Mehrnaz Zarrin Hadid is a designer and maker whose practice operates at the intersection of architecture, material engineering and contemporary jewelry. Her work treats jewelry not as mere ornament but as a miniature architecture — systems of articulated parts, engineered articulation and considered material choices that move with the body and interact with light. She is best known internationally for Squama, a project that won a Golden A’ Design Award and affirmed her reputation as a technically ambitious jeweller who invents new languages from process and fabrication.
Background and Formation
Mehrnaz trained originally in architecture, and that discipline informs everything she does. Her architectural education taught her to think in systems — structure, load, material behavior, and how parts aggregate into spaces. Transposed to jewelry, those same concerns become questions about flexibility, articulation, weight distribution and the relationship between an object and the human body. Rather than treating a ring or collar as a single object, she composes it as a small structural system that adapts dynamically to movement and posture.
Squama — Process as Aesthetic
Squama is the emblematic project through which Mehrnaz made a decisive mark. The work uses a methodical combination of kerf-cutting, layering and micro-articulation to produce scale-like panels that articulate and overlap, creating a flexible surface that conforms to the contours of the wearer.
- Process-driven form: Kerfing (precision cuts at computed intervals) generates the flexibility and rhythm of the surface; the method is the ornament.
- Kinetic tactility: The scales shift and reflect light, producing a dynamic visual experience as the body moves.
- Wearability engineering: Connectivity and joint geometry are tuned to avoid pinching and to distribute weight comfortably across the body.
- Material finesse: Thin silver sheets (and, where applicable, alternate metals) are treated to balance reflectivity and durability.
Squama demonstrates a central thesis of Mehrnaz’s work: technique can be the generator of a visual language, not merely an opaque production strategy.
Making & Materials — The Technical Backbone
Mehrnaz’s studio integrates manual craft and digital fabrication. The workflow typically involves conceptual rulesets, precision cutting and careful hand assembly:
- Conceptual rulesets — parametric or rule-based sketches that define rhythm, spacing and articulation.
- Precision cutting — laser or CNC kerfing to produce repetitive elements with micron-level tolerance.
- Hand assembly & finishing — traditional metalsmithing to join, refine edges, and apply surface finishes that give each piece its final aesthetic.
Materials are chosen for their mechanical behavior as much as their appearance. Thin gauge silver behaves differently under repeated flexing than alternative alloys, so selection is dictated by fatigue tolerances, surface patina potential and tonal qualities. Where longevity and sustainability are priorities, Mehrnaz explores responsibly sourced metals and low-impact finishes.
Exhibitions, Awards & Institutional Validation
Mehrnaz’s work has been included in curated exhibitions, museum showcases and design biennials that bring contemporary jewelry into a broader design discourse. The Golden A’ Design Award for Squama provided international visibility and a professional press package that galleries and curators use when considering acquisitions or shows. Her presence in museum contexts positions her at the junction of craft, conceptual design and collectible objecthood.
Critical Reception & Press
Press coverage of Mehrnaz’s work has highlighted the rigorous link between making and meaning. Reviewers frequently point to the way Squama and related projects invert expectations: the formal delicacy of jewelry emerges from a technically demanding, almost industrial process. This tension — between fragile appearance and robust engineering — is often cited as the source of the pieces’ emotional resonance and curatorial appeal.
Market Positioning & Collectibility
Mehrnaz occupies a distinctive market position: her pieces sit between high jewelry and art-object. They appeal to collectors who value limited-edition, process-driven works; to museums and galleries seeking pieces that map craft onto contemporary design conversations; and to boutiques and concept stores that curate jewelry as part of a wider lifestyle narrative.
Because her pieces are technique-specific and require specialized production know-how, they possess defensible distinctiveness — an asset for collectors and institutions seeking provenance and design originality.
Sustainability & Ethical Craft
Sustainability in Mehrnaz’s practice is pragmatic: by optimizing material usage through precision cutting and designing for longevity (both physically and stylistically), her objects limit waste and avoid the disposable logic of mass fashion jewelry. She explores recycled metals and low-impact surface treatments where feasible, aligning material choices with a longer lifespan for each piece.
Collaborations & Cross-Disciplinary Potential
Mehrnaz’s architecture-to-jewelry trajectory makes her an ideal collaborator for cross-disciplinary projects:
- Wearables & performance designers who need responsive jewelry systems;
- Fashion houses seeking technically original capsule collections;
- Product designers interested in applying kerf and articulation techniques to larger-scale surfaces or furniture;
- Technology studios exploring haptic or sensor-integrated adornments.
Her methods translate from body-scale to object-scale, creating opportunities for limited-edition furniture, installations and kinetic sculptures.
Why Curators, Collectors and CEOs Should Care
For cultural institutions, Mehrnaz offers work that is visually arresting and intellectually layered — perfect for exhibitions that question the boundaries between craft and contemporary design. For brands and retailers, her pieces provide a premium narrative (technique → craft → exclusivity) that can be marketed across channels. For executives, cooperating with an artist like Mehrnaz can be a strategic signal: it demonstrates investment in authenticity, material R&D and design-led storytelling — assets that strengthen brand equity in premium markets.
Official Links
https://mehrnaz-zarrin-hadid.com/
https://competition.adesignaward.com/designer.php?profile=354507
https://competition.adesignaward.com/ada-winner-design.php?ID=164814
https://www.instagram.com/mehrnaz_zarrin/
https://museumofdesign.com/%21354507
https://designnewswire.com/r/9766
