Different by design: Zaha Hadid and Georg Jensen
The late architect's distinctive style graces sculptural rings and bangles in a cutting-edge collaboration with the Danish jeweller
That designs by Zaha Hadid continue to be released nearly six months after her untimely passing is a testament to her industriousness and creative vision. Her signature sweeping fluid forms, seen on landmarks such as the London Aquatics Centre and Guangzhou Opera House, are truly distinctive, but the strength of her style shines through in that it remains instantly recognisable, even when taken out of the context of architecture.
Her collaboration with Danish design house Georg Jensen is a natural pairing – each uses clean lines and sculptural forms to maximum effect. The new jewellery collection, comprising five rings and three cuff bangles, is resplendent with undulating silhouettes and beautiful curves that elegantly sweep over the wrist or finger. The striped relief pattern cleverly plays with light, changing depending on the materials used. Silver and black rhodium lend a clean and graphic aesthetic, while the use of yellow gold, set with brilliant-cut diamonds, brings an additional sumptuousness to the ultra-modern designs.
"Working with Georg Jensen presented an opportunity to express our ideas in different scales and through different media. Our starting point was the many links to nature at Georg Jensen," said Hadid, speaking about the collection earlier this year. "There is an inherent integrity within the organic structural logic found in nature and we often look at the coherence of natural systems when we work to create environments. Our challenge was to translate that into something that can be worn; to reinterpret the rich history and tradition of the Georg Jensen design approach into something new."
