Zohra Rahman’s eponymous jewelry label is an ode to her history; the Lahore-based designer creates pieces with an emphasis on craft and community—reimagining traditional apprenticeships and heralding a new age of gharānā.
Rahman studied jewelry design at Central Saint Martins, but unlike many of her contemporaries, left London upon graduating, determined to set up her business where she had grown up, Lahore in Pakistan. Here, she has created a workshop that is bound to the concept of gharānā; an artisanal apprenticeship that traditionally linked generations of craftspeople. In her studio, she has reimagined this concept—individually training each apprentice in the intricacies of jewelry making. From their space in Lahore, Rahman and her small team craft each and every piece sold by the studio; from the melting of the metal to engraving, molding, finishing and polishing. We spoke to Rahman about her decision to leave London, and the challenges and rewards of being a young woman opening a business in Pakistan.
