Offbeat placing, diamonds and cool cuts: Shahla Karimi’s architecturally inspired jewellery
Fine jewellery is given a cool spin by the New York-based designer Shahla Karimi, who riffs off architectural references for her eponymous brand
‘I’ve always tried to approach design like an architect rather than a jewellery designer,’ says New York-based Shahla Karimi, who riffs off architectural references when creating the distinctive jewellery for her eponymous brand. ‘Each capsule feels like a unique site, shaped by a specific moment in time and context. This perspective helps me explore different directions without being limited to one aesthetic. While the forms may differ, they all share a common design language that connects them.’
Karimi has quickly established a strong visual identity throughout her extensive collections, focusing on boldly drawn lines, unexpected stone placements and sensual silhouettes that eschew stiffness to swoop and flow over the body.
In her jewellery, she looks to the lines and ratios in architecture for inspiration, with recent capsule collections inspired by Herzog & de Meuron, Hossein Amanat, Antoni Gaudí, Le Corbusier, and Balkrishna Doshi. During a recent visit to Mumbai, she also began to appreciate buildings including Le Corbusier’s works in Chandigarh and the Indian Institute of Management, designed by Louis Kahn.
‘The Le Corbusier capsule is hallmarked by framed diamond baguettes mounted atop high-polish platinum and gold representing the modernist concrete and clean lines of Chandigarh, with the natural integration of the reflection pools, together forming a balance of form and soul,’ says Karimi.
It is an aesthetic she draws on more generally throughout her jewellery designs. ‘I tend to connect the most with buildings that have bold geometry and clean lines, modernist and postmodern architecture of late. The architects that inspire me incorporate modern materials like concrete, glass, steel and now sustainable alternatives. They leverage the latest in technology to create things the world has never seen.’
Karimi approaches form versus function as an enjoyable challenge: ‘Each piece needs to be both comfortable and ergonomic, and producable. Production can be challenging, especially when working with fabricators and finishers who have honed their craft in a certain way for decades. We’re fortunate to have innovative partners who embrace new ideas. They skillfully fuse different metals, bezel-set custom-cut diamonds – no easy task – and collaborate with us to develop algorithms that predict fit for non-traditional rings, like the Azadi wraps. Understanding how much a wrap displaces size on a finger is complex, requiring multiple rounds of design and quick iterations.’
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Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
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