A native of Taxco, Mexico, the helm of the country's silver production, Espinosa began making jewelry under his own name eight years ago. With franchises in 18 cities in Mexico, and department store distribution in Spain and at Galeries Lafayettes in Paris, Espinosa opened his first U.S. store, in Beverly Hills, on May 21.

Now, five months to the day later, his American push continues with this New York boutique. The 660-square-foot space is splashed with orange, on both the walls and light fixtures, a color that Espinosa says represents creativity for him.

Mexico's most chic women have been wearing Espinosa's sleek modern silver jewelry for years. Salma Hayek is a loyal fan, and Mexico's First Lady Martha Sahagun de Fox has been wearing Espinosa's pieces this week while in Japan with her husband, President Vicente Fox. "Latin people love the jewels," explains Espinosa, who splits his time between Mexico City and Madrid. "Necklaces, bracelets, earrings -- all at the same time." Sultry Latin songstress Shakira has also been known to accessorize with Espinosa's jewelry.

But it's only recently that the American jet set has caught on to his bold style. Madonna discovered the line at the Beverly Hills boutique and selected several pieces from the new 18K gold collection, adorned with pearls and Peruvian opal. No word yet on whether she's wearing them all the same time though.

"I'm bringing new ideas to the ancient tradition of silversmiths," says Espinosa. "We've changed completely the design, but you can see we still use the same techniques." According to the designer, jewelry design in Mexico hasn't changed much since the mid-1930s; he sums up the dominant theme as, "basic ethnic styles." And while he admits the initial reaction of his family and friends back home to his early efforts was "what are you doing?," they've since come around to the hard-edged geometric shapes and very urban appeal of his designs. His brother has even joined him in the business, working on the commercial side.

All of Espinosa's pieces (each collection includes about 1,000) are handmade and most of his workers are the same people he played with as a child. "It's an interesting way of working," he says. And one that engenders exuberant creativity.

Versatility is also key to Espinosa's designs, and this latest collection is aptly titled "Chameleon." One long silver mesh piece sprinkled and fringed with semiprecious stones, for example, can be worn as a necklace or a belt. Prices are also adaptable, ranging from $500 to $40,000.

Company president and CEO Phillip Raizen describes Espinosa's latest pieces as "more funky, with more attitude" than his previous work. "People are drawn to Daniel's jewelry because they know no one else will have it," he says.