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= Naghmeh Kiumarsi =

Naghmeh Kiumarsi is known as one of the leading and successful designers in the Iranian women's fashion industry. She founded her own brand labelled "Naghmeh Kiumarsi" in 2003, designing Head scarves and Manteau for women in Iran, who are legally bound to have certain parts of their bodies, such as their hair covered.

Naghmeh has a famous saying, "Fashion and art are directly related, and in fact, clothing design is a kind of illustration". You can see this clearly, through her work as a postmodern designer. She combines traditional Iranian elements with modern fabrics and textures whilst trying to redefine Iranian women's fashion. She also has a love for poetry, which she showcases in her work in the form of calligraphy with poems from Hafez. Naghmeh takes inspiration from 2500 years of Iranian culture, mixing it with modern trends and fabrics. She tries to come up with designs that are in demand with today's street style in Iran and worn by women all over the country. By creating original and inspired ideas, she has achieved remarkable success even outside of Iran, becoming a role model for countless young people in the field of fashion in her country.

Early life
She has been interested in drawing and painting since she was a child, and with the help of her grandmother and aunts, who were skilled in the sewing profession, she drew her designs and patterns on fabric. Naghmeh Kiumarsi, at the age of 11, learned the art of embroidery and pattern making, familiarising her with the concept of ideas in fashion and design. She has been practising design from a very early age leading her to the astounding success she has found today.

Career
In 2003 Naghmeh launched her brand, and showcased her first collection of scarfs and "Manteau". She is a third generation designer and takes her inspiration from 2500 years of culture and artistic heritage, which can be seen through the fabrics and patterns she uses. Years later, in 2008, she made some designs for the World Food Programme to show her support for charitable organizations, and still tends to do so. Such as, designing and donating T-shirts to Mahak charity for the fight against cancer. She also takes pride in supporting the women of her country, and for two years in a row she has designed and donated uniforms to the Iranian national hockey team.

In 2009 she exhibited a collection in Karlsruhe, Germany, Which was a big step towards taking her brand international. And up to this day, continues to have her yearly exhibitions in "Munich".

In 2011 Naghmeh was introduced to her agent who managed to arrange a collaboration between her brand and Harvey Nichols. She went on to present eight pieces to them, and officially took her brand international. Following the same year she went on to showcase her collection of scarves at Galeries Lafayette.

She has created an Abaya collection for the United Arab Emirates, called "Black Swan", which was inspired by the city of Dubai. The collection was very detailed and much thought had gone into every design. Each piece had symbols from the country, and she has said that the collection was designed to remind the buyer of the feminine core nature of an Arab woman.

In the year 2013 she presented at Munich fashion show in Germany titled "Blue Orange Love".

Two years later on the 7th of February 2015, the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh invited fashion designers from Iran to celebrate new movements in Iranian woman's fashion. There was a line up of designers such as, Zarir, Kourosh Gharbi, Diba Mehrabi and Naghmeh kiumarsi, each presenting the true Iranian culture in their work. Naghmeh's collection was titled "Fade in time", based around the concept of time. She took her inspiration from 17th century Qajar, with all the designs having historical references. She followed by stating "I created my style by combining modern art with Persian tradition".

Interview
In 2016 Honar online, a website that publishes daily updates that goes on in the world of art in Iran, held an interview with Naghmeh. The interview was in Farsi, and has been translated to English. The reporter of Honar online goes on to ask:

How did you become so attracted to clothing design?
As a child, I was very interested in painting and costume design, always wanting to design my own clothes. My grandmother and aunt always accompanied me on this journey and as I got older. But It took me years to come to the conclusion that, at some point in my life I would be designing costumes as a job or profession.

You have also had activities outside of Iran. Tell us about how you present your work outside of Iran.
I first presented my work at a cultural festival in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2007, and the collection I exhibited was a colourful collection of handicrafts and embroidery. This summer in Munich I also presented a collection called "Blue, Orange, Love" which was a good collection. If we want to make a brief reference to my overseas activities, most of my exhibitions have been in Dubai where the works were presented and sold to specific people. Years ago, I presented the "Tree of Life" project to the World Food Organization. I gave this design to those who used it and sold it. There are other job offers that have not yet been finalized. I have been in contact with other designers abroad that I have helped or received help from. I also have invitations from fashion weeks in different countries, but it is not possible to attend them yet.

Were these collections only exhibited or sold in foreign countries, especially in Europe?
Yes, they are all sold out. I intended for the clothes to be practical and suitable for the weather conditions as well as the taste of the Europeans. The garments on offer are both clothes and manteaus,in fact, manteaus sell better because its a new concept for foreigners, which use them as coats or robes.

Is there a sign in your designs that indicates that the dress is Iranian?
Absolutely. Because there are signs in the designs that distinguish Iranian work from others. Iranian motifs can be used, but often it is not necessary to have a special sign to show that the work is Iranian. Sometimes a fitting or a type of fabric or even its colour indicates where the work belongs. The type of oriental fabrics is also known worldwide.

Have you got any ideas from local clothes in your work?
Yes all the time. I take my inspiration from the clothes of the Kurds, the Lors and many other tribes in Iran. In the beginning, my work was very traditional, then gradually my taste changed and so did my deigns. Traditional and new designs can be combined to create new, creative ideas.