MIDDLE EAST SOUK
Leila Kashanipour
Kash and carry A. Lapis necklace, $670, Leila Kashanipour. B. Chunky lapis ring, $600, Leila Kashanipour. C. Skull necklace with blue sapphires, $1100, Leila Kashanipour.
She still might be enrolled as a student at Central Saint Martins in London, but this hasn’t stopped Leila Kashanipour from launching her own jewellery collection. Using an abbreviated version of her name, Lei Van Kash has already amassed a wealth of clients in both Europe and the Middle East. Kashanipour is a hands-on designer who isn’t afraid of rolling up her sleeves. A true craftswoman, she is involved in every stage of the production process, from sketching designs right through to crafting pieces with the necessary moulds and drills in her London and Tehran workshops. She also mines her Persian heritage for inspiration. Not only did she name her first collection ‘Shuroo’, which means ‘first’, ‘start’ or ‘beginning’, but Persian themes also surface in the symbolism that she uses in her jewellery.
D. Large black patent ‘Day Clutch’ with wooden handle, $422, Zina Eva. E. Small black patent ‘Ellie Clutch’ with wooden handle, $375, Zina Eva.
Zina Eva
F. Sautoir ‘Pépite’ necklace, $100, Nada Zeineh.
Women’s appetites for bags are becoming more insatiable by the minute. No one is more aware of this than Zina Eva who manages to add new handbags to her collection on a fortnightly basis. Her extensive collection of leather-lined bags includes the ‘Annie’ clutch, with its bold buckle; the squashy ‘Small Bella’, featuring a bold Guacayan wood handle; and the roomy and accommodating ‘Tote’, which, at 16 inches long and 12 inches high, is perfect for weekends away. All Zina Eva bags are fashioned from the finest skins and materials, including pebble deerskin, croc-embossed lamb or Italian calf.
G. Red clutch bag with gold embroidered gun, $230, Seven Minutes. H. ‘Alep’ brass gold-plated necklace, $150, Nada Zeineh. I. Rose ring 24-carat gold-plated silver, $730, Leila Kashanipour. Note all prices throughout are approximate.
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50 ALEF MAGAZINE March/April 2008
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