Despite starting out some two years ago, jewellery designer Zohra Rahman has managed to carve a niche for herself in Pakistan’s limited accessories circuit. Possibly the country’s lone contemporary jewellery designer, Rahman’s collections embody purist sensibilities that are a far cry from the ostentatious baubles that comprise of traditional jewellery and are also quite different from trendy fashion jewellery that is all the rage these days.
StyleFile
In conversation with Zohra Rahman as she launches her latest collection.
Despite starting out some two years ago, jewellery designer Zohra Rahman has managed to carve a niche for herself in Pakistan’s limited accessories circuit. Possibly the country’s lone contemporary jewellery designer, Rahman’s collections embody purist sensibilities that are a far cry from the ostentatious baubles that comprise of traditional jewellery and are also quite different from trendy fashion jewellery that is all the rage these days.
Rahman recently hosted a private viewing for her latest collection, Memo, at the Generation (her sister Khadija spearheads it) store in Lahore. We caught up with the designer to learn more about her newest offering and future plans.
The entire Memo collection is inspired by the utilitarian paper clip. An everyday stationary item that holds our papers together, the paper clip is transformed into an object of luxury and ornamentation, fashioned into chains, chokers, rings, earrings etc. Rahman, who only likes to work using pure metals like sterling silver or gold, explains that she wanted to ensure that the collection remained purist in form and hence only used the shape of the paperclip through-out.
Zohra Rahman’s latest collection, Memo, is inspired by the utilitarian paper clip. An everyday stationary item that holds our papers together, the paper clip is transformed into an object of luxury and ornamentation, fashioned into chains, chokers, rings, earrings etc.
“We’ve been working on this collection for a while actually,” she reveals, “but it just kept getting pushed back due to the various collaborations we undertook since last year. Now that we’ve finally finished all our prior commitments we were able to complete the collection. We even managed to do a really cool shoot for it in Paris.”
Talking about the inspiration behind the collection, Rahman explains that she’s always intrigued by mundane, daily use objects. “If you take an every-day object and remove it from its function you can reimagine it in different ways, giving it a new meaning. We take a machine made object that serves a very specific purpose in life and we hand-craft it and repurpose it as something known but unique,” she explains.
Rahman’s debut collection also followed a similar ethos, having been inspired by the jagged shape of torn paper. Is there a link between her two collections or is it a coincidence? “I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” she laughs, “but it’s not contrived either. I just tend to be drawn towards such objects.”
After having created two collaborative collections, does Rahman prefer working solo or does she enjoy creating in synergy with others? “I definitely prefer creating collections on my own my own; there is greater creative freedom and there’s no one else’s vision to take into account. When I’m designing in collaboration the collection is always visually directed as opposed to being concept driven, which is how I create,” she explains.
(Above) Zohra Rahman, who only likes to work using pure metals like sterling silver or gold, explained that she wanted to ensure that the Memo collection remained purist in form and hence only used the shape of the paperclip through-out.
Where does Rahman see herself fit into Pakistan’s blinged out jewellery scene? “Jewellery, traditional particularly, is still looked upon as a form of investment and hence treated as such. We’re comfortable wearing gigantic, bejeweled pieces around while the concept doesn’t particularly work in the west. It’s probably because we approach jewellery so differently that our idea of what it is hasn’t grown in keeping with the global standard. Contemporary jewellery is still an alien concept in the country; even if there are people who appreciate it they’re not willing to purchase it,” Rahman elucidates.
As we wrap up, Rahman reveals her plans for the coming year. She’s taking her Memo collection international via a platform that is coveted globally. Unable to divulge all details at the moment (it’s still under process, she states) Rahman promises that it’s a game-changing opportunity and finally feels like her work is being understood for its craft.
