Zohra Rahman
Zohra Rahman is the creative force behind the eponymous and awe-inspiring label. Originating from Lahore, Pakistan, Zohra later on moved to London, UK, to study jewellery design at the renowned Central Saint Martins. Upon graduating in 2014 she returned back to her hometown to open her own in-house studio, where she upholds traditional designs and silversmithing, fused with a flair of modern design and innovation, and also trains artisans through apprenticeship. She has a keen eye for detail, and her collections are very much a blend of traditional craftsmanship and artisanal jewellery making techniques. These have earned her a name as one of the pioneers in contemporary luxury jewellery design in Pakistan. Zohra has also been recognized by numerous prestigious publications, including Vogue, WWD, and Wallpaper Magazine and has agreed to answer a few questions for Tides Magazine.
Zohra Rahman by Umar Nadeem.
Where did your passion for silversmithing start?
My passion for silversmithing is something that has been developing slowly and steadily. The more I continue working with the material, the closer I feel to it and the more I grow to appreciate and understand it. The exploration is limitless.
Your jewelry is a mixture of something very traditional and also modern, do you find it hard to fuse these two elements together?
It feels natural to me to combine the two. I find it artificial to limit oneself and stick to one element. It can sometimes look contrived.
Where do you mostly seek inspiration from?
Anywhere that catches my attention. It can be techniques and construction, sculpture and architecture, urban and tribal jewellery or my personal style icons. It's also a lot to do with my mood at the moment and my journey. Each collection is a reaction to the previous one.
What kind of piece of jewelry do you think every person should own?
From Zohra’s studio. Photo by Umar Nadeem.
I don't know if such a piece exists in my eyes. But people should own pieces that speak to their style and that don't end up wearing them.
What do you think makes an excellent piece of jewelry?
Jewellery that you grow to appreciate more and more with time.
What does your personal creative process look like? Do you usually start with a formed idea in your head already or do you have to do a lot of ‘trial and error’ before you reach your final design?
I’m all over the place when I'm creating and that’s the most enjoyable part for me. Sometimes I have an idea in my head and it turns out perfectly the first time we prototype it. Other times it's completely off and we have to play around with it a lot to figure out what's wrong, or we just have to drop it (and maybe pick it up later)!
Alvina Bokhari by Umar Nadeem, styled by Azka Shahid.
How important is traditional craftsmanship to you in todays fast fashion society? Is there a difference between London and Lahore when it comes to this?
I think it's more important than ever before, as it's becoming rarer and getting replaced by machine-made everything. Pakistan still heavily relies on handmade craft and I think that's so beautiful. Objects have more meaning when someone has made it with their hands. That's something that can never be replaced.
A lot of your pieces are very sculptural, especially the bigger ones. Are you heavily inspired by art at times, if so, which artists inspire you the most?
Yes, of course. Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe. Moholy Nagy, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, and a lot of nameless artists who are creating art and design around me everyday, for example, blacksmiths, carpenters and decorators.
From Zohra’s Lahore based studio. Photo by Umar Nadeem.
What has it been like setting up your own studio in Lahore? Was being able to do this very important to you after graduating from CSM?
After graduating it was a dream to have a studio of my own. A place to experiment and to have that freedom to create, like I did at university. Although I would say we are still setting up the studio and improving and upgrading it. It's always a work in progress. There is just too much a fully functioning jewellery workshop requires!
Zohra’s newest collection, ‘After the Gold Rush’, is now available online at her website as well Luisa Via Roma and Third Edit. Also, in store, at Paper Mache Tiger, 26 Cross Street, N1 2BG, London, UK.
Words by Lilja Hrönn.
Photography by Umar Nadeem.
Lookbooks bellow courtesy of Zohra Rahman.
