Sofia Zakia

SOFIA ZAKIA IS A FINE JEWELRY BRAND CREATED AND DESIGNED BY SOFIA AJRAM IN MONTREAL. FOUNDED IN 2016, EACH PIECE IS RICH WITH SYMBOLISM, BORROWING FROM THE WORLDS OF ART, HISTORY, AND SCIENCE IN A HARMONIOUS JUXTAPOSITION OF LUXURY AND STORYTELLING. EACH PIECE IS AN UNCONVENTIONAL, FEMININE EXPLORATION INTO ICONIC SYMBOLS AND STORIES. SOFIA WORKS TO CREATE CEREMONIAL LUXURY JEWELRY THAT IS ALIVE WITH MEANING AND WEARABLE EVERY DAY, DESTINED TO BE PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS. WE ASKED SOFIA SOME QUESTIONS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER LIFE, INSPIRATIONS AND CREATIVE PROCESS.

1. What is your first jewellery memory? 
I loved sneaking through my mother’s antique vanity. From what I can remember, it was filled with old jewelry boxes, family photos, a daily dime bank, Alexandre de Paris Vendome clips and barrettes, a string of amethyst beads. It was always very exciting to me. She had a clear plastic box with pink bows on it that housed jewelry that would one day be mine when I grew up. One of the pieces (a single turquoise bead) I wear every day. She told me it was an evil eye charm.

2. What's the first piece that you designed?  
The first page of my sketchbook, which I still use, is a rough sketch of our Solar System bracelet. At the time it was drawn like a rosary.

3. What is your favorite stone? Why?
I’ll always be drawn to opals and pearls. There’s an inherent femininity to them. The softness of their structure makes them difficult to work with; it’s very gratifying.

4. Do you have a piece of jewellery that you wear all year-round? 
My Baby Heart earrings! And often The Witch and Hereditary tarot pendants with the turquoise evil eye that was handed down to me from my mother. I wear them together on a figaro chain.

5. Who are your favorite jewellery designers? 
There are so many exceptionally talented living designers, many of which I am honored to call my friends. Wing Yau of Wwake, Derek McKay Duncan, Castro Smith, Chris and Mai of Sirciam. I greatly admire contemporary designers who are able to create master work with unusual materials. Bibi van der Velden, Shinji Nakaba, Beatriz Palacios continues to amaze me with her use of themes and otherwise ephemeral materials.

6. What are your greatest design influences? 
Art, poetry, love, magic. Sometimes themes will emerge in representative forms and other times they’ll translate more abstractly in a synesthetic sense where I take away an impression of art or music.

7. If you weren’t a jewellery designer, what would you do? 
I would be writing screenplays. I love film.

8. What do you currently listen to in your studio? 
It varies depending on task and on my mood. Lately I’ve been seeking tenderness in music like Lana Del Rey and Mitski. I love a good pop song though.

9. What is your dream travel destination? 
I’d like to someday visit Iceland. I’ve heard they have a strong love of books. Experiencing that landscape must be transformative.