"A great piece of jewelry can bring anything to life," says designer Isabel Encinias. "It instantly gives attitude and character. You can tell a lot about people by the accessories they wear."

Isabel has been collaborating with Urban Zen, as well as traveling regularly with Donna Karan to Haiti with the objective of developing artisan commerce sustainability projects. Given Isabel’s multi-cultural background and experience, she’s a natural for the job. The daughter of a French woman and Hispanic-American Apace father, Isabel grew up between New Mexio and Paris. After traveling the world with a photo-journalist, the father of her three children, she became design director at John Hardy in Bali, where she stayed for three years. Today, when she’s not in Haiti, Isabel travels between her home in Paris and working with Urban Zen in New York.

"I love working with Isabel," says Donna. "It was destined because we have so many connections, including that she went to school with Clarissa Block (who works in Donna's office) to living in Bali as the design director of John Hardy. Isabel shares my passion for Bali and my love and hope for Haiti. We’re very in sync creatively."

As a designer, Isabel’s pieces are alive with movement. She loves to work out the technical, mechanical aspects of design. In crafting Urban Zen’s body jewelry, Isabel collaborated with technical designer Nathan Green, taking an architectural approach to design. "A sort of super-technical world of cut and paste with leather," she laughs

Urban Zen's jewelry is bold and sculptural, instantly becoming one with a woman’s body and clothes. Globally-inspired, everything is handmade and textured, with intricate slices, coils and leather-covered discs and beads that wrap in ropes around the the neck or coil in multiples up the arm. Colors are inspired by nature, melding with whatever they’re worn with. And the skin on skin aspect gives it a sensuous touch and feeling. These are pieces you can't help but caress.

Like Donna, Haiti has deeply touched Isabel’s heart and creativity. "I think my whole life has changed since I went to Haiti. Everything about that country amazes me. The people are incredible. It reminds of Bali in many ways. There is an untapped world of talent, design and materials that I am very excited to explore and develop."