully and were able to dive with them! I had never even seen a whale in real life before that moment! Observing the mom protect her baby, while still allowing us to share space with them was a profound experience. There’s nothing like have eye contact with a 40 foot humpback whale! As soon as we returned to land, I sketched a design inspired by the whales we had spent the day with! From that moment on, I was obsessed. I wanted to know more about these incredible creatures. I learned so many things, and some devastating facts about sea life and our oceans. Thousands of tourists, divers and scuba enthusiasts visit the Polynesian Islands during whale season. What some of them don’t know is how these animals are being affected by things like pollution, over fishing and shark finning. I decided that I would give 10% of profits from our Whale Hoops to the organizations in Tahiti who are working towards ocean preservation.

Every single day as an entrepreneur is challenging. If you’re considering becoming one, you may want to read that sentence again and be prepared for the unexpected on a daily basis. But I find great fulfillment in knowing that what I am creating has purpose, and that’s what drives me everyday to keep going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hosting friends is one of my favorite things to do! Whenever my friends from Tahiti visit, I love taking them to interesting restaurants to experience unique cuisine like Badmaash or Gracias Madre. Some of my favorite “must eat” places include Yardbird, Tatsu Ramen, and Sugarfish. In a city full of creatives, there’s no shortage of good food, places to eat or people to meet! I always try to mix in some tourist hot spots to visit like Runyon Canyon and the Getty, with someone of the more local events like the Long Beach Flea market to shop vintage treasures, or maybe an outdoor movie at the park. I also love taking them to Clifton’s Republic downtown where they can discover the different themed rooms, I love seeing their reactions when we step inside! And you can’t leave LA without experiencing a rooftop view at least once! One of my favorite places is the Broken Shaker rooftop or even the W Hotel Hollywood rooftop bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am a strong believer in that no success is ever achieved alone. There’s truly so many people that have been part of my journey that made it all possible. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my business partner and first collaborator, Manu Farrarons. Not only an incredible artist and pioneer of the modern Polynesian tattoo, Manu is a successful entrepreneur and shares my mission of giving back to the people and island of Tahiti. I’d also like to thank Sophia Amoruso and the team at Business Class for encouraging me and supporting me on my journey since day one. Also to Anthony Manaois, and his incredibly talented family at Hula Halau O’Nalua/’Otea’ ‘Api for introducing me to the beautiful culture of Tahiti through dance and music. My journey began with them. I’d like to thank my parents for the unconditional support of my ambitious goals and desire to be an entrepreneur and artist. To all the friends, family, and customers who support our business and mission, thank you for all the “likes,” “follows,” “shares,” orders, and words of encouragement, it has meant the world to us. And finally, to all of the Maohi of Tahiti, thank you for opening your arms and inviting me into your world. Tahiti has my heart forever, and it is because of the people who welcome and generously share their culture with us. Māuruuru Roa.

Website: www.anapajewelry.com

Instagram: @anapajewelry

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anapa-jewelry/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anapajewelryUS

Image Credits
First two images Underwater – Tim Mckenna Photography Other images Cyril Georgin Tropical Studio Tahiti