Rising star: Sarah Ibrahim

According to Rudyard Kipling’s Ballad of the East and West, “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”. Geographically and culturally perhaps Kipling was right, but in Sarah Ibrahim’s jewellery the two merge to beautiful effect.

Her designs are influenced by her childhood in Brunei, Southeast Asia, and her time in the UK. The designer spent the first 13 years of her life in Brunei before moving to the UK to attend boarding school at Bedford High School.

What fascinates Ibrahim is how patterns, shapes and texture are interpreted differently by Eastern and Western cultures.

Her first collection, appropriately called The Beginning, was inspired by tribal jewellery from Southeast Asia. Her second collection, Keep It, features pieces with locket elements that open to reveal a gold interior. Decoration comes from etchings or cut-outs on the cases, rather than using stones.

For her latest collection, called And Then…, Ibrahim will be experimenting with text as a way of adding interest.

Despite her obvious affinity for the medium, jewellery wasn’t Ibrahim’s chosen subject at university. She originally studied Graphic Design at the University of the West of England in Bristol in 2001.

“While graphics interested me creatively it did not fulfil my passion for making and working with my hands.

It was only after my degree that I discovered this,” explains Ibrahim.

After her degree, Ibrahim admits that she was “scared to commit to something else,” so she worked at a jewellers in the hope that the skills she would learn there would help her to develop her work. It did more than that - it convinced Ibrahim that jewellery design was her medium. In 2006, she went to the Sir John Cass department of Art and Media Design, at the London Metropolitan University, to study for her City and Guilds certificate and diploma.

“Attaining my diploma was only the beginning. It was only when I had to do things such as costing a piece or selling my work that I was able to understand some of what I had learnt,” she says.

Ibrahim’s career was given a major boost this year when she was one of the few chosen designers to be featured in Kickstart, a designer showcase hosted by trade show International Jewellery London.

Ibrahim says being involved in Kickstart has helped to develop her business. “Being chosen was a massive confidence boost and we were given so much publicity to help promote our brand, as well as the support to make the show a real success,” she says.

Now that Ibrahim has had her jewellery displayed in a few galleries, she hopes her business will continue to gain momentum.

“I am constantly trying to come with up with something different. Finding the right place in the market is difficult when you start out,” she says.

If Ibrahim keeps drawing on her pan-global roots and proving Kipling wrong she should have no problem standing out from the crowd.

For more information
Tel: 07795 033266
Email: sarahibrahim_2000@yahoo.com
Web: sarahibrahim.co.uk
Q&A
What work do you admire in the industry? Work that is simple but still manages to be original, and work that comes from a strong idea.
How would you describe your style? My style is really quite simple with an industrial edge, but I also like decoration so I try to incorporate both styles in a collection.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a jewellery designer? Be prepared to be strong willed as it can be lonely, and make sure you love what you make.
Which designs are you most proud of? The Contain It ring as it has such a bold, simple form and was the piece that started the Keep It collection.
What piece of jewellery should retailers stock? The large and medium locket, as the wearer can put little keepsakes in them and they make great presents for others or yourself.

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