Naghmeh Kiumarsi
Iran's heritage, stitched into the present.
Naghmeh Kiumarsi is a third-generation designer who has spent more than two decades giving Persian calligraphy, poetry, and craft a place in contemporary womenswear. Her work has travelled from her Tehran atelier to the runways of Milan and Cannes.
The Story
Naghmeh Kiumarsi began designing before she could name it as a career. She started sketching at five and learned embroidery at twelve, an early education in patience, precision, and the primacy of the hand; values that still govern her studio today.
In 2003, she launched her own label with a first line of scarves and manteaus, forty pieces that sold out within two hours. As a third-generation designer, she draws on 2,500 years of Iranian visual culture: Persian calligraphy, arabesque (eslimi) motifs, literary references, and poetry rendered sometimes as illustration, sometimes as a felt rhythm inside a garment’s construction.
Her work has since travelled from Tehran to Karlsruhe, Munich, Edinburgh, Dubai, Milan, and Cannes, always returning to the same premise: that clothing can carry a culture’s history and identity, and still be beautiful enough, and well-made enough, to be worn every day.
“Given the rich history and culture of my country, we have a great deal to say through art. My mission is to show that richness to the world, for as long as I can.”
Two decades, in order.
Three collections of telling one story.
Arsi
A Nowruz collection in cotton, wool, and silk, drawn from the colour and geometry of orosi — the latticed, coloured-glass windows of traditional Iranian architecture.
The Garden of Shah Abbas's Flowers
A tribute to the Safavid era, built around the Shah Abbasi floral motif — the same stylised narcissus that has moved across Persian carpets for centuries. Twelve looks, raw silk and termeh, one idea: unity found through contrast.
The Brilliance of Iranian Ethnic Attire
Twelve Iranian communities — Qashqai, Kurdish, Turkmen, Bandari, Mazani, Gilaki and others — reimagined not as folklore, but as a living culture still worth wearing.
“A tribute to the history and culture of Iranian women, and a reinterpretation of twelve garments from various Iranian ethnicities.”
A place in the archive, not just the season.
In 2015, two pieces from Kiumarsi’s work entered the permanent World Culture collection at National Museums Scotland: a yellow velvet jacket printed with a pattern of miniature-style portraits, and a yellow-and-purple velvet top with two contrasting patterns, both made around 2014. Both were acquired following her presentation at the Edinburgh Iranian Festival.
They remain catalogued in the museum’s archive today (object numbers V.2015.15.1 and V.2015.15.2), marking one of the few instances of contemporary Iranian fashion entering a national collection.
Design as a form of responsibility.
For Kiumarsi, a well-made garment is already a form of responsibility. to the person who made it, the person who wears it, and the culture it draws from. That instinct doesn’t stop at the studio door.
Mahak Charity
Designed and donated garments to support children undergoing cancer treatment.
National Women's Hockey Team
Designed and sponsored uniforms for Iran's national women's hockey team, two seasons running.
Qeshm Marathon
Designed the official T-shirts for the Qeshm Marathon and supported the event as a sponsor.
Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child
Provided financial support to the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child, recognised with a formal letter of appreciation.
Behnam Daheshpour Charity
Took part in events and charity initiatives organised by the Behnam Daheshpour Charity in support of cancer patients.
Sustainable by design
Every collection is built on the same premise: durability over disposability, in resistance to fast fashion cycles.
