By: Ghazal Mostafa
Roham Babaei Fard founded his jewelry brand after completing his Civil Engineering degree. He had always been interested in architecture and design and so it did not take long before his interest in artifacts, antique ornaments, and colored gems inspired him to create his own jewelry collection. In his designs, Roham relies on and utilizes elements such as flowers, birds and insects.
Please tell us about yourself and your background.
I am an architect as well as a jewelry designer because I have always loved architecture as well as other forms of art. Jewelry design is my second passion and my second job aside from architecture, but I find the two very similar and connected to one another.
When did you discover your love of jewelry? What first led you in the direction of making jewelry?
Even as a young boy, I liked old jewelries, antique pieces, and old stained glasses and how the rays of light would pass through them and create a vivid sense of life. I would always admire antique jewelries but never thought that I would pursue it as a career. Around four years ago I started making jewelry as a hobby and slowly it picked up as more people liked what I designed and made, and soon jewelry design became my second job.
How would you describe your collections? Where do you find your design inspiration? What inspires you the most?
I would describe my collections as a magic world of colors, insects, flowers and simulation of what we imagine as paradise. When it comes to my collections, I find nature to be the most inspiring element.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your jewelry?
I want women to feel confident and special. I want them to stand out and be unique. In fact, most of my clients feel like that when are wearing my jewelry and they tell me that when they enter a gathering, they always receive compliments on their earrings or necklace.
Who are some of your biggest idols in fashion? (Globally, in Iran, Europe…)
I don’t have a fashion idol. I truly love antique jewelries, but most of the time their designer is unknown.
What are your favorite materials to use?
I use brass as my main material instead of gold since I prefer my pieces to be valued based on the design and my creativity instead of how much gold has been used in them. I use semi-precious stones and my pieces are mostly limited editions. I want my creations to be used by people who really appreciate them.
What’s your favorite piece of jewelry that you’ve made so far and why?
I would say that my favorite piece is one of my latest necklaces. It is an olive branch with two doves carrying a stone. The stone’s color and aura resemble the universe and our galaxy. We live in a time where the world is faced with Covid-19 pandemic, war and poverty in many of its corners, and we see what is happening in Afghanistan. My hope is that one day soon, the world will be filled with peace. This necklace is how I would describe world peace and a world without war.
How would you describe Iran’s growing fashion industry? What are the opportunities and obstacles for Iranian designers? And how do you evaluate Iran’s market for national products?
Fashion in Iran is growing but not in a distinctive and original way. There are some great designers in Iran who are famous for their work in this market but at the same time we see a lot of copying going on in designs and styles. In general, I see a lot of promising professional designers in the growing fashion industry in our country.
The main obstacle for Iranian designers is that the fashion scene here is quite limited as far as its market size. I believe that fashion should be an international endeavor and that designers should have access to international events and shows so that they can grow at a global level.
Iran’s market for national products has a long way to go to become independent. Iranian high-quality products are pricy, and therefore they are not available to the general public. Sometimes their prices are as high as those of famous outside brands.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your work?
I am sorry that a lot of people have lost their loved ones due to Covid 19. It has been a challenging period on many levels for people around the world and all businesses everywhere have been affected by this tragedy. In Iran too most events have been canceled and that has definitely impacted my work. But I tried to see Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to better appreciate life and my loved ones and become a better person.
What advice would you have for aspiring jewelry designers?
I would tell them to be creative and find their own style. Social media has now enabled us to be connected to a broader audience and designers have the opportunity to be seen by more people and grow at much faster pace than before. Unfortunately, this connectivity has also meant that a lot of people copy other designers, and I am completely against that. I believe that if someone is putting the time and energy into creating something, it must be on something unique and creative that has never been done before. No matter how beautiful a copy might be, it will never have the same value as an original piece.
