Press Release
Squama Body Jewelry by Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid Wins the Golden A' Design Award in Jewelry Design
Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid honored for jewelry design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Squama Body Jewelry by Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category. The result belongs to the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
More About Squama Body Jewelry
The Squama is part of the Kerf Collection, a series that treats the body as a shifting landscape. Through precise kerf cuts, the silver gains fluidity, bending effortlessly to follow the body's natural topography. Its undulating surface catches and disperses light, creating a luminous gradient that shifts with movement. The interplay of incandescent highlights and satin-finished shadows accentuates the body's form, turning reflection into a living expression of light. The name Squama evokes an allusion to overlapping layers of plates, reflecting light in intricate patterns.
About Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid
Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid is an architect and designer whose work spans multiple scales—from jewelry and product design to furniture and large architectural projects. She leads and directs design across both independent and collaborative initiatives, with a focus on material exploration, spatial relationships, and interwoven, iterative processes. Her approach treats design as an evolving practice that challenges conventions, questions norms, and embraces the unpredictable.
Award Record
With this recognition, Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Jewelry Design Award
The A' Jewelry Design Award is an international jewelry design competition recognizing good jewelry designs by best jewelry designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to jewelry designers, jewelry brands, jewelers and goldsmiths from all countries. Typical entries include rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants. The awarded jewelry designs are published at https://desingers.org/design-category/jewelry
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://desingers.org/164814
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164814
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164814
- Laureate Profile: https://desingers.org/d/354507
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://mehrnaz-zarrin-hadid.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Squama Body Jewelry
- Function
- Body Jewelry
- Category
- Jewelry Design
- Discipline
- Fashion Design
- Industry
- Luxury and Fashion
- Colors
- Black, Lavender, Indian Red, Rosy Brown and Sienna
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid
- Country
- Iran
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164814
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographers: Gabriel Salcedo, Mahbod NourMohamadi, Kerf Collection, Squama , 2024; Gabriel Salcedo, Mahbod NourMohamadi, Kerf Collection, Squama 2024; Gabriel Salcedo, Mahbod NourMohamadi, Kerf Collection, Squama ,2024; Mohammad Esmaeili, Kerf Collection, Squama , 2024 , video,Videographer and Editor: Amir Doustdarnia, Lighting and Videographer assistant:Mohammad Esmaeili
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Squama is part of the Kerf Collection, a series that explores the interplay of technique and material properties while treating the body as context. Through precise kerf cuts, the silver gains fluidity, bending effortlessly to follow the body's natural topography. Its undulating surface catches and disperses light, creating a luminous gradient that shifts with movement. The interplay of incandescent highlights and satin-finished shadows accentuates the body's form, transforming reflection into a dynamic expression of light. These reflective effects keep the piece alive, almost like a living creature.
- Inspiration
- Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid's inquiry begins with the question: How can technique generate aesthetics simultaneously? This exploration transcends mere ornamentation and fundamentally emphasizes the intrinsic role of technique itself. In her research for designing this collection, it is essential to integrate both experimental and technical aspects. She investigates the technical possibilities that align innovative aesthetic concepts with robust technical principles, viewing them as interconnected rather than isolated processes. A cohesive approach to design, technique, and material properties can unlock new possibilities that might remain inaccessible when approached from a fragmented perspective.
- Research
- How can technique operate as a generative design machine?The vital experimental phase began with 3D printed prototypes utilizing the kerf bending technique, followed by laser cut devices. Factors such as cut direction, distances, and material properties were explored to optimize bending and achieve material self-sufficiency without the need for additional structure. The aim was to identify suitable technologies and materials, with silver emerging as the most effective due to its transformative properties when transitioning from flat to bent shapes based on the technique.
- Challenge
- This kerf collection project is experimental in nature and requires the testing of a series of prototypes. However, I face challenges due to the limited availability of 3D printing and laser cutting technology, as well as materials in Iran. Balancing the design with the necessary technology for the final products can be difficult. Additionally, there is a shortage of skilled operators for these devices, requiring me to find qualified individuals to manage the technical aspects of laser cutting and 3D printing. As a result, I must conduct extensive independent research on relevant technologies and materials.
- Realization and Technology
- The experimental phase of this project has been crucial in examining the integration of kerf bending techniques with various material properties. I tested a range of materials and methods to identify the most effective combinations for achieving optimal results in both functionality and design. Techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting were utilized. Key factors included curve geometries, cut depth, strip width, material thickness, and spacing. An important aspect of this phase was emphasizing the self-sufficiency of both the techniques and the materials used.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Squama Jewelry features a silver flat design when not in use, effortlessly transforming to fit comfortably around the wrist and neck when worn. These pieces are part of the continually expanding collection known as the Kerf Collection, which reveals the body's landscape as context. The fabrication technique and materials create dynamic reflections that shift with the wearer’s movements, adding an interactive element. With the ability to extend from the wrist to the elbow in a single piece, it adapts to create a customizable look that reflects personal taste.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in March 2023 and finished in 2024
- Specifications
- The simple version of the Squama bracelet measures 30mm x 0.5mm x 228mm but can be customized to fit individual wrist sizes. The Squama necklace measures 380mm x 0.5mm x 32mm. Additionally, the extendable version of the bracelet can be adjusted to fit personal preferences, allowing it to extend from the wrist to the elbow.
- Keywords
- Body as context, Body landscape, Kerfs collection, Transformation, integrity of technique and aesthetics in design Technique, Reflection, Squama , Alive piece, luminous gradient
