Image courtesy of Sayran Barzani
“Fashion revisits old styles—we go from blacks, whites, neutrals, to bolds…and then rich gem tones next season. I try to not follow trends and just do what my gut is telling me.”
—Sayran Barzani, Designer
With a distinctive tone that echoes of her native roots, she’s celebrating the old that holds hands with the new. Barzani says her upbringing is an integral part of her. Growing up, she was surrounded by a family that bursts with creativity.
“My grandfather is a famous Kurdish painter…my mom used to sing at Kurdish events all the time,” says Barzani. “A couple of my uncles play instruments and my grandmother sews and makes clothes, so I feel like I grew up around this artistic expression.”
With multiple finger rings and a creative flair, this brown-eyed babe is taking her Kurdish roots to a whole new level.
“Growing up, I never thought to myself I’m going to be a jewelry designer. I’m the product of immigrants, and my parents were huge on practical education for our careers. Art was just a luxury…if you had time for it.”
Image via: @sayranb
With a natural charm and bold talent, this artist has an aesthetically pleasing line with an eclectic range of colours. When asked to describe a favourite of hers, Barzani says her very first piece she’s ever sketched takes the prize.
“It was called the Third Eye’s a Charm earrings…it’s like my first child or something,” says Barzani. “It’s very dear to me and it was a super cool feeling to see something I drew become something I put on my ears. My designs went from paper to tangible objects.”
Her style is derived from her roots of Kurdistan, giving her a powerful platform in her art that lets her personal voice shine through her work.
“About four and half years ago, I started to sketch out jewelry that I wish I owned but found impossible to find. I sat on those sketches for almost a year…and the universe kind of put the next steps in front of me. It was something I couldn’t ignore,” says Barzani.
Adding a touch of modernity to the traditions of old, this artist is a trail blazer, leading the way to for a much-needed diverse voice in our fashion industries climate. In an Instagram post she mentions: “I want to see more brown girls breaking into this fashion industry, you don’t have to conform or feel out of place…or obligated to fit into something that isn’t you.”
Barzani continues breaking the mold in the design industry, matching her style of futuristic thinking with treasured traditions of the past. But this jeweler is also an upcycling empress.
“Trash into treasure is one of my favorite concepts,” says Barzani. “I’m very much inspired by upcycling and recycling materials.”
Think electric blues, eye-catching coppers, pastels and mummifying golds.
“I’ve always been super-heavily into accessorizing with jewelry specifically. I also find a lot of my inspiration at antique malls and stores for both my collections and in actual life. In some of my pieces, I use vintage findings from typically the 1960’s and 1980’s era. I’ve discovered there are so many great leftovers, and they’re all about shape, colour and unique design,” says Barzani.
This amazing artist is also known for dusting off some vintage pieces and sprinkling on a little do-it-yourself magic to her accessories.
“Jewelry pieces—whether charms, chains, tassels or poms, are all great additions,” says Barzani. “Handbags, hair pieces or outerwear…when I’m creating just for fun or for myself, I love to take old charms and beads from traditional Kurdish hats and add them to earrings or sew them onto purses. I’ll take tassels and turn them into cool keychains or charms for purses. No thing, is solely meant for that one thing, is how I see it.”
Image via: @sayranb
Barzani likes keeping out a keen eye for colourful tones that pop up during the season, but she says its more powerful when you make it your own trend.
“Fashion revisits old styles—we go from blacks, whites, neutrals, to bolds…and then rich gem tones next season. I try to not follow trends and just do what my gut is telling me,” says Barzani. “My sister always says I naturally just know what’s going to be in next, so I really just try to trust myself.”
And Barzani’s suggestion for staying sustainably savvy?
“Recycle whatever you can, however you can,” says Barzani. “Minimize too. We don’t need everything we think we need. Sustainability, especially in today’s world, is very important if we want to continue on this planet. Not just existing, but by being smarter and more considerate of our only home—earth.”
Looking for a trendy pop of colour? Spring into motion and find some fantastical edgy pieces produced by Barzani. Please support this lovely artist and her work by visiting Barzani’s spectacular collection here. And don’t forget to follower her on Instagram here or visit her Pinterest board here for some amazing interior design inspiration.
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