Name Jaleh Farhadpour | ||
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Jaleh Farhadpour (born 1958) is a Canadian jewelry designer of Persian origin. She is most well known for her eponymous luxury jewelry line, carried at the likes of Holt Renfrew across Canada, and Fragments in New York. Jaleh has resided in Toronto since 1988, after having lived and worked in Dubai, Paris, Rome, London, and Los Angeles, and has been in the high-end jewelry business for ten years.
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Career
Jaleh has a Master of Architecture and a Master of Urban Planning, and has had international professional training in fashion design, production line planning, and gemology, which has granted her a unique and unexpected approach to colour and form in all her creations. As an artist, she continuously explores different mediums such as painting, sculpting, and ceramic-making. As an entrepreneur, she has worked both as an architect and fashion designer.
In 2005, Jaleh launched her line of fine jewelry to support victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka. It was an idea that came to life accidentally while she was volunteering in Sri Lanka following the catastrophe. She became fascinated by the colourful gems of Ceylon and by their healing power.
The line was first presented at a private fundraiser and was then picked up by the Sandra Ainsley Gallery in Toronto's historical Distillery District. Jaleh had her first exhibition in the gallery in October 2005. It was a success, and was noted by the CEO of Holt Renfrew. She was then invited to present her line at Holt Renfrew's flagship store on Bloor Street. She then entered into collaborations with many high-end stores and fine galleries throughout Canada and the United States.
Jaleh's line grew solely by word-of-mouth. She has never advertised her line, but she has nevertheless been featured in many different publications, such as The Globe & Mail, Maclean's and ELLE Canada, and her pieces have been sold at auction by prominent art collectors. She does not believe in mass production, and favours recycling jewelry. She has said that she prefers to stay small and exclusive.
Her pieces are reminiscent of her nostalgic view of the lost paradise within her native Persia, and her admiration for nature. Jaleh incorporates into her craft the importance of each individual gem used. Her art relies highly on her training and her exposure to different cultures.
Jaleh is currently working on a collection where she has taken the work of classic master jewellers and enhanced them with her own creative overlay. Her current pieces feature many unconventional shapes and designs, with a heavy use of diamond and gold. Her pieces have been praised as "wearable art."
She currently resides in Toronto with her two children, Roxanne and Rod.
Philanthropic work
Jaleh has been involved in several non-profit efforts, starting from childhood with distributing daily hot meals and clothing in Tehran's slums, and volunteering at a Mashhad hospital for girls with developmental disabilities. In 1995, she founded the Faryad Group, providing financial support for Afghan refugees of war in Tehran, Mashhad, and Birjand. In 2002, she founded the Children of Zahra Organization in Iran, in order to support single mothers and their children. Through that same organization, she founded "the country's first shelter for battered women."